Saturday 30 November 2024
He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.” (v. 41)
Background
Today's reading features the apostle Andrew, as his feast day is 30 November. In this passage we get an insight into a pivotal moment in the lives of several people and it is, as much of what we have been reading this week, part of an 'origin story'. Much of this week we have been reading about how Samuel came to be a prophet and today we are reading about the origin story of two disciples.
In this reading John the Baptist points out Jesus to two of his disciples, telling them Jesus is 'the Lamb of God' (the Messiah). (v. 36) They go and follow him, wanting to interact with him but wanting also to follow protocol.
It’s almost comical as you get the picture of these two grown men following Jesus, who is aware he is being followed, but the men are worried about speaking to him. In the end Jesus turns round and asks them what they want.
They say they want to know where he is staying. Now this is a question which can be read in a couple of ways. The first can be seen as asking where is he staying that night as it’s getting on in the afternoon and they might want somewhere to stay too. However, it seems to be more than that. They want to know where Jesus is staying because they want to know more about him. They have questions for this man whom John has signposted them to.
Jesus' invitation for them to come and see is a way of him telling them that he’s happy to answer their questions and for them to learn more about him. It’s a signifier that he is ready to trust these two men who have been following him along the road.
After that interaction, Andrew is aware of the identity of who he has been speaking to. The first thing he does is rush to share the news with his brother, whom he then takes to see Jesus too.
To Ponder:
- Who do you think Jesus is?
- Do you view Jesus as somebody exciting whom you want others to get to know too? If so who might be your Simon? Who can you share the news of Jesus with?
Bible notes author: Sally Rush
Sally is a Learning & Development Officer in the Methodist Connexional Team.