“The
Andrew Factor”
John 1:29-42
First Presbyterian Church
The Reverend Donald E. Ray
January 16, 2011
The movie, Blind Side, opens with Sandra Bullock in her role as Leigh Anne
Tuohy narrating a video of Joe Theisman’s last professional play as
quarterback. In four seconds,
Theisman went from controlling the down to a career ending injury in a blind
side tackle by defensive great, Lawrence Taylor. Leigh
Anne comments, in a statistic I have not checked for authenticity, that while
the quarterback is likely the highest paid player on a professional football
team, the second highest paid is the left tackle whose job it is to protect the
quarterback on his blind side.
My only first hand
experience with football was Phys Ed class in high school. Not
great at throwing, catching or running and being one of the bigger boys with
muscle from hefting hay bales and grain sacks, I played line. Touch
football isn’t so tough for the one with the ball. He
only gets tagged. But blocking has
to be physical, pads and helmet or gym shorts and a tee shirt.
I never got the big bucks for playing left tackle, but I did my share of
holding the line on offense and on defense, moving blockers out of the way to
tag the ball carrier.
The quarterback,
running backs, wide receivers, line backers and free safeties, even the place
kicker when he puts the ball through the uprights for the game winning field
goal in OT, command the attention of football enthusiasts. The
offensive line goes largely unnoticed, while they are the players who, it could
be said, make it all happen. The
left tackle has to be big, really big, quick on his feet and mentally sharp. There
not being too many players that fill that order, playing their position so that
others may shine, they come at a high price.
In the Gospel stories
of Jesus’ disciple team, if Simon Peter might be quarterback, Andrew plays
left tackle. (Not really being a
football fan, I can’t believe I just drew that analogy.) Andrew
is frequently mentioned among the four disciples accompanying Jesus, most often
identified as Simon Peter’s brother. But
according to our reading from John’s Gospel, there might have been no lead
role for Peter, had Andrew not brought his brother to Jesus and been by his side
throughout their discipleship.
John’s Gospel,
written later than the others, gives us a picture of the followers of Jesus
becoming witnesses of the Christ. The
temple was in ruins, the priesthood scattered; the followers of the Way of Jesus
excommunicated from the fragments of Judaism; Simon Peter dead for probably half
a century; there were no ‘number ones.’
Andrew becomes a
prototype of the Christian character. John
the Baptist appears early in the Gospel stories as a leader of religious reform
in his own right. But his self
acknowledged role is as a forerunner, one preparing the way for the Christ. Jesus,
repeatedly sidesteps efforts to make him king; avoids identification as
‘messiah’ lest it be misinterpreted; makes it clear that his role is to
point the way to renewed faith in God. Matthew’s
nativity story names the Christ child, “Emmanuel,” translated “God with
us.” That role was clearly
recognized in our early church history, else we be identified as Jesusian rather
than Christian.
The Christian
community, John’s Gospel describes, is not about the star players, the leading
roles, the heads of religion or state, but about the supporting characters -
John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, Andrew bringing his brother,
Simon; Philip bringing Nathaniel. That
is the Christian community, persons sharing witness with others that we have
found life in the way of the Christ.
Andrew, John narrates,
had evidently been a follower of John the Baptist. Hearing
the Baptist’s identification of Jesus, he first found his brother, Simon, and
told him what he believed, that they had found the Messiah, the Christ. A
little later in the Gospel, Andrew brings to Jesus a young boy who offers to
share his loaves and fish to feed the five thousand that had come to hear Jesus.
Andrew said of the five barley
loaves and two fish, “What are they among so many people?” Yet
he brought the boy to Jesus. Jesus
says of this impromptu banquet table set by this lad, it is the feast of God,
the true bread from heaven, the One he called, Father,
gives for the life of the world.
Did Andrew know that
Simon would take the more significant role among the disciples? It
didn’t and it doesn’t matter.
In Mark’s and
Luke’s Gospels, there is a story of Jesus’ encounter with a man they
characterize in the language of the day as possessed by unclean
spirits. (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39) Freed
and restored to his right mind, the man wanted to stay with this one who had
given him back his life. But Jesus
told him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done
for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)
Andrew had experienced
the Christ and he went and found his brother, Simon, to share the good news. A
young boy, as children often are so adept at doing, had caught the spirit of the
Christ’ caring for people and he wanted to help. Andrew
brought him to Jesus. It is not
weakness not shirking responsibility to bring another along. In
reality, it takes great strength of character, a healthy ego. The
one we bring may surpass us in recognition and responsibility, may take the lead
and we find ourselves in a supporting role.
The good news from
John is that the way of the Christ is about sharing our witness to where we have
found the heart of life. Andrew has
his place as does Simon. In fact,
over the long haul it’s the Andrews that are the life of the church. Our
history is littered with churches built on the charisma of preachers who got
lost in their own egos, missed the calling always to share with brothers and
sisters that we have found the Christ—come and see.
Maybe football is more
in my blood than I think and those few years playing line, guarding the quarter
back did something to shape my life course. Prestigious
pulpits and climbing the ladder of denominational hierarchy has not been it for
me. A hospital chaplain doesn’t
tend to attain much ecclesiastical stature. But
the opportunities abound to assure folk of the love and grace of God as comfort
and hope and strength. My prayer is
that many of those will grow in faith and living all they can be.
In Friday’s issue of
the Post Journal, there was an article headlined Celebrating
National Mentoring Month, highlighting the Chautauqua Striders program for
youth. The picture is of one of our
own. I believe I can say with
assurance that the faith Bruce experiences and sings each Sunday impacts his
life that he shares with Patrick. What
will Patrick become as he grows up? Will
he be an under achiever, become delinquent, criminal. That
is a possibility with the myriad of pressures that have already made their mark
on his young life and will continue to do so. Happily,
evidence shows that a mentor reduces the chances of a young life going astray or
falling short.
Patrick might become a
skilled surgeon, an engineer, an inventor achieving acclaim with some new
technology and founder of an industry that becomes the parent company of the
business where Bruce works. That, in
large part, depends on Patrick. If
Andrew has it right, what matters now is that Bruce shares with Patrick what he
has found that is fulfilling in his life journey and offers Patrick hope and
trust that brings him to live in peace and love.
There is a parable of
the church in the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. One
or two find the light of the candle symbolizing the Christ, Emmanuel, God with
us. When we light our candle, we
take the flame to another and invite that one to share in the light. It
isn’t about having a bigger candle or holding it higher, but in sharing the
flame with another that the light spreads and a darkened sanctuary becomes
brighter.
The life of the church
does not depend on the Simon Peters. The
fate of the world does not rest on those who win acclaim. It’s
the Andrews who have found the One anointed of God and bring others to live in
the way of hope and peace and joy and love and walk with them in support that
make the abiding difference.
The traditional
spiritual the choir sang a few minutes ago asks: “Who’ll be a witness for my
Lord?” Will we answer? “Oh
I’ll be a witness for my Lord . . .”
Amen.
Copyright © 2011 First Presbyterian Church