Wigle Room

Jesus describes Nathanael using a word that takes us to an Old English word, the basis for the contemporary translation.

"Sincerity is the key. If you can fake that, you've got it made."

Comedian George Burns said that. Here's something another comedian, W.C. Fields said when caught reading the Bible: "I was looking for loopholes."

Evangelist Billy Graham has something to say about loopholes: "You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole."

Loopholes and sincerity. We bring them up because the character who we're introduced to in this text is a person who's apparently quite sincere and isn't looking for loopholes. He doesn't need to look. He's just that nice of a guy.

It's quite a compliment Jesus pays Nathanael at their first meeting. When Jesus saw Nathanael walking toward him, he says, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

That's not something that could be said about everyone, and not even about every Christian; many of us, even many of us who have good intentions, tend to be calculating in our speech, weighing what we say to put our best foot forward or to avoid...