everything good comes from nazareth
"Nathanael's response to that was, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?' " —John 1:46
Philip told Nathanael (Bartholomew) that Jesus was "the One Moses spoke of in the law — the prophets too — Jesus, Son of Joseph, from Nazareth" (Jn 1:45). Nathanael responded by putting down Nazareth and therefore Joseph and Jesus, who were from Nazareth.
We too put down certain places and people, and in doing this reject Jesus. The early Jewish Christians were tempted to reject Jesus by rejecting Gentiles and the places where Gentiles lived. So too we avoid and ignore poor places and poor people, thereby refusing to serve Jesus (Mt 25:45). We are naturally tempted to rebel against people and places of authority. If we do this, we are also refusing to listen to Jesus (Lk 10:16). We can reject Jesus in thousands of places and in millions of people. Jesus is the most rejectable of all people. He is the Stone which the builders rejected (Mt 21:42). However, He will never reject us (Jn 6:37).
We must be like Nathanael and repent of our rejection of Jesus, His people, and His places. Then we will know that everything good comes from Nazareth through the Nazorean, Jesus.
Prayer: Father, give me Your heart for the people and places I avoid against Your will.
Promise: "The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." —Rv 21:14
Praise: Nathanael expressed his repentance of prejudice by accepting Jesus' call to join the ranks of the Twelve, which were composed mostly of those whom he had prejudged.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert J. Buschmiller, January 29, 1996
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 5, 1996