Scripture Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 & John 1:43-51
Today’s texts remind us of the transformative journey that unfolds when we heed the call of God and respond with an open heart. In 1 Samuel 3, Samuel hears God’s call in the night and responds, saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” In John 1, Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael to follow Him, with Nathanael acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.
1 Samuel 3 emphasizes the importance of recognizing and heeding God’s call, leading to a deeper relationship with Him. Samuel’s readiness to listen and Nathanael’s acknowledgment highlight the transformative power of responding to God’s invitation.
Down through the ages, God has sent prophets and His people in desperate times—those who seem to appear out of nowhere, yet who seem to have been called for a particular time and place in God’s will. Here, God raises up a prophet in times of trouble and prepares to speak the divine Word into a world still bent on ignoring it.
In today’s text, the boy Samuel was already a part of the faithful, worshiping community, but he did not recognize God’s voice when God was calling him at first. God is sufficiently patient to call several times, but discernment and deep listening are needed for believers. At last, Samuel, as a young boy, demonstrates the sensitivity to God’s voice in the silence of the night. His simple yet profound response, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” exemplifies a readiness to heed God’s call.
Are we actively listening for God’s voice in our lives, ready to respond with open hearts? We are called to attune our hearts to God’s words amid the noise of our lives. May we recognise God’s call through the word of the Lord, prayers, and praises, and respond to His call in our lives.
God’s calling is precious to everyone, but in the world, there are individuals who claim to have been called by the voice of God with special calling, personally and directly causing churches harm and grief and bad publicity. It is because they were not in the light of God’s Word.
Most dedicated Christians receive no stunning, Samuel-like special call. It is theologically unwise to praise Samuel’s call as if this is how it ought to be. Believers receive God’s calling in a variety of different ways, and all callings are so precious. May we remember that God does not give us callings in a form of uniformity, but He gives us various forms of calling opportunities fitted and specially designed to everyone.
In John 1:43-51, when Philip took Nathanael, also called Bartholomew, directly to Jesus, Jesus affirmed Nathanael as a righteous Jew taught to live in accordance with God’s word. Jesus indicated that Nathanael’s old covenant faith was now to be focused on Him, the centre of the new covenant.
Jesus not only takes sinners and turns them into disciples or saints but also honours the qualities of genuineness and integrity. His calling for Nathanael is one of cases where God takes a person who is humanly praiseworthy in every way and makes the person something even more. Jesus, who has never met Nathanael, saw him and knew of his integrity. Jesus reads people’s hearts, gives His light, and sees each person’s faith and life.
Here Jesus decides not just where to go next but whom to take with him. He calls and selects followers. Jesus finds Philip, and Philip finds Nathanael. Philip makes the best possible invitation both then and now: “Come and see” (v.39). He deals with Nathanael quite differently from how he deals with the Ethiopian eunuch, but in each case, Philip – with the Spirit – leads a new follower to Jesus.
Jesus wants us to follow Him as His disciples. However, many Christians and current churches maintain just one-size-fits-all ministry and insufficiently attentive to the winds of the Spirit. Many Christians seem to have a tendency and habit of settling complacently rather than being sensitive and responsive to God’s call in their faith journey. May we expect God’s every day new work in our lives and in the lives of those we invite to “Come and See.”
Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46). He is honest enough to express amazement that God’s Messiah could come from an insignificant village. He expresses doubt about Jesus, but upon encountering Him, acknowledges Him as the Son of God. Their journey with Jesus begins with a simple invitation, leading to a life-changing encounter. Philip and Nathanael experience a profound encounter with Jesus, prompting Philip to invite Nathanael with the words, “Come and see.”
The pathway to which Jesus called us and to which Paul witnessed, and indeed to which Philip pointed when he called to Nathaniel saying, “Come and See,” is more than instructions and desires. It includes a real relationship that involves coming to know someone over time and learning to discern what they are doing and what they are looking for from the relationship.
Jesus invites each one of us to experience Him firsthand, to witness His transformative power in our lives. Our doubts can be transformed into unwavering faith when we answer God’s call and truly “come and see.” Our faith journey also unfolds as we respond to God’s call, leading to deeper understanding and a personal relationship with Christ.
The narratives of Samuel and the disciples tell us that God’s call is an invitation to a life-altering journey in Christ. As we respond with a listening heart, saying “Speak, Lord,” and as we heed the invitation to “Come and see” Jesus, our lives are transformed, doubts are dispelled, and we embark on a journey of faith that brings us closer to the heart of God.
God’s greatness exceeds what we have already seen and what we can imagine. May we, like Samuel and the disciples, be open to the divine calling and respond with a resounding “Yes” to God’s transformative grace. God wants to be in relationship with us, reaching out to us and inviting us to reach out to God. As in the last verse, angels ascending and descending remind us of Jacob’s ladder. It implies that intercourse between heaven and earth runs both ways (Gen. 28:12). May our journey of faith in 2024 be a happy journey where we hear the voice of the Lord and respond beautifully to God.
Just as Samuel had Eli to guide him and Nathanael was invited by Philip, church communities and spiritual families in nurturing and guiding believers on their faith journey are significant. May we foster a sense of belonging and support. Do we have the willingness to respond when we feel God’s call, even if it seems unexpected or unconventional? May we open to God’s leading even when it comes in unexpected ways or through unexpected people.
There would be many practical steps for individuals and communities to deepen our prayer life, study of Scripture, reflect on life-changing encounters with Christ, and connection with God on a personal and collective level. May we move beyond religious routines and rituals to cultivate a genuine, personal, and collective relationship with Jesus.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)
