In God’s world, what we think we know often gets turned on its head: The ones who cannot speak well are called to be prophets, the mighty and wealthy are cast down, the last are first, and the tomb does not end the story. What we thought we knew is reversed in today’s passage too.

When Nathanael’s friend Philip comes to him and says the Messiah is the son of Joseph from Nazareth, Nathanael says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Perhaps Nathanael’s skepticism comes from what he thinks he knows about Nazareth, the small and seemingly insignificant neighboring town. Or perhaps Nathanael’s skepticism comes from what he thinks he knows about who the Messiah would be, how the Messiah would arrive, or what the Messiah would do. In either case, Nathanael makes clear in his question that Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth, is not what he was expecting. Yet Nathanael allows his skepticism to turn to curiosity; he decides to take Philip’s invitation to come and see Jesus. Jesus does not criticize Nathanael for asking the question but praises him for being without deceit. Nathanael’s honest question led him to belief.

Nathanael is a great model for curious and questioning faith, the kind of faith that admits we do not have all the answers, is willing to let go of what we thought we knew, and is open to new revelation. When we embrace this kind of faith, we will be surprised and delighted by the way God turns what we thought we knew on its head. We will see God show up in people, places, and ways we would never have expected, like in Joseph’s son from Nazareth.