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American television shows are frequently exported to other countries with subtitled dialogue. Some hospital-based comedies have encountered difficulty; American medical jargon doesn’t always have an equivalent, which makes the subtitles confusing and therefore not funny.
We might have a similar reaction to our passage. We miss some of the puns present in the original language, and the context is foreign to us. When we dig into this story, however, we see how Jesus used humor and gentle sarcasm to reveal the truth to Nathanael.
When Nathanael first heard the news about Jesus, he was unimpressed, based on Jesus’ town of origin: “Can anything good come from there?” (v. 46). Jesus knew Nathanael’s dismissive prejudice and accompanying self-importance. His first statement to Nathanael contains several layers of humor. First, He illustrated that not only was Nathanael eager to criticize others, he was also equally ready to accept credit for himself. Jesus seemingly gave Nathanael a compliment, and Nathanael responded, “How do you know me?” (v. 48)—in other words, Yep, that’s me, an upstanding Israelite!
The compliment itself contains a subtle sarcasm that doesn’t translate in English. It’s a play on the name of Jacob, or Israel. Jacob means, “deceiver,” and Jesus was saying in effect: “Here comes the first honest son of Deceit!” Jesus revealed the reality of Nathanael’s own origin and misplaced self-importance.
Next, Jesus informed Nathanael that He saw him under the fig tree, often associated with a place where Jews would sit to study and reflect on Scripture. Nathanael, who just moments before had dismissed anyone from Nazareth, now enthusiastically declared, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (v. 49). Jesus’ words and tone convey the sense of, “Is that all it took to convince you—that I saw you under a tree? It’s going to get a lot more impressive than that!” Now Jesus revealed the truth about His own divine power and important mission ahead (v. 51).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Before his encounter with Jesus, Nathanael had a rigid view of who was good and who was not. Part of the grace Jesus extended to him was seeing who was truly good—Jesus, the Son of God. Do you suffer from the same problem as Nathanael? Do you write off people because they’re from the wrong side of the tracks, wrong denomination, or wrong age group? Do you eagerly take credit for your own piety? Ask the Lord to adjust your perspective so that your focus is on His goodness and grace.
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