Sermon Preached in Athens for the 2nd Sunday of the Epiphany, 17th January 2020: Revelation 5, 1-10; John 1, 43-end.

Fr Leonard W Doolan

 

His name is Oliver. His wife was born in Thessaloniki, but they live in Jerusalem, because Oliver is an Israeli citizen.

Oliver took our group, as our tour guide, to Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee. Beside the archaeological site of Capernaum were some benches. In the heat of the day it was good to get into the shade, because the benches were under the magnificent spreading branches of a tree. I can’t remember what kind of tree it is, but maybe it was a plane tree. I don’t think it was a fig.

As always we waited with anticipation for his commentary on what we were experiencing. We had listened to his description of the remains of Capernaum; the little streets and houses. It had been, as always, a full and inspiring commentary. So what was left? As we sat there in the shade of the tree Oliver started to illustrate for us a passage of scripture that is not particularly memorable compared to some of the best loved parables and images of the New Testament.

He told us about someone called Nathaniel; the same Nathaniel mentioned in our gospel this morning. Jesus compliments Nathaniel who says to Jesus, ‘Where did you get to know me?’ Somewhat enigmatically Jesus replies ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ What might we understand from this?

Oliver explains. It was the custom for men to gather under the trees for shade. The women were no doubt at home. Some trees would have more people under their shade than others. This was not so much to do with the amount of shade created by the extent of the branches and leaves, but to do with who was sitting there.

The crowds would gather in the shade where there was someone worth listening to; someone who was sharing good wisdom, sound advice, good interpretation of their religion; much needed human wisdom.

Under the fig tree Nathaniel’s wisdom has been recognized by others. He was a sound teacher and worth listening to, or as Jesus says of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’

So we find ourselves sitting under the branches of a great tree, listening to Oliver’s wonderful interpretation of this passage of scripture in St. John’s gospel. He gives us insights into an otherwise unremarkable little scene. He reveals something to us, he breaks it open for us. This is what a good teacher does – she or he breaks open for us access to knowledge or to wisdom, human and divine.

The people of Nathaniel’s generation – people like Philip, Andrew, Peter and tens of thousands more – had been waiting for some good news for so long. They were seeking a Messiah who would bring in the Kingdom of God for them. There were lots of ideas floating around for centuries about who this might be, or what this person might look like. One thing they didn’t expect is that the answer would come from Nazareth. We know rather differently, but then we are looking back on scripture – and in some ways we know more than Nathaniel and his friends, because we know how the story ends. It ends with a cross and a resurrection.

The whole of God’s action, his work, in Jesus is about revealing the outcome – revealing the new covenant, the new promise in Jesus Christ. In Jesus ‘Wisdom is known by her offspring’ (Matthew 11, 19)

As Nathaniel wisely interprets life and faith to those who gather round him, sharing his wisdom with others, and breaking open insights into God, so in our reading from the Book of Revelation we have another biblical example of revelation, of the divine bursting forth, breaking into lives and religion.

 

This time St. John, the Evangelist, the theologian, the author of the 4^th Gospel, finds himself in older life banished to the Greek island of Patmos. This is an island I have yet to make a pilgrimage to – but I will one day.

In St. John’s vision of the End of Times – the ‘eschaton’ – no one is found worthy to break open the scroll, no one in heaven or earth, no one who could receive the public acclaim ‘axios’, ‘axios’ ‘worthy’, ‘worthy’.

However St. John is comforted by the holy Elders, for one is found worthy – the one to whom belong the titles Lion of the tribe of Judah, Root of David, the Lamb, before whom the elders with their harps and bowls of incense; he, and he alone is ‘worthy’ to break open the seal, to reveal the glory of God and to bring about his Kingdom. It is Jesus, whose blood was shed so that all saints of every tribe and language, and people and nation could gather. God cracks open divine Wisdom in the birth of Jesus, his baptism, his transfiguration, his death and resurrection.

St. John’s vision is a vision of revelation of the ‘end-times-in-Jesus’. As his followers through faith and baptism we share in his life, and so we live life as Christians anticipating the ‘end-times-in-Jesus.’

But we mustn’t be deceived into thinking that the end times are synonymous with death, destruction, plagues, and global viruses, but rather a completion, a fulfilment, when all will be made one in Christ, looking together in wonder at the love and glory and wisdom of God in Christ.

We sit together under the tree. We sit together under the tree with one who is worthy, worthy to reveal God fully to us so that we see him face to face, as he sees us. We sit in the shade of the Tree of Life, the tree that is at the centre of our first Paradise; we sit with the one who is of the Tree of Jesse; with the one who died in shame on the tree; with the one in whom is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

 

In recent months, weeks and days we have heard the voices of many influential people, voices in many nations, that have been shrill and divisive, voices that have had messages of deceit, downright lies. I ask – do we really think they are worthy enough to sit down with under a tree? Will true wisdom be broken open for us through their words? Is there in our own day someone, some people, somewhere, to whom we could say ‘worthy’?

There is one. ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints form every tribe and language and people and nation.’ (Revelation 5, 9-10).

We are sitting under the tree with Oliver at Capernaum. He gives us a glimpse into the moment when Nathaniel encounters Jesus, when Jesus acknowledges human wisdom. We are invited to sit under the tree where Jesus shares divine and holy Wisdom with us. ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ (John 1, 50).