October 28, 2002  

PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE

Andrew, along with another young Galilean fisherman named John, was the first disciple to follow Jesus. The two of them had already given up their trade to be with the fiery prophet John the Baptist. They were there when the prophet pointed to a quiet figure nearby and said, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" That was their first contact with Jesus, and they knew right away that their destiny would lie with him.

Excited by his discovery, Andrew immediately sought out his brother Simon Peter, saying "We have found the Messiah!" So, Andrew was not only the first disciple, but also the first missionary.

From then on, Andrew was always a clear second. Eclipsed by his more aggressive and outgoing brother Peter, he sank into the background among the disciple band. Toward the end of his ministry, Jesus selected three of the twelve to be in his inner circle: John and his brother James, as well as Peter. Odd-man-out was the other Galilean fisherman, Andrew. Twice in the Gospels he is referred to as "Peter's brother," demonstrating how unnoticeable he had become.

It's hard to be second, always in the shadow of a more gifted sibling, especially if you were there first. Ask Tommy Smothers, who constantly complained in the "Smothers Brothers" TV show, "Mother always loved you best." Ask any girl whose sister seems to get all the second glances from boys. Ask the boy whose brother's Grade Point Average is consistently a point or two above his.

But to Andrew's credit, there's not a hint in the New Testament that he ever felt jealous, or overlooked, or unappreciated. Andrew was an ideal bit player in the drama described in the Gospels, always on cue, but never anxious to be in the spotlight.

There are only two incidents in the New Testament in which Andrew is singled out for mention. The first is in Jesus's feeding of five thousand people. It was Andrew who made contact with the boy with five loaves and two fish and brought him to Jesus. The second occurred during the last week before his death, when two Greeks (and, therefore, Gentiles) came and said, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Andrew brought their request to the Master. In both these instances we see evidence of an important quality in Andrew: he was approachable.

Second-string people like Andrew seem more approachable to the average person than "stars" like Peter. One of Andrew's gifts appears to be that he didn't intimidate people or put them off. He was comfortable talking to a boy with a picnic lunch or to some Gentile Greeks, and they could relate with him as well.

A lot of Christians believe that they can't be effective as witnesses because they don't have personal charisma or a dramatic story to tell. The truth is that those things may impress people up to a point, but they often leave unbelievers with a feeling of distance. The "star's" life may seem far-removed from their own.

By contrast, an average "background" person is someone they can relate to. When such people share about how Jesus makes a difference in their lives, people can connect and apply the spiritual meaning to their own lives. Like Andrew, garden-variety Christians are more effective in person-to-person outreach than the more exotic ones. Ironically, second-rank believers are more persuasive as witnesses than the "stars."

One more word about Andrew. His name in Greek means "manly." We are impressed by the "manliness" of athletes, political power-brokers, and other kinds of winners. But it is also "manly" to be secure in your humble position and to follow Jesus quietly and faithfully in everyday living. You don't have to push your way to the head of the line and be number one. A truly "manly" Andrew was able to find a rich and fruitful life of service as number two—or was it number four? Or number 12? Whatever! People like Andrew don't care.

–Pastor George VanAlstine