Breaking the Word

  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous,  and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out! (Mt 23:27-32)

‘Bearing witness’ is essential in Christian religion. Every follower is asked to bear witness to the love of God, the redemption of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus criticises the Pharisees and the scribes for bearing witness to themselves though negatively. Yes they go about doing things and speaking about themselves. It is in this they are hypocrites. They, in stead should speak of God and do Godly things.

Secondly they are the children of the murderers. Since they are descendants their activities are like their fore fathers. They keep repeating what their elders have done and gone before them. In no way they are better than them. Even though, they pretend to do things differently. They do the same actions but differently.  

What do they do differently? It is true that they do not kill the prophets. But they build tombs and monuments to the prophets thus agreeing with what their ancestors have done. They keep whitewashing the tombs and again agreeing with what their fore fathers have done in the past. Not only they agree with their ancestors they themselves are doing things which are only external. They do it for a show. And that is why they are hypocrites. 

  Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."  And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."  (Jn 1:45-51)

Old Testament, and in particular the Law of Moses (Pentateuch) and the Prophets,  was pointing out to the Messiah who was suppose to come into the world. This expectation was shared by every Jew. But their expectation varied as to from where would come and how he would go about etc. That was why many proposed themselves to be the messiah.

Nathanael did not expect the messiah from Nazareth. He was not open to believing that God could make messiah come from anywhere. Philip’s answer ‘come and see’ could only help him to realize. Even though he could not accept the idea of messiah from Nazareth, yet he was open to make an effort to verify.

Nathanael was not only open in stating what he knew but he was also open to knowing the truth. It was this openness that made him see the Messiah and also believe in him and follow him. Openness is one of the qualities to commune with God and communicate with God ( you will see the angels of God = communicators of God…).