John 1:43-51

“You will see greater things than these!” - John 1:50b CEB

One of the things I love about our youngest and brightest is their active imagination. Anything can be turned into anything else. Ice cream cone? Nah. It’s a telephone! Play oven for food? Absolutely not. It’s a safe place to store stuffed animals. Draw a standard house with a tree and fence? No way. We’re drawing all the crazy creatures we can dream of. 

And it’s this active imagination that Jesus is trying to get Nathanael to tap into. Jesus encounters Philip and calls him to become a follower. And soon after, Philip invites Nathanael on the same journey. As Nathanael is working out who Jesus is and why he might be worth following, Jesus offers him insight by sharing he had seen him earlier under the fig tree.

For Nathanael, this is earth shattering, and enough for him to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God and king of Israel. And Jesus calls him to press the brakes - “you think that was incredible? You have no idea what I am capable of.”

How often are our imaginations limited when we consider what God might be capable of? When do we only see what’s right in front of us instead of allowing our creativity to see what might be possible?  Jesus is calling us to stretch wide our imaginations and to see far beyond our realities into the possibilities.

And who knows? Maybe we too can get that ice cream cone to call home. - Allison