2/11/51

Scripture: John 1: 40-50; (used John 1: 35-42 in Hawaii)

Text: John 1: 40, 41, 42; “One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother.....And he brought him to Jesus.”

February is, to us Americans, a month of great men. We used to observe, on February 22, the birthday of the Father of our country, George Washington. (Incidentally, February 22nd is also, this year, the 80th birthday of one of our own church members, Mr. George W. Mead.) We marked the birthday of Washington with a partial holiday, with remembrance of his forthright and skillful leadership of the colonies into their new existence as a free nation. We regard him as something of an aristocratic genius, as indeed he was. And we emphasize the democratic truths that we need to underline in “Brotherhood Week” on the week of Washington’s birthday. We regard him with admiration and just a bit of awe.

We remember that February 12th is the birthday of another man, great in our national history -- Abraham Lincoln, liberator of black slaves, inspired and insistent defender of union. During the week of Lincoln’s birthday we have often observed Race Relations Sunday, and today, Boy Scout Sunday. If Washington is admired, Lincoln is loved with the kind of affection many people give to a worthy person of the common garden variety of folk. [We now have a single “President’s day”]. This year, the calendar of our church observances also leads us into the Lenten Season at this time. And we try to exercise the sinews of our spirits in contemplation of the events and purposes of our Lord’s life.

One homely observation concerning the names of those we hold great is the fact that there are hosts of less known folk, or unknown people, associated with them whose lives are also significant! Washington does not stand alone in history, for a battered but earnest army of men under his inspired command won the revolutionary struggle, and scores of statesmen-like people worked out, with him, the form of the new government.

Lincoln was, in a sense, but the inspired expression of countless thousands of people who wanted the nation to be what he led it to be.

Turning our attention again to our Lord, Jesus chose certain less known, even unknown, people to carry forward the work he had begun in the spirit of devoted understanding which he evidenced. One may think immediately of Peter, James, and John; of Philip, of Thomas, and Judas of course. And who were the rest of those twelve special disciples? O yes, there was Andrew. We don’t seem to know much about Andrew except that he was Peter’s brother. And so, while this is a time when great names catch the attention of citizens, and the greatest name, Jesus, is in the consciousness of all the devout, let us examine, out of curiosity, one of the lesser folk of Christian history for its significance. What about this man, Andrew?

Was it not Lincoln who remarked that, “God must have loved the poor people, for he made so many of them.” God must love the average, and the little known persons, too, for He has created so many of them. We ought to know this man Andrew better, for he is the fellow we see every day. He walks beside us for a few yards on the street. He may wait on you at the counter in the store. Maybe he is at the desk next yours at the office, or on the next machine at the shop. He could be the bus driver or the porter, or the one who delivers your paper, or the person who takes care of your deposit at the bank window.

Andrew is all around you and me; we meet him every day; he holds the key to many situations. He is not the President, nor the Governor, nor the Mayor; not the dean nor the chancellor of the university, nor the boss. He is “just folks.” Andrew’s name appears in the New Testament but seldom. And if we read the New Testament with “headline” minds, we don’t grasp the significance of Andrew at all.

Andrew’s home was at Bethsaida up in the northern province of Galilee. It was the same province where, over at Nazareth, Jesus spent his youth in the home of Joseph and Mary. Bethsaida was about 70 miles north of Jerusalem. It was up there that Jesus found five of his disciples -- John and James, Philip, Peter and Andrew.

We might look around in Bethsaida for the house of Jonas. There live Peter and Andrew who, with their father, operate a fishing boat on the sea of Galilee. If Andrew is not at home, we can look for him over at the house of Zebedee, the father of James and John. Zebedee’s sons are talking of taking a trip down to the ford in the river Jordan where great crowds are said to be gathering to hear a very stirring preacher talk about the coming Kingdom of God. They have heard camel drivers and other travelers talking of little else and the young fellows are eager to see, and hear for themselves, this young prophet. Perhaps of Zebedee is saying to his son John, “Andrew is just the fellow to take along on that trip. If you took Simon, he would do all the talking, and might even do your thinking for you. It would be good for you and Andrew to go together. And you can make up your own minds about the what the preacher is saying.”

