Thursday August 24th, 2017 St. Bartholomew, Apostle John 1:43-51
[Jesus] found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." (verse 43)
My wife, like all mothers, is the source of wisdom and knowledge in our household; the finder of things that are lost. Every day is punctuated with, “Mom, where is my _______?” to which the answer is usually, “Did you look in the last place you left it?” And, lo and behold the sought-after item appears. But occasionally, things are lost and then found in unexpected places. “How did that get there?” generates good conversation.
Philip and Nathanael, one with a Greek name and one with a Hebrew name, are in a crowded marketplace in Galilee. Jesus called to Philip, “Follow me,” and apparently not only did Philip drop everything, he went to find his friend. When Nathanael heard about Jesus, his first response was to scoff; nothing good could come from Nazareth. Nathanael didn’t believe that what he sought would be found in such an out-of-the-way place.
Sometimes great treasures are found in unexpected places, and if we close our minds to the possibilities that such things are there, our lives may never be enriched by those unexpected finds.
Dear God, open our eyes and our hearts to those who draw us to meet you in unexpected places. Amen. — MHM
Contributed by Found in Unexpected Places
My wife, like all mothers, is the source of wisdom and knowledge in our household; the finder of things that are lost. Every day is punctuated with, "Mom, where is my _______?" to which the answer is usually, "Did you look in the last place you left it?" And, lo and behold the sought-after item appears. But occasionally, things are lost and then found in unexpected places. "How did that get there?" generates good conversation.
Philip and Nathanael, one with a Greek name and one with a Hebrew name, are in a crowded marketplace in Galilee. Jesus called to Philip, "Follow me," and apparently not only did Philip drop everything, he went to find his friend. When Nathanael heard about Jesus, his first response was to scoff; nothing good could come from Nazareth. Nathanael didn't believe that what he sought would be found in such an out-of-the-way place.
Sometimes great treasures are found in unexpected places, and if we close our minds to the possibilities that such things are there, our lives may never be enriched by those unexpected finds.
