The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, He said to him, "Follow me." Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. - John 1:43-46. Constantly, you and I encounter people who feel the way Nathanael felt when he was told about Jesus, the Messiah of God. Follow Philip's example. Don't get into an argument about it. Don't be afraid to take them to the Messiah. He has all the answers. He can revolutionize their lives. He can open their eyes to see. He is God's anointed.
As we go about our daily routine during Epiphany and beyond, we will have our doubters. Some will welcome the word and others will ridicule the Christian faith and the church. They will challenge you. Like Philip, when he found Nathanael, in your early Christian walk, you might know enough to satisfy yourself, but not enough to explain and quiet an adversary. When Nathanael made his snide remark about Jesus' hometown, Philip did not become confrontational, he took Nathanael to Jesus. "Come and see," he said. Take note, Philip did not say, "Go and see." He said, "Come and see." I will go with you and let you see the master for yourself. When you encounter people who are adversarial about God, remember you cannot change them. You can only take them to the gospel and allow the Lord to do the changing of heart. Only He can change hearts.
He changed the heart of Nathanael. He can change the hearts of others. He calls us to share His word with the people with whom we come into contact - not to change them. Remember, you are a message bearer. The Holy Spirit gathers and calls sinners to faith. Therefore, lead them to the cross, to the anointed of God. Once you have guided them to the Lord, He will do the rest. Many of us get very angry when we fail to change a person's mind about God. We take it personally. A preacher once became very despondent because he was not filling his sanctuary with people during his sermons. He was so depressed he told his wife that he was going to give up his ministry. He considered himself a failure. His wife encouraged him to continue in his ministry.
Many years later, one of the few persons who had attended his service became an evangelist who later proclaimed the gospel to millions of people. It is not up to us to judge what effect God's word has on people. He said, "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Is. 55:11. Philip was a blessing to Nathanael. There is a Philip who took you to see the Master. There has been a Philip in my life. He said, "Come go with me to church." I went and my life was changed forever. Jesus changes lives. Be a Philip to the people in your life. Tell them about the Lord and then take them to the place where they will find him, at church. He is there in the waters of baptism and in the sacraments. They might react like Nathanael, but don't let that discourage you. Amen. Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas, or telephone: 323-4107; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com; Website: www.Nassaulutheranchurch.org.
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