St. Bartholomew, otherwise known as Nathanael, received high praise from Christ when they first met. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nazareth wasn’t on anyone’s radar who was looking for the Messiah. And perhaps that is partly why Bartholomew had his doubts – the Scriptures said nothing about Nazareth. And unless Scripture speaks, we should hesitate. This is the mark of a true Israelite, a true son of Jacob, one who wrestles with God – he sticks with God’s Word and will not be drawn away from it. The Scriptures can be hard. They can also be very uncomfortable and inconvenient. Ask Abraham. But God’s Word is true nonetheless. Any discomfort or inconvenience is a result of our sin and weakness of faith. You can NEVER go wrong placing all your confidence in God’s promises. You may not see how God is going to bring them to pass, but there is absolutely no question that He will bring them to pass. He will fulfill the promises of your Baptism. He will guard you in all your ways. He will preserve you in the true faith. He will deliver you when you call upon Him. God grant that all deceit be removed from our hearts and that with Bartholomew we may believe Jesus to be the Son of God, the King of Israel and that in faith we know Him to be the stairway to heaven. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer