‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬At the first hearing of Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel retorted, “Can there anything good come out of Nazareth?” In the time of Jesus, Nazareth was a little city on the Galilean hill. It was looked upon with contempt at that time. This could be the reason why Nathaniel dismissed it with a wave of the hand. He concluded that nothing good could ever come out of the place. Was Nathaniel reflecting the sentiments of the time or there was something else to it? Could his statement be a smokescreen of his own discouragement about life? It is often the case that when one is sarcastic of self, it may be carried over towards other people. A negative perspective of self will produce a negative perspective of others.

His mercies can reach out to us and change our perspective and experience.

What lends credence to this is the fact that Jesus would later say to Nathaniel that he saw him under the fig tree. Sitting under the tree will immediately provoke the thought of Elijah who was similarly sitting under the juniper tree. Of course, that was at the lowest point of his life and ministry. Could Nathaniel have been despondent with life at the time Jesus took a glance at him under the tree? We may never be too sure. One thing is clear though; that is, even when we sit down because we feel the weight of life’s problems and responsibilities, His eyes are still following us. His mercies can reach out to us and change our perspective and experience.