Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. John 1:48
What was Nathanael doing under the fig tree? We can’t know, of course, although many people have speculated that he was probably praying. It would have made a nice place for daily devotions, because the fig tree is not large, and its branches are low. Perhaps we can get a clue from Jesus’ choice of the definite article rather than the indefinite article. He did not say a fig tree, He said THE fig tree. There was a specific fig tree under which Nathanael was accustomed to sit or kneel. It was not just a casual happenstance that he was there, it was a well-known place to which he was wont to resort often. So it is highly likely that Nathanael was praying under the fig tree. What was he praying about? Like most devout Jews, he would know that the fig tree was a picture of Israel. Under the fig tree, he would most likely pray for God’s blessing on Israel, and for the Messiah to come. No wonder he responded with worship and devotion when Jesus told him He had seen him under the fig tree.
Nathanael’s prayer place was no secret to the Lord Jesus. Neither is your prayer place. He has seen us and heard us every time we have ventured there. He is deeply interested every time we go under the fig tree. And the issues we raise with Him there are carried to His Father’s throne. You and I can sometimes fail to grasp the significance of Jesus’ knowledge of our fig tree experiences. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are tapping into Heaven’s resources and contacting Heaven’s highest level. But our lack of understanding and appreciation has no bearing on whether the Lord Jesus sees and hears us. But it does have a bearing on our worship.
If we read the next verse, we encounter Nathanael’s great confession of Jesus as the Son of God and as King of Israel. I believe if he had continued speaking, he would have thanked Jesus for hearing his prayer, but we don’t know that for sure. But his confession shows how deeply he appreciated the Lord Jesus and His knowledge of the fig tree. The more aware you and I are of Jesus’ intercession for us at the Throne of Grace, the more profound will be our worship of Him. We will appreciate in a greater way what He has done for us, and what He is doing for us each day.
As you slip quietly and reverently into your fig tree bower of prayer today, don’t forget to acknowledge the presence of the One who sees and hears you there. -Jim MacIntosh