- My Monologues with Andrew the Apostle (Jn 1)
Dear Disciple Andrew,
As they say, you are the eldest brother of Peter.You are a fisherman by profession and a Jew by religion, Aren't you? Besides, being a hard working fisherman, you seemed to have had an earnest interest in initiating yourself into the inner insights of your ancestral faith. Or else, you would not have joined John the Baptist as a member of his group, right?
Dear Disciple Andrew,
You know, what interests and inspires me about you is your ever searching and ever evolving approach towards life! You could have easily and happily continued with your profession and your family life. It looks like you had an excellent rapport with your father and with Peter, your younger brother. You all regularly worked together braving the waves of the rough seas.
You seemed to have had absolutely no sibling rivalry at all, with Peter, your brother. Besides, being brothers, you seem to be moving around like pals, right? Otherwise, both of you together would not have become followers of John the Baptist. How warm and loving, fraternal and friendly, a relationship you have between yourselves!
Oh, dear me!
I do feel a high dose of envy alive in me!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
Remember the day when you met Jesus for the first time? Your were with John the Baptist by the banks of River Jordan, right? As Jesus was approaching, remember, John telling you,
"Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."?
Somehow, at the very first sight itself,
you were fascinated by Jesus, right?
It was almost an irresistible instant attraction.
You took the initiative,
You approached him,
You asked him,
"Rabbi, where are you staying?" Didn't you?
Dear Disciple Andrew,
It shows you are a very outgoing, very determined, and a very daring person.
When Jesus invited you, to
"Come and see"
for yourself and get an on-the-spot experience, It was both, an invitation for you as well as a challenge to you.
You did accept his invitation and
You did take up the challenge.
You did go, taking John along, yet another candidate.
As both of you spent that evening with Jesus and stayed over night,
You must have had very lively conversations and serious discussions on many a major issues like the coming of the much awaited Messiah, right?
Dear Disciple Andrew,
After knowing Jesus very closely, and
After having had lively discussions with Him,
After having listened to him passionately,
After having experienced Him personally,
You were convinced that Jesus himself was the long awaited Messiah, right, dear Disciple?
You were very excited about the meeting you had with Jesus.
You were very enthused with the discussions you had with Him
You were enriched with the insights you got from Him.
Or else, you would not rushed back and told your brother, Peter,
"We have found the Messiah! "
How happy and hilarious, you must have been!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
It must have been a very memorable visit which totally changed your life forever.
It all amounts to the fact that you are a
serious seeker who is open to new ideas.
Of all the disciples, dear Disciple Andrew,
You are the only one who made the first move and took the initiative.
In all other instances, invariably, it was always Jesus, who took the initiative and asked your companions to follow and to join him, right?
Dear Disciple Andrew,
It intrigues me much to know all about the conversations and discussions you both have had with Jesus as you spent the evening and stayed over night. I am sure you must have asked him about the coming of the long awaited Messiah, right?
Didn't you all tell him what you expect of the Messiah?
As someone who would free your land from the Roman occupation and oppression?
Didn't you all talk about the possibility and feasibility of an armed rebellion against the Romans?
Didn't you ask about the possibility of John the Baptist and Jesus working in tandem?
Didn't you break bread with him and sup with Him?
Some of the Unacknowledged Accounts of you all say so!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
You were brave to take initiative and inquire.
You had the brains to grasp what Jesus talked.
You are the first ever Disciple, as per the narration of John, to have personally experienced the Messiah.
After having experienced Jesus as the Messiah, the first thing you did, on the next day morning, was to rush and to look for Peter, your brother and share the experiences you have had with Jesus.
You shared with him,
The Good News that:
"We have found the Messiah."
You are the first ever disciple to announce and share the Good News of finding and experiencing the Messiah, Great indeed!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
As I look back, review and reflect over my own past actions and reactions, I find myself so different from you. If I were to be in a similar situation of responding to the "come and see" invitation and later on experiencing Jesus as the Messiah, probably, I would have gone around harping, "it is me who is the first one to find out Jesus as the Messiah."
"It is often me, me first and me last! "
Likewise, after having introduced Peter to Jesus, at every available opportunity,
I would be inclined to keep reminding Peter and others something like, "Don't you ever forget, if not for me, you would not have met Jesus on that day... blah... . blah..."
That's part of me!"
You know, dear Disciple Andrew, at times,
I am plagued with this problem of blowing my own trumpet.
