370
Selected Messages Book 1
must be put away. We must come to the feet of Jesus, and learn of
Him who is meek and lowly of heart. Jesus did not teach His disciples
as the rabbis taught theirs. Many of the Jews came and listened as
Christ revealed the mysteries of salvation, but they came not to learn;
they came to criticize, to catch Him in some inconsistency, that they
might have something with which to prejudice the people. They were
content with their knowledge, but the children of God must know the
voice of the True Shepherd. Is not this a time when it would be highly
proper to fast and pray before God? We are in danger of variance, in
danger of taking sides on a controverted point; and should we not seek
God in earnestness, with humiliation of soul, that we may know what
is truth?
Go Under the Fig Tree
Nathanael heard John as he pointed to the Saviour and said, “Be-
hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (
John
1:29
)! Nathanael looked at Jesus, but he was disappointed in the ap-
pearance of the world’s Redeemer. Could He who bore the marks of
toil and poverty be the Messiah? Jesus was a worker; He had toiled
with humble workingmen, and Nathanael went away. But he did not
form his opinion decidedly as to what the character of Jesus was.
He knelt down under a fig tree, inquiring of God if indeed this man
was the Messiah. While he was there, Philip came and said, “We
have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did
write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” But the word “Nazareth”
again aroused his unbelief, and he said, “Can there any good thing
come out of Nazareth?” He was full of prejudice, but Philip did not
seek to combat his prejudice; he simply said, “Come and see.” When
[415]
Nathanael came into the presence of Jesus, Jesus said, “Behold an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael was amazed. He
said, “Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him,
Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw
thee” (
John 1:45, 46, 47, 48
).
Would it not be well for us to go under the fig tree to plead with
God as to what is truth? Would not the eye of God be upon us as it
was upon Nathanael? Nathanael believed on the Lord, and exclaimed,
“Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus