John 1:35-51

Verse 46 - "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

This is Nathanael's reaction when he hears that Jesus, rumoured to be the Messiah, comes from Nazareth.

Isn't it amazing how little we've changed in 2000 years? None of us like to admit our prejudices, but we all have them, and we all know it. If you heard the news that Jesus was arriving on Earth today, wouldn't your reaction be different if you heard He was arriving in Jerusalem, versus, let's say, arriving in Las Vegas?

But Nathanael completely makes me smile in the end. It takes so little for him to put all his faith in Jesus. Jesus simply recognizes him, and Nathanael is ready to call Him the "Son of God" and "King of Israel".

So many times, we ask so much of God. It's not enough for God to simply recognize us. We ask God to know it all, and do it all, and support it all, and be it all... and then we'll put our trust in Him.

If my family asked me to provide evidence and complete tasks just to prove my love for them, I would be hurt and insulted. And yet, we, as members of God's loving family, constantly ask God to prove His love for us with miracles and concrete evidence.

Nathanael is so open and ready for Jesus, that it simply takes a statement, a simple recognition, and he's ready to trust and be a follower.

Sometimes, we need to be a little more like Nathanael...