The sad and strange fact is:
I may not always be aware of it..
I may not always be that verbose.
But it is often there, in my mind,
in my imagination..
this tape keeps running on and on.
Outwardly, I may appear to be quiet and composed, but inwardly, it's often very hyper. I dream and keep on dreaming and
even day dreaming about my exaggerated
self-importance, something like,
" I am the first one..
I am a senior priest..
I am more qualified than..
I have recruited him..
I have taught her..
I have baptised him.."
it goes on and on...
How I wish!, Dear Disciple Andrew,
I could be reminded of your self effacing and unassuming attitude!
I just want to keep in check such unreal thinking and wild imaginations which almost seems to be a second nature to me.
I want to keep them on a tight leash!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
You are First Missionary, as per the narratives of John. When you went and announced to Peter, your brother that you had found the Messiah, you became the first ever Missionary to proclaim the Good News and Peter your brother became the first ever recruit, right?
Then, don't you remember the miracle of the multiplication of loaves?
When the Lord asked you all to feed the hungry crowd,
It is again you
Who said with a touch of exasperation,
"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
You were speaking from a human perspective with the severity of the practical limitations in mind.
Besides, you forgot about a similar miracle on a previous occasion, which had taken place in a similar situation, right?
You are always upfront with what is on your mind, right?
As the miracle of the loaves and fish was unfolding, you began to have a deeper understanding and a higher awareness of
your Master", right?
Oh, dear, you just kept on growing and growing
Dear Disciple Andrew,
You are seen for the last time in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount.
You are seen getting involved in and trying to facilitate a meeting between Jesus and some of those Greek Pilgrims who were looking for Jesus.
It seems you are so naturally disposed to reach out and connect people with Jesus.
You did it with John as you took Him along.
You did it with Peter as you introduced him to Jesus, Didn't you?
Dear Disciple Andrew,
You know, what? I have been wondering as how you felt when you came to know that it was Peter, your younger brother, who was chosen by Jesus to be the Leader!
I have heard as well as read that you would have been a better person to lead as you were more predictable than Peter.
Peter did flip-flops, at least a couple of times. While, you never did so.
You always kept your words, right?
You neither did any flip-flops,
nor you did waver.
Remember Peter promising not to betray within a couple of hours he did betray not once but Thrice?
Remember, him insisting not wash his feet
but immediately he relented?
Sure, Peter was man without any malice, unlike Judas.
But you never ever betrayed, not even once!
Both of you were real good in your own ways.
But both were of totally different personalities. May be, in a fraction of a flash,
you may have felt hurt.
If so, it so human and natural, right? Remember, there were a couple of times
when arguments erupted among your group as who is great etc?
So it is all very human!
Whatever the case may be,
It must be said to your credit
You adjusted and accepted so well and so perfectly well, Didn't you?
Great of you!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
for many a men and for me personally:
You are a perfect Role Model!
For Personal maturity,
For Unassuming way of life,
For knowing your place and sticking to it!
I have a lot to learn from you! Dear Disciple!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
They say, you travelled to Russia and to the neighboring countries like Ukraine
To preached the Good News.
Some say, you went to Scotland as well as to Cyprus and Romania.
Wherever you went, you did proclaim the Good News through your preaching and through your exemplary living.
As you grew gracefully old, you had flowing white hair and a long silvery beard.
So they write!
Finally, as the tradition goes, as per your wish you were crucified on a Saltire, on an X shaped, Cross!
Dear Disciple Andrew,
Being very good in facilitating, do facilitate my meeting with Jesus, my Lord and my God!
Do it not just once but as often as possible! Thank you!
Dear Jesus, My Lord and My God,
Thank you for the Gift of Andrew to us,
For his personality and
For his witnessing.
Thank you,Lord! for your immense patience with my slow growth and progress.
Like Andrew, I want to keep saying,
Every day I want to keep saying that:
I have found the Messiah.
Every day I want to keep seeing the Messiah
In everyone I meet! and keep saying:
I have found the Messiah of my life!
My Lord and My God,
I want to spend some time in silence
In Your Presence.
My Lord and My God,
"Speak Lord, your servant is listening!
Amen
JoAchen
Saturday, 28th November 2015
PS
These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegetical explanations nor highly theological speculations.
They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth.
They are a part of my journaling of the Prodigal Priest in me struggling to get back to the Home of our Heavenly Father.
I keep holding you in my prayers and
I request you to include me in yours.
Thank you!
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