Bartholomew, Thursday – 24thAugust 2023 — Gospel: Jn 1,45-51
Extraordinary Transformation
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and traditionally he is identified as Nathanael. The Gospel of John speaks about the man named Nathanael. He is mentioned six times in John’s Gospel, whereas the name Bartholomew is mentioned once in each of the synoptic Gospels and also in Acts of the Apostles, in the list of the names of the Apostles. The reason why Bartholomew is identified as Nathanael is because in all the lists of the twelve, Bartholomew is named in the company of Philip. Nathanael was brought to Jesus by Philip. Jesus calls Nathanael as “an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”
John portrays Nathanael as a man who speaks his mind. He says of Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” After having had a personal experience, Nathanael professes his faith in Jesus saying, “You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel.” His former disbelief in someone from Nazareth is changed to an awareness of the person of Jesus. What instantly changed his perspective and life were: a personal knowledge and relationship with Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. In his encounter with Jesus, Nathanel was interlocked with extortionary happenings in him, helping him overcome fear and vulnerability.
