When no one is watching

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092925.cfm

C.S. Lewis nailed it in terms of what integrity looks like - it is doing the right thing, even when no-one is watching; being the same in every circumstance; the same when people are around and when they are not; the same when we are with one group of people as we are with another. This is a challenging concept in our world today. It was in the time of Jesus as well.

Jesus recognizes this rare quality in Nathaniel. He uses the line: "There is no duplicity in him." He is the same everywhere. How does Jesus know this? Because He has already seen Nathaniel. Nathaniel had spent some time under a fig tree earlier, perhaps in prayer. One thing that we see throughout the Gospels is that Jesus has the ability to see and read the hearts of men. He has seen the heart of Nathaniel and knows who he is.

We have all met people like this in our lives - they tell it like it is, they don't hold back. Sometimes they hurt the feelings of the sensitive, sometimes they are wrong, but they don't waffle. They don't keep secrets, but you can trust them to keep yours. In the previous verses, we hear Nathaniel ask "can anything good come from Nazareth?" Better to get this out there than to harbor it secretly. Phillip's response is to tell him 'Come and see'. He does and what he sees is Jesus.

We have to learn to be Nathanielistic (new word right there) in our conversation with the Lord. This is where it starts. It is not possible to be dualistic with God. He reads our hearts anyway. Ask the questions, request an answer, be open to hearing it in whichever way God will share it with you, be prepared to wait if necessary for it. God can speak to and hear from our hearts without words. Let Him do THAT work if nothing else. Let him see you under your figurative fig tree and ask for His help in removing all duplicity. Be honest with God when no-one else is looking and your integrity will grow and you will see greater things...