HOMILY FOR 20TH SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: GOD CAN CHANGE ANY CONDITION
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Revelations 21:9-14, Ps. 145:10-13a,17-18, John 1:45-51
‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’
In today’s Gospel (John 1:45-51), we reflect on the encounter Nathaniel had with Jesus. While Nathanael had a significant role as the first to recognize Jesus as the Son of God (1:49), he appeared only once more in this Gospel (21:2). Some scholars, noting that Nathanael is not mentioned in the Synoptics and Bartholomew is not mentioned in the Gospel of John, have speculated that Nathanael and Bartholomew might be the same person using the two names.
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Jesus found Philip, and Philip ran off to Nathaniel and told him they had found him whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth. Surprisingly, Nathaniel came up with a dismissive question as he responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Nathaniel had some opinions and some assumptions about Nazareth. And like Nathaniel, we make assumptions about people and situations every day. Sometimes, the assumptions are about people’s attitudes. Other times, they are about situations, our marriages, our jobs, families, etc. Then there are other times we look at parts of our lives, our illness, our pains, and our setbacks, and assume nothing good can come out of them again. We may not speak out loudly, but it runs through our hearts.
The assumptions we make can destroy relationships, love, and life. Our assumptions can narrow our vision. They can close up the possibility of change and growth. They can block our reconciliation, healing, and new life. They impoverish our faith and tell us that there is nothing God can do for us.
It is no coincidence that Nathaniel was under the fig tree when he made the assumption. It was the fig tree that gave Adam and Eve the leaves that hid them from God. It is the fig tree that Jesus would curse for bringing no fruit, no sign of life. Assumptions become our hiding places; blocking us from facing life and growing in the knowledge of God.
Nathaniel didn’t doubt that God would fulfil the prophecies of old. His shock and disbelief were the fact that the messiah would come from Nazareth. And we all have our Nazareths. We can’t see anything good coming out of them. We don’t see the possibility of God changing our situations.
The good news is that God doesn’t allow Himself to be limited by the Nathaniels in us; our assumptions can’t stop Him from manifesting His glory. Before we look at people’s backgrounds, conditions, places and even our own situations and conclude nothing good can come out of them, let us never forget that God is ever in the business of changing stories and history. And the best invitation is to come and see. Let us taste and see that the Lord is good. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world, bless and protect us all through Christ our Lord Amen.
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