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Gospel: John 1:35 – 42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Many of us have pictures framed, hanging on our walls in our office or at home. Some may capture a moment with family, a dream vacation fulfilled, a work of art.
These pictures inspire us, reminding us of the blessings we’ve received in life. Can you imagine one of those pictures?
Now have you ever thought about the nail behind your favorite picture?
Without it, our picture frames would fall to the ground, shattering the glass. Yet as essential as they are for support, nails often go unnoticed by the viewer, simply taken for granted.
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Nails serve a dual purpose: they bring two separate objects together – in this case, attaching a picture frame to a wall. And they provide enduring support, keeping the frame steadily in its place.
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In today’s Gospel, we encounter the Apostle Andrew.
Think of him like a nail. Andrew brings people to Jesus, then provides enduring support. In fact, he introduces more people to the Lord than any other disciple in the Gospels!
He begins doing so immediately following his own conversion. Although Andrew still has much to learn about Jesus, he isn’t afraid invite others to, “Come and see,” starting with his brother, Simon Peter.
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One might think because of Andrew’s zeal that he would’ve been part of Jesus’ inner circle.
But he wasn’t.
In fact, Andrew was left out of some of Jesus’ most intimate moments in ministry.
For example, when Jesus went up on Mount Tabor, the place where the Transfiguration took place as he spoke with his Father and prophets from the Old Testament, the place where his body glowed and became dazzling white, Andrew was absent.
Jesus only invited Peter, James, and John.
Or when Jesus went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane during his final night on earth, he brought the same trio of men to keep him company – Peter, James, and John.
Not Andrew.
Perhaps most surprising of all, Jesus chooses Peter, not his brother Andrew, to be the rock of the Church.
Like any brother, Andrew could’ve been resentful. He wasn’t the center of attention, he wasn’t the rock of the Church, and he wasn’t present during some of Jesus’ most intimate moments.
But he didn’t seem to mind at all.
He was perfectly content with going unnoticed, providing background support to Peter and the others, much like the nail behind your favorite picture frame.
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And thus, Andrew models two important qualities for any disciple: he’s enthusiastic and humble.
The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek, en theos, meaning, “God within.” Andrew is passionate about the Lord; it’s this enthusiasm that inspires him to tell others about Jesus, inviting them to, “Come and see.”
Many of us share that enthusiasm. It’s partly how our parish has grown over these last three years. A number of you have either invited others – or have been invited – to, “Come and see.”
What a difference it’s made!
Being invited to church changed my own life. I remember asking my aunt a question about God when I was fourteen. The next week she invited me to attend her church – something I hadn’t done since I was a baby.
Suddenly, a seed was planted. Little did she – or I realize – that was the beginning of my journey to faith, and ultimately to the priesthood.
Three words changed my life: “Come and see.”
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Like Andrew, every Christian should not only be enthusiastic about their faith, but also humble.
As CS Lewis once wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Andrew was never the center of attention; life always centered around the Lord.
Like a sturdy nail behind a picture frame, Andrew’s focus was simply to bring people to Jesus, and to provide enduring support.
Our parish vision statement now echoes Andrew’s invitation, “We are all generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”
Following Andrew’s example, in what ways can we live out our vision statement with enthusiasm and humility this week?
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Image credits: (1) QuoteFancy (2) iStock (3) The church of Christ on McDermott Road