August 24 + Saint Bartholomew

In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the Apostles. Many scholars identify Bartholomew as being Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip.

Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” (John 1:47b) When Bartholomew asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree.” Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Bartholomew to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And Bartholomew did see many greater things.

Being "a true Israelite," Bartholomew was a man well-read in the Scriptures and knew what they said of the Messiah and where He would come from.

In encountering Jesus and hearing His words, he found himself face to face with the Truth Himself, and, like John the Baptist's leap in his mother's womb at the Lord's presence, Bartholomew's words lept out of his own heart in a clear and simple confession of faith, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Jesus, in Matthew 5:8, says, "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." In Bartholomew we have an example of the pure man who sees — recognizes — God when confronted with Him, and on seeing Him believes in Him, and upon believing in Him, follows Him.

Nothing is known for sure about the life of Bartholomew after the Ascension of Jesus, but tradition holds that he preached in the East and died a martyr's death in Armenia, being flayed alive for having won converts to the Lord Jesus.