Daily Devotional • November 30
St. Andrew the Apostle
A Reading from John 1:35-42
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 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?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Meditation
In St. Andrew, we receive an example of how we are to respond to the Gospel in our own lives. Here at the beginning of John’s Gospel account, Andrew has not yet spent years on the road with Jesus. He hasn’t experienced the heights of all the miracles that will be performed. He doesn’t yet know the lows of seeing his master betrayed, killed, and buried only to encounter him in his risen glory at Easter.
What Andrew does have is the prompting of John that this Jesus is the one they have been waiting for. He is the one that Andrew should follow, and Andrew does. Without any of the knowledge and experience that will come in the years ahead, he listens, first to John and then to the invitation of the Lamb of God to “Come and see.”
This alone would be worthy of emulation in the great faith it took to step out along that unknown path. But Andrew’s pattern goes even further. Having heard and seen, he then goes to find his brother, Simon. Andrew does what we all ought to do. He responds to the Gospel by sharing it with others.
In a world that often defines itself by the scarcity of resources, including time and access to those of greatest influence or who we wish to be closest to, it is a countercultural move to go seek out and bring in others. Instead of keeping score, saving our place at the head of the line, or holding others at bay lest they get too close, we welcome others as an act of faith. We trust that there is no shortage of the mercy and love of the Lord. There is an abundance of God’s grace at work in and through the Messiah for us and for our brothers and sisters.
The Rev. Benjamin Hankinson serves as Director of Community Life and Operations for his alma mater, Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He also serves as Priest-in-Charge of St. James Episcopal Church in West Bend, Wisconsin.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kisangani – Province de L’Eglise Anglicane Du Congo
The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida