NPC Weekly Devotional
for the Week of January 18th - January 24th, 2009
for the Week of January 18th - January 24th, 2009
| Scripture Reading: | |
| - | 1 Samuel 3:1-20 |
| - | Psalm 139:1-18 |
| - | 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 |
| - | John 1:43-51 |
According to the Gospel lesson even Jesus made choices of his own free will. He was not driven or led, nor did he even have to go! Instead he chose to go to Galilee. Then, not only did he choose where to go, he chose whom he might take with him. He selects his followers. All the Gospels agree on this critical point: it is not enough to believe in Jesus. To be a disciple is to follow him.
So then, Jesus finds Philip, and Philip finds Nathanael – the first converts. And sometimes the newly converted make the best evangelists. Philip does not go into a long sermon about Jesus, nor does he threaten the eternal soul of Nathanael. Instead he says simply, “come and see”. Perhaps the best way we can invite others into a relationship with Jesus is to invite them to come and see for themselves and let God do the rest.
Nathanael then, is honest enough to wonder if anything so significant could come from such an insignificant village. It seems to me the story suggests two claims here. The first is that God can accomplish great things in unlikely places. The second is that God is more than able of honoring ordinary people and apparently insignificant places. Scripture and our own experience bear witness to the fact that with God’s help even our little church can nurture greatness!