30 November 2018
Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
In John 1, we learn that Andrew was already a disciple of John the Baptist before he meets Jesus, and that he is one of two of the Baptist’s disciples who follow Jesus after the Baptist calls Jesus the “Lamb of God.” Matthew 4, like the other synoptic gospels, also places Andrew among the initial group that follows Jesus, placing his call at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, together with the call of Peter, James, and John.
Although in all the Gospel accounts, Andrew was in the first pair or first group of disciples to follow Jesus, once Jesus chooses three disciples to be more deeply introduced into his intimacy, Andrew is not among them. In our hyper-competitive and self-reflective society, this sort of situation can seem patently unfair. One might judge Andrew and wonder what he may have done to have not been chosen to be part of that privileged group, especially since he may even have been Jesus’ first follower. And yet, there is no hint that Andrew was anything other than an exemplary disciple. In fact, these sorts of reflections in general are deeply problematic and rather unhelpful.
If we are to learn to accept that grace is truly free, then we also need to learn not to take things so personally. In other words, God chooses people according to God’s own good pleasure rather than primarily on the basis of any merit (or lack thereof) of any given individual. God’s choice is free in the sense that it is an exercise of perfect liberty, and it is free in the sense that it costs nothing, and repays nothing. This is not at all to suggest that our actions are without significance: they are of utmost significance. But rather, they find their significance within God’s choice of and for us, not within illusory desires of where we would wish God to place us.
Jesus chose Andrew to be among his first followers, or perhaps even to be his first follower. But he did not choose Andrew to be part of his innermost circle. This probably did not cause Andrew any existential angst at all, especially if he had the grace not to take things personally. Andrew’s delight was simply to be a spiritual helper (coadjutor), to be where the Lord called him, and to be a leaven among the brethren in precisely the place he was called. It was and is there where he is called and chosen, that he lives his blessedness without complication, and that he offers us the good news.