LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

I have a memory for faces. Notice I didn’t say I have a face for memory. Most people try to forget my face. But I rarely forget theirs. My family makes a joke about it. “Anywhere we go he recognizes someone.”

However, things have changed as I have gotten older. When I recognize a face, I can’t always remember why I remember it. I find myself asking people, “How do I know you?”

When Philip goes and finds Nathanael, and brings him to Jesus, they had never personally met. Yet here’s what happened.

John 1:47-48 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Jesus makes a statement about Nathanael that blows him away. He is immediately taken off guard and asks Jesus, “How do you know me?”  In other words, you seem to know who I am on a deeper level than just recognizing my face. How is that possible?

We are going to unpack this incredible truth on Sunday in the sermon, but I want us to ponder something today. Are we satisfied to simply recognize people or do we intentionally know them on a deeper level? Are we simply “How are you? I’m fine” acquaintances or are we “Tell me what’s going on in your heart” friends? Do we accept a level of friendship that is superficial, or do we dive deep into another person’s heart and discover their soul?

Jesus declared that He knew Nathanael on the soul level. It transformed his understanding of Jesus. When the façade comes down, the masks come off, and we are able to be genuine with people, it will transform our friendships. Letting Jesus see the real you is where it starts. His unconditional love for you is the source of how you can love others and be loved by them.

Pastor John