Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday after Epiphany. Church services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you're unable to be with us in person, you can find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness"
Today's Gospel
John 1:43-51 Jesus Calls Philip and Nathaniel
Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Reflection
Today is the second Sunday after Epiphany and the wise men are making their way back having come to see the infant king at Bethlehem.
In chronological terms the passage above happens some thirty years later, just after Jesus has been baptised and He is starting his ministry. Up to that point there is nothing really to tell about Jesus, other than the story of His birth and presentation at the temple. He is just a stranger from Nazareth. on earth in human form.
But Jesus is starting His divine mission here on earth. He is starting to call His disciples and build the church. He approaches Philip and says to him, “Follow me”. That’s all we know, there is no scripture that describes Philip’s reaction or record of any debate where Philip asks, ‘who are you?’ We are just told that Jesus asked Philip to follow Him and we assume that’s exactly what he did.
Next we are told that ‘Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”’ Nathaniel’s response is somewhat dismissive, even jokingly offensive when he replies, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” In response, Philip just replies, “Come and see.” Again there is no record of any long debate or Philip going to lengths to explain why Nathaniel should go, but clearly he goes with Philip to see Jesus.
The fact that Jesus tells Nathaniel that He saw him under the fig tree is far from earth shattering news. Neither is what Jesus says to Nathaniel about him not being an deceitful person. Yet Nathaniel’s reaction in identifying Jesus as ‘The Son of God’ is astonishing. The impact of meeting Jesus in person seems to be phenomenal.
Jesus isn’t stood there with a huge crown and robes, or veil of visible light around Him. He doesn’t have a big badge on his cloak saying, ‘Messiah’ or ‘Anointed One’. We aren’t told that Jesus has a magnetic personality or terrific wit, yet everyone who is called is not only content, but happy to follow Him. The beginning of His church is coming into place and from that point people will follow Jesus, not because they have met Him in person but by people telling each other about Him. To a large extent that’s the way the church has grown over two millennia and continues to grow at a pace in Africa and parts of the Far East. By word of mouth and people inviting others to ‘come and see’ just as Nathaniel did and also the Wise Men.
That might seem incredible at a time when many are bemoaning the fact that in the West, there seems to be an overall decline in Christianity. As we continue our Christmas journey through the season of Epiphany, there is a clear call for us to encourage others to ‘come and see.’ Like Philip, we should not feel we have to extensively explain why people need follow Jesus. Rather we just offer them the invitation and let them ‘come and see’ what Jesus is doing in the world today! Paul
Our Prayers
