Lent: Andrew

John 1:35-42

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Surprisingly little is written in the Bible about the majority of Jesus' disciples as individuals. Andrew is one of the in-between group: mentioned less than a dozen times, nearly always identified as "the brother of Simon Peter", yet with a couple tidbits more than the truly unknown disciples. He was seeking God before he encountered Jesus since he was already a disciple of John the Baptist. When John pointed out Jesus as the Messiah to Andrew and another disciple, Andrew didn't hesitate to follow Him as the One he was truly seeking and to bring others to Him. He brought his brother Simon to become one of Jesus' two most well-known disciples, and he and Philip brought some Greeks who wanted to meet Him (Jn 12:22). Andrew's relationship with Jesus may be overshadowed by his brother Peter's relationship, yet he came to Jesus first, he brought his brother along, and he was with the Lord throughout His public ministry.
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We would be wise to let go of our apparent status in relationship to others' and simply follow Christ Jesus as Andrew did. Bring others to Him, regardless of whether they might end up playing a more public role than you are called to. Follow Him wholeheartedly, recognize and acknowledge His Lordship, introduce others to the Messiah. Realize that what is written in the history books (the Gospels, in Andrew's case), is NOT the whole story and God who knows everything you think and do will be sure to give you a just reward. There's a lot more to Andrew's story in Christian tradition where he's had a greater influence than in the four Gospels and there's far more to him hidden in Christ that only He and God know. He focused his life on Jesus Christ rather than on his reputation in the sight of others; let us learn from him to do the same.