Complete Integrity

Scripture:  John 1:45-51 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. 47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” 48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” 49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” (John 1:45–51 NLT)

Nathanael was from Cana, about four miles from Nazareth. Nazareth was the location of a Roman army garrison and had a reputation for loose morals and rowdiness. Nathanael was prejudiced against Nazareth, and prejudice leads to wrong conclusions. If he hadn’t been willing to follow Philip’s advice and “Come and see for yourself”, he would have missed the opportunity to become a follower of Jesus.

When Jesus met Nathanael, he called him a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity. The Jews (Sons of Israel) were known for their very strong opinions on almost everything! They approached divisive issues with vigorous arguments for their own viewpoints. Then out of respect for their opponents and out of their strong sense of Jewish identity, they reached compromises that allowed them to work together. I think we’ve lost much of that in our political ideologies, cultural attitudes, and our doctrinal positions on scriptural interpretations and practices.

A Man of Complete Integrity will: 1) Investigate before forming an opinion; 2) Be willing to change his mind when he learns or experiences something new; 3) Check facts before passing information along; 4) Admit when he’s wrong; 5) Defend others’ right to their opinion; 6) Value relationships over “being right”!

Prayer:

Father, As I read this, I couldn’t help wondering if Jesus would call me a “genuine child of God—a man of complete integrity.” Help me to learn and change and grow. Help me to be a man of unshakable character and adjustable opinions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!