These scriptural reflections by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok are copyrighted, but you are free to reproduce them for your own noncommercial personal or church use. Other uses require permission of the author, who may be reached at revsandyb@aol.com.

"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 that 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.' " John 1:49-51

Rabbi. Son of God. King of Israel. As Nathanael uttered these three statements, we see his journey from doubt to belief in Jesus. He is totally convinced that through Jesus, something good has finally come from Nazareth.

Jesus affirms his faith, by again referring to the Jacob story that Nathanael had been meditating on (Genesis 28:10-17). After scheming, lying, deceiving and cheating his brother from his birthright, Jacob had been sent away by his family to take a wife from relatives in another country. While sleeping in the wilderness, he has a dream on his journey. In his dream a ladder reached from earth to heaven with angels from God who were ascending and descending. God spoke to Jacob in this dream, blessing him and assuring him of God's presence wherever he goes. And Jacob awoke, saying, "Surely the LORD is in this place-and I did not know it!"

Jesus assured this honest man, Nathanael that because of his faith; he would see greater things than Jacob who was full of guile and deceit. Nathanael believed and brings us many spiritual insights for our journey.

But here is the good news of the Gospel. Whether we identify with Jacob or Nathanael, we too, can experience God where we are.

Prayer: God, empower our own journey towards faith. Bring us from doubt to belief. Help us experience your presence today wherever we are. Amen.