For Sunday
Epiphany 2B
Collect
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Reading
Reflection
In the church, we call this story of Nathaneal and Philip one of the “call stories;” Jesus inviting the disciples to join him on his journey.
The concept of “call,” which is a decidedly religious word, is our humble attempt to describe our relationship to a divine invitation. For us, as it is for Nathaneal and Philip, is an invitation to follow Jesus, learn from Jesus, and be a part of the Missio Dei, God’s mission in the world.
The late bishop of Eastern Michigan, Ed Leidel liked to say that the word call feels like a misnomer. It makes it sound like God will call us on the phone and all we must do is “pick up”. More often, being called by God is something more like a nudge or an itch that we are compelled to investigate, explore, and seek understanding.
In John’s gospel, there is only one disciple Jesus seeks for. The others seek him or are introduced to him and choose to follow him. Once again, this is the opposite image of what we hear from the word call.
What we see instead is a story of introductions and experience and knowing. Jesus displays a knowledge of Nathanael that leads the mildly skeptical friend to declare, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
It may seem like so little proof of divinity to us, especially from those of us waiting by the phone to be called, noticed, remembered. But it is a declaration of faith by one who sees the divine manifest among them.
The Messiah, calling these humble people to a new life. One that requires them to do the work of seeing, hearing, doing, and actively choosing this life of faith.