73. Thursday after Second Sunday after Epiphany.
The way of the righteous is made plain.
Lord, let me be found among them.
John 1, 47-51. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
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Nathanael was not only one of those of whom the Bible says that “blessed are they in whose spirit is no guile;” but there was in him a peculiar simplicity of soul, which the Lord cannot give to all, even if they are upright and true Christians, but which is especially precious and pleasing to him. The Nathanael-souls are pearls among God’s people. However, uprightness there must be in all disciples of Jesus. Only the pure eye is bright enough to see God. But this really does see him. Sarai’s maid called the name of the angel of the Lord that spoke to her: “Thou God seest me; for she said: Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?” (Genesis 16, 13). The eyes of the Lord were upon Nathanael, and his ears had marked his prayers. “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Then Nathanael answered and said to him: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” And he saw heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. First God comes to us, then we to him. First he sees us, and descends; then we see him, and ascend. “This ascending and descending of the angels,” says Luther, “is precisely the mystery, that God and man are in one and the same person. It is the great and unspeakable glory of the human race, which none may utter, that, by this wonderful union, God has united the human nature with himself. Hence we are by faith carried up, and become one flesh with Christ. We ascend to him; but, before we can do this, he descends to us through the word and sacraments, instructing and training us in the knowledge of him.” God give us the light of faith, the single eye, which sees things invisible; then shall we see that the hills around us are covered with mighty heroes, more numerous than all our enemies; that the eye of God watches over us night and day, and that soon we shall be in heaven. God give us a simple and childlike heart, and increase our faith. Amen.*
Faith is wisdom from on high,
Hearing ear and seeing eye;
In the soul a higher light
Than the ken of mortal sight;
Lively trust and hope serene,
Evidence of things not seen.
Faith, in childlike trust, is wise:
Trusting him who never lies,
By whose grace the weak grow strong,
Change their sighing into song.
Praise be thine, O Lord of might!
Faith shall end in glorious sight.
[American Lutheran Hymnal 126; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.