And the Lord said to him, "Because I said that I saw you when you were under the fig tree, you believe. You shall see greater things than these."
What are these greater things? "Amen, I say to you." Since he is an Israelite in whom there is no guile, turn back to Jacob, in whom there was also no guile.
Recall what is said there: the stone under his head, the vision in sleep, the ladder from earth to heaven, and those descending and ascending.
And see what the Lord says to the Israelite, to the one without guile: "You will see heaven opened and the angels descending and ascending." To whom? "Upon the Son of Man," cf. Jn 1:47-51.
From this you have learned that Adam and Eve, after they sinned, were the first to make coverings for their loins.
When they sinned, they made themselves coverings from fig leaves and covered their shame, because they were ashamed of what they had done in sinning.
Therefore, if the first sinners, from whom we descend and in whom we perished, made themselves coverings for their loins, He had to come to seek and save what was lost.
They made coverings for themselves from fig leaves. What else is meant by, "When you were under the fig tree, I saw you," if not this?
You would not have come to the One who cleanses from sin, unless He had first seen you in the shadow of sin. In order that we might see, He saw us. In order that we might love, He loved us.
Thus He saw the one in whom there was no guile, and said, "Behold, truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile."
Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," that is, when you were under the fig tree.
Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel," Jn 1:47-49.
Nathanael must have seen something great in the words, "When you were under the fig tree, before Philip called you, I saw you."
For he then uttered the words, "You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel," words Peter later uttered, after which the Lord said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven," Mt 16:17. Then He called him rock, petram, and glorified him as a support of the Church in this faith.
But here Nathanael says, "You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel." Why? Because it was said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Jn 1:48.
We must ask whether this fig tree signifies something. Listen, then, my brethren. We have found the fig tree worthy of a curse, for it had only leaves and had no fruit, cf. Mt 21:19.
At the beginning of the human race, when Adam and Eve sinned, they made themselves girdles from fig leaves, cf. Gen 3:7. Therefore under the fig leaves we should understand sins.
Nathanael was under the fig tree, as though under the shadow of death. The Lord saw him, of whom it was said, "Upon those who sit under the shadow of death, light will shine," cf. Is 9:2.
What, then, was said to Nathanael? "You ask Me, Nathanael, 'How do You know me?' You are now speaking with Me because Philip called you," cf. Jn 1:47-49.
The one whom He called through an apostle He already sees as belonging to His Church. O Church, O Israel in whom there is no guile!
If you are the people of Israel and there is no guile in you, then you have now known Christ through the apostles, as Nathanael previously knew Christ through Philip.
But in His mercy He sees you before you know Him, while you are still under sin.
Did we seek Christ first, and did He not seek us? Did we, sick, come to the Physician, and did not the Physician come to the sick?
Was not the sheep lost, and did not the shepherd seek it, leaving the ninety-nine in the wilderness and, after finding it, carry it back with joy on his shoulders?
Was not the drachma lost, and did not the woman light a lamp and search her whole house until she found it? And when she found it, she said to her neighbors, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the lost drachma," cf. Lk 15:4, 8-9.
So we too were lost like that sheep, and were lost like that drachma. Our Shepherd found the sheep, but He sought the sheep. The woman found the drachma, but she sought the drachma.
Who is this woman? The flesh of Christ. And what is the lamp? "I have prepared a lamp for My Anointed," cf. Ps 131:17.
Therefore we were sought in order to be found, and we are called found. Let us not be proud of this, for before being found we were lost. If we had not been sought, we would have remained lost.
Therefore let not those whom we love, and whom we wish to illumine with the light of the catholic Church, say to us, "What is it to you? Why do you seek us, if we are sinners?"
We seek you so that you may not perish. We seek so that you may be found. We wish to find you, because we ourselves have been found.
Therefore, when Nathanael said, "How do You know me?" Jn 1:48, the Lord said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Jn 1:48.
"O Israel without guile, whoever you may be! O people living by faith! Before I called you through My apostles, when you were under the shadow of death and did not see Me, I saw you."
THEOSIS