"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

Today’s Gospel,  Jn 1: 43-51, relates the call of Nathaniel to be an apostle.  His initial response to Philip’s invitation flows out of sarcasm: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Philip is all excited that he and the other first-called apostles have found the Messiah, the One of whom Moses and the prophets spoke. Nathaniel could have stopped there and not accepted Philip’s invitation to “come and see.”  How often do I not judge a situation or a person as Nathaniel did and, unlike Nathanial, have nothing to do with that person, that event, that place; not take the time to listen, close myself off from hearing or seeing what could be an opportunity for my further transformation and conversion into Christ. Or, turn this scenario around.  I come home from work excited about what I have seen and heard in the “Scriptures” of my day.  The persons with whom I want to share my excitement are uninterested, can’t be bothered, are too busy, don’t want to be disturbed or, worse, have judged me harshly: “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” “You’re exaggerating,” “You’re making that up,” “You’re looking for attention.”  That isn’t how Jesus responded to Nathaniel, even though he initially was cynical. Jesus is direct with Nathaniel and Nathaniel is open to Jesus.  What, in the story of Nathaniel, resonates with you?