In our first reading from 1 John 3, St. John poses a difficult question. "If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?" Do you know a brother or sister in need?
In today's Gospel reading from John 1, Philip says to Nathanael, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." Nathanael answers with a question, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nazareth at the time was a speck of dust, a backwater, a hick town.
In other words, Jesus was from the wrong side of the tracks. (Of course they didn't know that He was actually born in Bethlehem, of the house of David.) Jesus was prejudged because of where He was from. How often do we do the same? That person can't possibly be good! They're from the wrong side of the tracks! We should know that in God's Kingdom, there are no tracks.
Father, forgive us for our petty prejudices. May we see each person as the unique individual that you have created them to be. Amen.
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