Rewind: Part 1 - John 1, Nathanial, and Dr. MLK Jr.

PRAYER
God of the covenant, even when we fall into sin,
your Spirit invites us to remember we are loved,
and called to serve as your ambassadors.
Awaken us to the power and gifts
you pour into us for the good of creation,
and grant that we may be trustworthy in all things,
producing good fruit as we walk in love,
for you and for all you have made.
Amen.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14
2nd Sunday of Epiphany

The next day John again was standing
with two of his disciples, and as he
watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed,
‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’
The two disciples heard him say this,
and they followed Jesus. When Jesus
turned and saw them following, he said
to them, ‘What are you looking for?’
They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (Teacher),
‘where are you staying?’ He said
to them, ‘Come and see.’
JOHN 1:
35-39a

They came and saw where he was
staying, and they remained with him that
day…One of the two who heard John
speak and followed him was Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his brother Simon
and said to him, ‘We have found
the Messiah’ (Christ). He brought
Simon to Jesus, who looked at him
and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You
are to be called Cephas’ (Peter).
JOHN 1:
39b-42

The next day Jesus decided to go to
Galilee. He found Philip and said to him,
‘Follow me.’ Philip was from Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found
Nathanael and said to him,
‘We have found him about whom Moses
in the law and also the prophets wrote,
Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’
Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything
good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip
said to him, ‘Come and see.’
JOHN 1:
43-46

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming
towards him, he said of him, ‘Here
is truly an Israelite in whom there
is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him,
‘Where did you come to know me?’
Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under
the fig tree before Philip called you.’
Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are
the Son of God! You are the
King of Israel!’
JOHN 1:
47-49

1. Foolishly parroted cultural
assumptions/bigotry
Nazareth was “the worst…”
WHAT PHILLIP GOT WRONG

1. Foolishly parroted cultural
assumptions/bigotry
Nazareth was “the worst…”
2. Ignorantly assumed the worst
based on little evidence
Origin ≠ character/value)
WHAT PHILLIP GOT WRONG

1. Changed his tune when
he saw he was wrong
Repented of old assumptions
WHAT PHILLIP GOT RIGHT

1. Changed his tune when
he saw he was wrong
Repented of old assumptions
2. Declared allegiance to Jesus
Chose to change/follow
WHAT PHILLIP GOT RIGHT

1. Reject the worst of our
cultural/national history
Move beyond ignorance…
WHAT WE CAN LEARN

2. Refuse to assume the worst
Origin ≠ worth/character/etc.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN

2. Refuse to assume the worst
Origin ≠ worth/character/etc.
3. Repent when we’re wrong
Learning/growing is required
WHAT WE CAN LEARN

Related THOUGHTS
on THE EVE of
DR. MLK JR. DAY
Jan 15, 1929
to Apr 4, 1968
Murdered at
the age of 39

We must learn to see
as God sees, celebrating
the inherent worth and
dignity of all people,
not DESPITE but BECAUSE
of who they are
Related THOUGHTS
on THE EVE of
DR. MLK JR. DAY

We must not ignore
the evolution and totality
of his message; to just
celebrate the “greatest hits”
is to miss the brilliant
“deep tracks”
Related THOUGHTS
on THE EVE of
DR. MLK JR. DAY

“I have a dream…”
“Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.”
“Love is the only force capable
of transforming an enemy
into a friend.”
GREATEST HITS BELOVED BY
WHITE AMERICA

“Injustice anywhere
is a threat to injustice
everywhere.”
DEEP TRACKS IGNORED BY
WHITE AMERICA

“When machines and computers,
profit motives and property
rights are considered more
important than people, the giant
triplets of racism, materialism,
and militarism are incapable
of being conquered.”
WHITE AMERICA

“I have almost reached the
regrettable conclusion that the
Negro’s greatest stumbling block
in his stride toward freedom
is not the Ku Klux Klanner, but
the white moderate who is more
devoted to order than justice.”
WHITE AMERICA

“Whites, it must be…said, are not
putting in a similar mass effort to
reeducate themselves out of their
racial ignorance. It is an aspect of
their sense of superiority that the
white people of America believe
they have so little to learn.”
WHITE AMERICA

“White people’s belief in the
fairness of America is a fantasy
of self-deception and comfortable
vanity…There aren’t enough white
persons in our country who are
willing to cherish democratic
principles over privilege.”
WHITE AMERICA

“Somehow this madness (in Vietnam)
must cease. We must stop now.
I speak as a child of God and
brother to the suffering poor
of Vietnam. I speak for those
whose land is being laid waste,
homes are being destroyed…
WHITE AMERICA

“(and) culture is being subverted.
I speak for the poor of America
who are paying the double price
of smashed hopes at home and
death and corruption in Vietnam.
I speak as a citizen of the world,
for the world as it stands aghast…
WHITE AMERICA

“…at the path we have taken.
I speak as an American to
the leaders of my own nation.
The great initiative in this war
is ours. The initiative to stop it
must be ours… .”
WHITE AMERICA

1. Dr. King is “I have a dream,”
and “Beyond Vietnam…”
Let’s not dishonor his legacy
CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. Dr. King is “I have a dream,”
and “Beyond Vietnam…”
Let’s not dishonor his legacy
2. Jesus himself is evidence that good
people can come from
anywhere…yes, even THERE
Challenge your “Nazareth,”
wherever it might be
CLOSING THOUGHTS

Thank you God for making us
Thank you Jesus for saving us
Thank you Spirit for sustaining us
Thank you God for loving us
Thank you Jesus for leading us
Thank you Spirit for encouraging us
Thank you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
for all the good, truth, and beauty
we encounter in this one life
we are blessed to live. Amen.

Rewind: Part 1 - John 1, Nathanial, and Dr. MLK Jr.

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Rewind: Part 1 - John 1, Nathanial, and Dr. MLK Jr.