I have been meditating on John 1:35-51 the last few days. It is the account of Jesus calling his disciples to follow Him. But I have noticed something for the first time. When Jesus calls his disciples to follow him, and they do, it is followed by some questions. Jesus’ answer is, “Come and see.” When Philip finds Nathanael, and he asks him is anything good can come out of Nazareth, where Jesus is from, Philip replies, “Come and see.” When Nathanael responds and encounters Jesus, He says to Nathanael, “Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael asks Jesus how He knows him. He replies, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael is amazed that Jesus “knew his true self,” then recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
In other words, Jesus saw the true authentic identity in Nathanael—it was one of integrity, his true nature. His highest and best self. Jesus validated that. But it didn’t stop there. He says in essence, “Do you believe in me because I saw who you really are—it’s not going to stop there, buddy. You are going to see much more than this—“You are going to see greater things than these. You will see HEAVEN OPEN and the ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING upon the SON OF MAN.”
So often we think that in our search for significance that we have arrived when we have an understanding of who we are. Isn’t that the essence of all self-help, self-discovery and self-development? We think we have arrived when we connect with and express our authentic selves. But, self-discovery is not the destination. Once we have connected to ourselves and find our true identity, there is an invitation, a promise, that we will SEE HEAVEN OPEN.
When we come out from under the fig tree, that place of hiddenness, hiding, obscurity, isolation, the cocoon of transformation, we are called to behold God and His wonders in a whole new way.
I know that many people have been in a prolonged season of “being under the fig tree.” God has seen your highest self there, while you have been parked, positioned in place of safety, reflection, re-tooling, and inward study, but I believe it is now a new season of “come and see.” A time to step out from under the fig tree,” agree with God in who He says you are, and then “come and see,” behold HEAVEN OPEN TO YOU and behold the wonders of God. It’s time to come out of hiding and out into the open heaven.
If you are feeling the beckoning of God to leave your fig tree and follow that unction of “come and see,” do it. Who knows what OPEN HEAVE is awaiting you.
