Who was Nathaniel?
Some scholars of scripture think the Nathaniel named in the Gospel of John is the same as the apostle Bartholomew. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the name (Bartholomaios) means “son of Talmai” (or Tholmai). This means Bartholomew is a last name, rather than a first name so the apostle’s name would have been Nathaniel Bartholomew!
It’s interesting, also, to note Bartholomew is always paired with the apostle Philip — and in the Gospel of John, Philip is mentioned with Nathaniel.
Our experience with a modern-day Nathaniel a few years ago was a beautiful example of the kindness of a stranger.
We had been traveling as a family and stopped at exit 47 in Newnan, Georgia for lunch at the Golden Corral restaurant.
I love Golden Corral. There is something for everyone, and I usually wind up with four plates on each arm. In the old days, I could do even better than that, but I’m moving a little slower now.
As the Bird bunch entered the restaurant, I held the door for another gentleman who arrived at the same time.
He was a strongly built Black man and looked to be his 70s. He followed along behind our family in line.
When it came time for me to pay for our buffet, this man spoke up. “I’ve got it,” he said to the cashier.
“Thank you, sir, but there’s no need of that — I’ll get it,” I said.
He wouldn’t take no for an answer, sticking out his credit card to the cashier. “No, I’ve got it,” he repeated emphatically.
My wife, Sena, hugged the man. I did not know what to do, except to say “thank you” to him.
As we were somewhat dazed, a waitress led us to our seats. It actually took a few minutes for us to hit that wonderful buffet, for we were still in shock that a stranger would pay over $75.00 for another family to dine.
I saw this man sitting alone in another area of the restaurant and approached him. I introduced myself, told him we were from Alabama and asked for his name.
He identified himself as only Nathaniel. When I inquired about the reason for his kindness, he had this to say.
“I was the 13th of 15 children,” he said. “My mama and daddy could never take us out to eat. When I saw your family, I thought I’d help you out.”
As I talked to our new friend, I also learned he’d had a 32-year career in the military as a mechanic.
“I was blessed for someone of my limited intelligence to get to work on airplanes,” he said with a smile. He repeated, “I have truly been blessed.”
Our family enjoyed the famous yeast rolls with honey butter, the freshly prepared salads and soups, the high-quality cuts of meat, delicious seasoned vegetables – and of course, the chocolate fountain called ‘the Wonderfall’ next to the desserts.
Our server seemed to pay particular attention to our needs. She asked, “do you know that man?”
I told her we had never met.
“He said to take good care of you today,” the waitress said.
I turned around to look for Nathaniel, but he was gone.
Michael Bird is a music teacher for Tallassee City Schools.
