As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
Andrew had been helped by John the Baptist to realize that Jesus was the lamb of God, whatever that might have meant to him (see John 1:36). Perhaps it brought to mind the suffering servant of Isaiah who was "like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth" (see Isaiah 53:7). With that to go on it was not surprising that Andrew might not have been immediately sure what to make of Jesus. He had followed Jesus because of the words of John the Baptist. But he couldn't quite account for why. When asked by Jesus, "What are you looking for?" he equivocated, saying "Rabbi … where are you staying?" Did he ask this because he wanted to spend more time observing Jesus and come to understand for himself what John might have meant? It was precisely this that Jesus invited he and his companion to do, saying "Come, and you will see" (see John 1:39), and it was as a consequence of doing so that they arrived at the conclusion, "We have found the Messiah" (see John 1:41).
Having been first told about Jesus Andrew discovered who he was directly, by spending time in his presence. He would in turn share his knowledge of Jesus with his brother Peter. But he did not expect Peter to take him at his word but instead, "he brought him to Jesus" (see John 1:42).
Andrew is a model for all of us who are called to be disciples. We too are called to share what we know and to bring others to Jesus. It is not, however, so much our job to prove in detail each and every claim about Jesus, as it is to bring others to Jesus so that he can reveal himself. Certainly we do try to explain our own experience. Here, we might say, was one foretold by the prophets, toward whom all of history seemed to point, a light by which the whole universe was illuminated and began at last to make sense. But however appealing or clever our explanation might be, it will be insufficient if we do not take the step of bringing others into the presence of Jesus. This is a step that is dangerous because it is something that is absolutely beyond our control. We must trust in Jesus to do the work and to reveal himself to others just as he first did to us.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
The invitation of Andrew to come and see Jesus seemed to prepare the soil of Peter's heart. It was probably a part of what allowed Peter to listen and respond so quickly and fully to the invitation of Jesus, just as John the Baptist's pointing toward Jesus prepared the way for Andrew to do so. In fact, God delights to use his creatures to share the Good News. This Good News can only be perfectly discovered by coming to Jesus himself. But he has chosen to make we his creatures an important means by which others are drawn to him.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
When we witness Andrew and Peter leaving behind their nets and indeed the whole life they had known before to follow Jesus it might seem so radical as to be unrealistic. But if we really knew what they had found in him we would not think so. And if we do not know it, we can, for we too have been invited. The call of Jesus is extended to us as well, "Come and you will see".
There is much else to be said about this call. We, like Peter, will feel unqualified and unworthy once we begin to realize more fully who Jesus is. But Jesus does not call those who are already qualified but qualifies those whom he calls. He can make us to be rock solid as Peter eventually became, even if we too know ourselves to be sinful men and women. And so we need not fear to allow the Lord to use us to bring others to him. May Saint Andrew pray that we receive the grace to do so.
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