Tuesday 30 November 2021
- Bible Book:
- John
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ (v. 38)
Background
What are you looking for? If Jesus were to ask this of you, what would your answer be? I’ve been following Jesus for years and I would struggle to encapsulate this in a simple, immediate answer, so it’s not surprising that the two disciples who have just started following him don’t come up with an answer.
Instead they have a question "Where are you staying?" There were so many things they could have asked this person pointed out to them as the Lamb of God – perhaps a deep theological question or a request about what was in it for them if they followed him. But instead they choose a question that helps them know about Jesus on earth. They simply want to encounter Jesus and spend time with him. Jesus shows them where he is staying and they decide to remain with him.
One of these disciples was Andrew, who is remembered for helping others encounter Jesus. Compared to his brother Simon Peter, we hear relatively little about Andrew. He doesn’t attract attention to himself, but he simply gets on with the business of helping people meet Jesus and stay with him. Today is St Andrew's day and as we remember him we can try to channel his selfless approach to following Jesus, in which he focused on helping others encounter Jesus, rather than his own reward.
To Ponder:
- What are you looking for?
- How can you help others encounter Jesus?
Prayer
Saviour God, thank you inviting us to ‘come and see’ and for the example of your disciple Andrew. May we too enable others to encounter you and to stay with you. Amen.