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January 18, 2009—Second Sunday After Epiphany

Lectionary Texts: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51


Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:43-51

Jesus Has Come, For What?

I remember when my daughter first began to drive. She was a model student, great kid, always compliant with the things we asked her to do. Because of her general clumsiness, we were a tad concerned about her getting behind the wheel. She was quick to assure us that she was going to be a good, attentive driver.

After her attempt to drive her car through the wall of our garage, running into a sheriff patrol car, destroying someone’s bush, receiving a ticket for going 75 in a 45, totaling her first car, and--the icing on the cake was when she pulled away from a gas station with the gas hose still attached to her car--it had become more than obvious to us that our daughter was less than attentive to her driving skills. All the way along, she insisted that we had nothing to worry about, she was a good driver.

It’s awfully difficult to respond to the voice of God if we don’t own our stuff. We can claim we’re a good driver, but it’s going to be difficult to convince someone while your backing your car out of the garage wall. You can say you’re attentive, but tell someone that while you’re dragging a gasoline hose behind your car. How genuine we are is measured by our sincerity to own up to our stuff, to really hear what we’re being called to do.

Unlike my daughter, the examples we have in our text this week were asking questions, but were also sincere in their search. Their motives were never questioned by God.

The issue we find in the text this week is the desire on Samuel and Nathanael’s part to come to the Truth. These stories are about two genuine seekers, who are open to their questions being answered in ways they didn’t expect. Being honest about who they were, and what changes they are being asked to make.

Eli is confronted with a seeker, Samuel, and he gives direction as he understands. Jesus is confronted with a question, and is unfazed. Looking at the encounter with Jesus and Nathanael, let’s consider the question, what do we do with our doubt?

Just like Samuel and Nathanael, we come and seek answers to our questions as well. The key for us to look at how honest they are in there search. They aren’t asking questions to be difficult, or dishonest; they are genuinely seeking the answers. I’m not sure about you, but it’s comforting to me to know that it’s okay for me to ask questions. When I honestly come to God seeking to find answers, He is always there to join me in the journey.

Sure there are times we ask tough questions. There are times we shouldn’t settle for the easy, Sunday School answer--those aren’t helpful anyway. There are moments our hearts won’t let us settle, but we can also be assured that we are seeking genuinely, without deceit. In other words, there is congruity between what we are asking, and who we are seeking to be in Christ. We’re not claiming to know what is going on in our lives, only to realize we’ve been driving 75 in a 45. We can use this text to help us shape how we respond when going through times of doubt and questioning.

Jesus looked at Nathanael and saw his heart. He recognized that he was trying to seek the things of God, and responded in kind. It’s just like Jesus to do that, isn’t it? Remember how he dealt with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the man at the Pool of Siloam, the rich young ruler, Zacchaeus, Matthew, Judas, Peter, and actually just about everyone He encountered. He has the uncanny ability to read their hearts and ours.

How does God respond to their questions? He responds by not being intimidated by doubt and questioning. In Nathanael’s case, Jesus is secure in His identity, and is comfortable with that being questioned by Nathanael. Can something good come from Nazareth? Nathanael has been studying about this, and he recognizes that the prophets don’t say anything about the Messiah coming from there. He’s a true seeker, looking for answers.

We can be assured today that God reads hearts. That’s how He knows Nathanael’s, and that’s how He knows ours. It seems from this narrative, at least in Nathanael’s case, that He isn’t concerned with what He did, but more how He did it. He isn’t concerned with what we question, but how we question. He wasn’t concerned with the fact that Nathanael questioned His authenticity, but why he was asking that question. What is driving the question? Nathanael answered the call, being a Jew who studied about the Messiah, looked for Him, prayed about His arrival, and was consistent in what he believed and how he lived. That’s why he asked the question. That’s why the question was answered the way it was.

The key to this calling is found in Nathanael’s heart. Jesus saw it, answered his question, and called him to a new life. Jesus called, and Nathanael responded. Jesus still calls, and seeks those who are willing to respond with a heart like Nathanael’s.
This passage calls for us to seek out our own hearts, and be honest with our stuff, if I can say it that way. If last week the narrative showed our response was contingent on our repentance, this week our response is contingent on our confession. Nathanael asked a question, that showed where his heart was, and God responded to his heart. It’s the same for us.

Our willingness to own who we are allows God to make the transformation in us that only He can do. If Jesus knows better than anyone else who we are, there is no one better for us to come to with our stuff. Confession puts us in the place for some things to be put into place where we can learn to listen. There are ways this happens. In our message this week, we want to see in the text what the ways are that Samuel, from the Old Testament, and Nathanael, from the New Testament, opened themselves up to follow God’s leading in their lives.

If Jesus moved first, seeking us and our proper response is to live repentance, then our lives are shaped by confession, owning up to who we are. How does this happen for us? Just like it happened for Samuel and Nathanael.

They sought advice from wise counsel (Eli), so should week seek the counsel of those who are more mature in the faith than we are. Find someone you know loves God, and will care for you at the same time. You can trust them to lead you in the right direction.

They were also persistence (Samuel), don’t give up.

They put aside their prejudice (Nathanael).

They sought to understand Scripture (Philip).

They had a willingness to respond when their questions were answered (Samuel and Nathanael). They did what they were asked to do.

When we use their example as our model, we can respond in kind. We no longer need to make excuses about how good we are while leaving a trail of a demolition derby in our rear view mirror. By being honest about who we are, God can do in us what He wants to do.