We recall well enough what happened when they arrived at the place. They heard the message of John the Baptist -- a strange man, roughly dressed, with eloquent tongue, glowing face, and great confidence in what he was saying. They were stirred as they had never been stirred before. His prophecy, and the fire in his manner, won John and Andrew, and they joined themselves to John the Baptist. Shortly their attention fell on another fellow who was pointed out by John the Baptist. When this other young man appeared in the crowd, he was announced by John the Baptist as “The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” Later, they met Jesus and spent some time in personal conversation with him. And they pledged themselves to become his disciples.

The very first thing Andrew did, after he had thus found Jesus, was to go back in search of his brother and to bring Simon also to meet the Christ. Perhaps Jesus had that effect on people, for there is also the account, later, of a woman who came out of her village to a well to get some water. Jesus was there, resting after a long walk. And he fell to talking with this woman, whom he asked to draw him a drink of water. Before long she was hurrying back to the village saying to people, “Come and see a man who told me ..” and then she recited Jesus’ conversation. [John 4: 7-29].

Andrew went with Jesus to Galilee. He may have been present at the marriage in Cana which Jesus also attended. He was with Jesus in Judea while he baptized there. He may have been in the grove of olive trees when Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus about spiritual things until dawn came. Andrew seems to have spent some time with Jesus, and then to have gone back to Bethsaida. But things were not the same again for Andrew. He did not always concentrate on his work; he worked abstractly and must have exasperated Peter and their parents, for he was so preoccupied. It was as though he were in love -- as indeed he was! For he had fallen deeply in love with a voice, a vision, a faith which he found in Jesus. And he dreamed of what Jesus had said about “this kingdom of God on earth.” He dreamed and waited.

Then came the exciting day of his “second” call. Simon and Andrew were about the work of fishing. As they bent over their nets, a shadow fell across them, and they both looked up. It was He again; the Voice, the face, the faith in the Kingdom of God. Yes, it was Jesus. This time He beckoned to them both and said, “Come -- come with me -- and I will make you fishers of men.” They dropped their nets and lines, turned their face away from home and village, and went with the Master who spoke of the Kingdom of God. It was three years before they touched their nets or boarded their boat again. Thus it was that Andrew became that kind of disciple who is called an apostle.

Andrew seems to have been the first of the apostles so chosen. That is interesting!! Jesus did not begin with the “big wheels” -- with outstanding people, but with the ordinary sort of person that Andrew was, and so many of us are. What Christ saw in Andrew was a sincere interest, a soul straining after better things, a man who could grow in spirit. Andrew was not a leader; he was not aggressive like his brother Simon Peter. In fact, he is usually referred to as Simon Peter’s brother, to whom he played second fiddle all his life. It is not so easy to play second fiddle -- to be subordinate day after day, week after week, year after year, while somebody else gets the notice, the publicity, the credit, the praise. It takes a lot of grace for some to accept that role, but Andrew seems never to have complained. But the second, third, and fourth fiddles are all important in any orchestra.

Andrew certainly never became the great preacher that Peter was. He was not the great missionary leader his brother became. It was so throughout all their lives from childhood on. Yet this must be remembered -- it was Andrew who had brought his brother, Simon Peter, to Christ!

1) Remember two scenes. The feeding of the 5,000. It is late; shadows are lengthening. Children are restless, tired, and hungry. Jesus asks how to get enough bread for these folk for an evening meal. Andrew says, “There is a boy here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish.” [John 6: 5-14]. Peter Marshall asks, “How did Andrew know that boy?” Probably Andrew made friends --- talked --- maybe the boy had been with Andrew all day. What would they talk about? Fishing, knots, lines -- where fish are -- weather on the sea; these things would be interesting to the boy. Maybe they had shared lunch. Anyway, Andrew was interested in people.

2) Greeks came asking to see Jesus. They asked Philip. Philip asked Andrew for advice. Andrew introduced them to Jesus. And so Andrew was the “introducer.” [John 12: 20-22]. I think it is Alfred Swan who has referred to Andrew as the head usher who helps people find a comfortable place, watches out for the comfort of the congregation, and who quite often introduces newcomers to the officers or the minister of the church.

It is all very well to be impressed with the five-talent people, the great people of history and of the contemporary scene. Washington, Lincoln -- Peter, Paul -- Francis and Luther -- Eisenhower and so on -- who do things well and get notice. But with them are hosts of un-headlined people who also do things well -- 3 talent and 2 talent and 1 talent folk, whose work and attitude is just as important.

