14 January 2024 “I saw you under the fig tree.”

The second Sunday of the new year, 2024 is upon us, and let’s kick off with a thought-provoking question. How did you personally experience God’s presence and awareness? What unique ways has God showed up for you? And in our lives, how do we discern God’s voice amidst the whirlwind of life? Can you recall a time when God’s Word had a significant impacted on your life? Perhaps the word of God once filled you with hope, forgiveness, or simply delight. How has the event influenced your relationship with God?

In each text, we meet two men: Samuel, who hears God’s voice and becomes aware of God, and Nathaniel, who sees Jesus and acknowledges him as the Messiah. God reveals himself to each of us in a unique way.

1 Samuel texts happened “at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen.” The opening lines of today’s narrative seem similar to modern times. ‘At that time’ Samuel was unfamiliar with the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord summons a boy, “Sam-uel, Sam-u-el”, one night, and he says ‘Here I am, for you called me!’ and runs to the priest Eli (interestingly named “my God”), who has not called for him. God calls again, and again the boy goes to Eli as “my God” rather as his true God.

Samuel hears the Lord’s voice for the third time, and it finally awakens Eli to a fresh insight rooted in his long experience of faith. Eli, despite a lack of clear vision, has seen enough to be of help. Despite his failures, particularly in disciplining his sons, Eli helps Samuel make sense of the mysterious voice heard in the night. He instructs the boy to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

How might we experience God today? Where and how might we sense that God is calling us, just as He called Samuel? Samuel’s experience with God happened in the middle of the night in the sanctuary. However, God’s presence is not confined to a specific location or time. We have the opportunity to engage with God in every moment, event, and object.

Bread and wine, flowers and trees, birds and butterflies, clouds and fog, desks and chairs, children and the elderly and the young, hospitals, weddings, and funerals – everything in our daily lives is linked to God’s call because it is all part of God’s creation. In those moments when we feel ‘an eureka moment’ on the path we’ve always walked, in the birdsong we’ve always heard, in the cup of tea we’ve always had in the morning, we have an encounter with God. Just as Samuel heard God’s voice in the quiet of the night, we too might hear God’s voice in the ordinary moments of our lives. And I like to refer to this revelation as God’s ‘light’ that is life-giving to us.

We also witness in Jesus that God actively finds people; just as God sought out young Samuel in the days of the Judges, Jesus intentionally reached out to followers like Peter and Philip. Philip, in turn, goes to his friend Nathanael and shares the news that he has uncounted the long-awaited Messiah, the one spoken of by Moses and the prophets. Nathanial responds doubtfully to Philip’s invitation, saying, “Nazareth? You have to be kidding.” Perhaps he doubted that God’s Messiah could come from such a small town. However, when Philip invites him to ‘come and see,’ Nathanael experiences something greater than he could have ever imagined with Jesus.”

When Jesus saw Nathanael, he said, ‘Behold, this is truly an Israelite, and there is no deceit in him.’ Would Jesus have seen the authenticity of Nathanael’s heart? Well, Jesus is the light that shines in every person; not only does he give light to each person, but he sees the true light in each person. Jesus praised Nathaniel for his depth of heart. Intrigued, Nathanael asked Jesus, ‘How do you know me?’ And Jesus answered, ‘I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you.

Nathaniel is a poor ‘poker player’ who can’t control his facial expressions. However, Jesus praises his honesty, truthfulness, integrity, and open-mindedness, and they have a genuine dialogue and listen to each other. Before you know it, Nathaniel’s heart is already open to Jesus, and he confesses faith: ‘You are the Son of God’.

What Samuel and Nathaniel have in common is that they talk and listen to each other. Our relationship with God is a two-way street, with both sides talking, listening, and reaching out to each other. God wants to be in a relationship with us, to reach out to us, and to invite us to come to Him. And, just as Philip invited to Nathaniel, “Come and see,” this is what we are called to do; tell people about God and bring them to God.

As we wrap up, take some time to embrace the challenges and encouragement found in the stories of Samuel and Nathaniel. Think about your own encounters with God and how you can share those experiences with your neighbours. Every moment is an opportunity to experience God, whether in the everyday routine of life or in a significant event, and that experience has the power to bring God’s “light” to life in our being.

Nathaniel teaches us about the depths to which we can connect with God with an open heart and honest dialogue. Doubts and questions are not barriers but part of the journey. Jesus looks into the core of your being, recognises your authenticity, and invites you to ‘come and see’.

As we enter a new year, let’s renew our commitment to listen, discern, and share our unique experiences with God. Be attentive to His voice in the simplicity of everyday life. Let your authenticity draw others into the transforming light of God’s presence. May you be a messenger of hope by extending the invitation to ‘come and see’ and may this year be a journey of faith that brings you into deeper communion with God.”