I have always liked this story — and not for the WHOLE story, just that one memorable line: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46)” That is just the kind of snide comment that makes me smirk. And, to be quite honest, it is one of the things that I like about our scripture — it is honest. Over and over and over again, the pages of our holy writ are littered with snide comments, unfaithful friends, ugly confrontations and some of the most unsavory “saints” that anyone could ever imagine. But God uses them. And that gives me hope because if God can use all of that hot mess, God can use even a fool like me. Hallelujah!

To Philip’s credit, he does not take offense at his friend’s remark. He ignores it and invites him “Come and see.” So Nathanael did, and the rest, as they say, is h…