Some responsible generals commanded the forces that defended Britain from the awful air attacks of 1940. And their planning was terribly important. But just as important were a few hundred English air pilots who gave their lives knocking down 2,500 or 3,000 enemy planes day and night until they broke the back of the German attack. Winston Churchill said “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” And most of us don’t even know their names!

Every so often we learn how important somebody we didn’t even know, is to us all. A few thousand “Andrews” known as truck drivers wheeling through the night are needed to keep the mail going, to keep the food and clothing shipped, to get the supplies to and from the mills that mean people’s jobs. If they are good “Andrews” things go along well. If not, they are disastrously missed. And they need to be understood and appreciated for their work -- just as do garbage collectors, and teachers, and ministers, and plumbers and sailors and engineers and boy scouts and bakers and nurses and mechanics. It has been a good thing to see Scouts learning the jobs of civic responsibility in our town, and practicing at what those jobs mean, so that they will one day be the dependable “Andrews” of community life.

The work that needs doing today is the work that countless Andrews can accomplish. Everything that is worthwhile rests on the attention and work of people like Andrew -- who take hold, become friendly with folk, carry into effect the inspiration of leaders, attend church regularly, pay attention to civic needs, and to the character of homes --- two talent people who use those talents mightily.

Our nation needs one good president. Our town needs one good mayor. Every church needs a consecrated minister and a board of officers. But hundreds, thousands of “Andrews” must be there to make possible the good life of the common community.

As Peter Marshall says: Andrew appears in the New Testament scene as introducing somebody to Jesus. “He has only two talents!” Yes, but two whole talents are surrendered to Christ’s purposes!!

Andrew, we too would meet the Master.

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, February 11, 1951.

Also at Waioli Church, March 7, 1976.

[The following prayer was given at the Waioli Church service with this sermon, March 7, 1976.]

Eternal God, Creator of the Universe and of all its worlds, and our own Creator, high above us, yet deep within us all, we gather here to worship Thee. Thanks be to Thee for all the interior resources of power by which the spirit of man, even in the midst of the world’s tumult, can nobly live. Thanks be to Thee for the inward shepherding which can lead us in green pastures and beside still waters, restoring the soul.

For the privilege of coming to this place of worship and quietness, and the peace to be found in companionship with Thee, and for all that our spirits can do and be and become, we thank Thee. Even more deeply, today, we thank Thee for fellowship. We lift in Thy presence the remembrance of our friends. In our imaginations again we see their faces, in our minds we think their names. For their comfort in time of our trouble and their stability in time of our confession, guidance when we were bewildered, inspiration when we were downcast, gracing our lives with beauty and assurance, we thank Thee.

Thanks be to Thee for that wide circle of friends from all generations whom we have not seen in the flesh, but have met in the spirit. For the interior fellowship of great souls through whom thou hast blesses the world --- prophets, apostles, Pilgrims, discoverers of truth and designers of beauty --- who, as soon as we are born begin to be our friends with whom we can walk in ennobling fellowship, thanks be to Thee.

We think with gratitude of our families. Thou seest how deeply our care for loved ones lies in our hearts, and how dear to us are the faces that our imaginations picture and our spirits love. O God, be merciful as we pray for our families, for the love that sustains them, for the children that come and go and grow, for all the ties of affection and memory and hope that make our homes beautiful.

Thanks be to Thee for the fellowship of the church. Imperfect people though we be, building imperfect churches, yet our gratitude ascends to Thee for the ministry of Thy church in our lives, bringing rich heritage and inspiration to lift our common lives to elevations else impossible. For the great tradition of Thy Gospel and the faithful testimony of Thy saints, we thank Thee.

We lift in our petition those who need help from more than earthly friendship. For those torn by temptation, oppressed by anxiety, downhearted with bereavement, disillusioned or disappointed, whose words of gratitude my be stayed upon their lips in this season --- we pray Thee for them. Grant some beams of generous grace upon them, some ray of sunshine to lift and warm their hearts, some restoring hope out of their affliction.

So do Thou minister to us in our worship beyond the power of our lips to ask. Be Thou our God according to our need. Send us forth from this place enabled to say with confidence, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.