“How do You know me?” Do you ever wonder if God knows who you are? Many of us have known a lot of people, some more than others and a few know us, but does God know us?
Philip, a disciple of Jesus was truly excited when he met his friend Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew. I want you to meet this man. All the prophets spoke about Him. His name is Jesus, and He is from Nazareth.
Bartholomew was skeptical. From where? How could anything good come from there? They met and Jesus acknowledged his sincerity, but Bartholomew asked, “How do You know me? We never met before.”
(Bartholomew would not have been acquainted with a comment that Jesus had made elsewhere while speaking to his disciples. To them He said all the hairs of their head were counted.)
Bartholomew was hesitant at first to acknowledge Jesus but that did not bother Jesus. In fact, it may well have impressed Jesus knowing that Bartholomew thought seriously about the exchange and its implication before he could finally say, “You are the son of God, the King of Israel.”
The response of Jesus was significant:
“Amen, amen I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. John 1:51
The reading from Revelations was no doubt chosen today because of its reference to the holy city, Jerusalem, with its wall of twelve courses of stone and its foundation on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, the twelve apostles called by Jesus, one of whom was Bartholomew. Not much is known about him other than he traveled to India where he shared the Good News.
Psalm 139 is a hymn about God’s knowledge of us. The Psalmist pondered the truth about the Lord who sees and knows him, no matter where he may be; that there is no escape from the all-seeing eye of God and that the divine creator of man is also his destiny.
Bernadette Farrell put that psalm into song for us.
“O God, you search me, and you know me. All my thoughts lie open to your gaze. When I walk or lie down you are before me: Ever the maker and keeper of my days."
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