34; 96, 100
Isaiah 49:1-6 1 Cor. 4:1-16 John 1:35-42
Cephas. It’s the kind of name only a sibling can call you. At least at first, before everyone else does. In Aramaic it means “rock.” But when applied to a person it could easily refer to someone being hardheaded or thick-skulled. I love imagining a scenario where Andrew tells Jesus, “Hey, when I introduce my brother Simon call him Cephas. It’ll be hilarious.”
Maybe it was hilarious. Maybe that’s why Peter kept talking to Jesus. Not because he was expected to be this tough, impenetrable thing but because he saw for the first time God might be able to work through a hard-headed, clumsy guy like him. So, thank God, Andrew brought Peter to Jesus.
Andrew just didn’t bring his brother to Jesus. Next he brought a scraped-kneed kid with fives loaves and two fishes to Jesus. That day 5,000 hungry people were fed and they all got a crash course in kingdom economics. A little later Andrew brings a group of Greeks to Jesus who probably didn’t get the intimate interview they desired but they got to be part of this miraculous moment in Jesus’ teaching.
On this, St. Andrew’s feast day, he reminds us what we get to see when we bring people to Jesus and get out of the way.
We get to see lives changed.
Almighty God, give us the grace to be more like your servant Andrew and bring people into the presence of your Son. Amen.
Listen to Jared read his Advent meditation and prayer:
