When someone truly knows us, it is powerful. We are fortunate when we have friends or family members who notice us and “get” who we are. With them, we feel actually seen and understood. This happens in this week’s gospel as Jesus encounters Nathanael. Jesus tells him a little something about himself and Nathanael is caught off guard. Nathanael asks, “where did you get to know me?” and Jesus says, “I saw you under the gift tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael is surprised, shocked, and convinced that Jesus is from God. It is powerful to be seen and understood.
The themes of Jesus’ and Nathanael’s interaction are echoed in the verses of Psalm 139 assigned for this week. These verses describe God’s close connection to and deep knowledge of us; our actions, our adventures, our ways of doing things. The psalm writer uses evocative and reassuring language to describe God’s awareness and connection from the very start to the very end of our lives. The same kind of awareness that led to Nathanael’s enthusiastic response to Jesus.
I find the description of God’s knowledge and connection in Psalm 139 reassuring and peaceful. God knows each of us deeply. Where we’ve been and what we have experienced. The things we do and why we do them. How we think and what we say. God is present with us always. The verses of the psalm and our lives are woven through with a sense of God’s love, acceptance, and support. In contrast with the mistaken notion that God is eager to judge or reject us, in this passage and others like it, we hear that God truly get us, understands our issues and struggles, actually sees us for who we are, and is with us throughout our life -responding not with judgement, but with persistent love.
Peace,
weekly prayer | Jesus and Nathanael and Psalm 139