One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “we have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Andrew followed Jesus. But before he headed to the place where Jesus was staying, he found his brother Simon. “We have found the Messiah,” he said, and his brother came to see.
Andrew invited, Simon came, but Jesus took over the show. “I know who you are,” he essentially told Simon, “and I know who you will become.”
This isn’t a formula. Jesus can meet each of us in an individual way, and how he met Simon might be different from how he meets you or me. But I’m struck by the fact that Andrew didn’t do any convincing. He found the Messiah, he gave an invitation, and then he stepped to the side. Jesus was his own proof to Simon. Andrew’s explanations would have only been in the way.
The ones in our lives we deeply want to bring to Jesus? We don’t have to make the connection for them. We extend invitation, or we live invitation, then we step aside to let Jesus do his thing. He knows who they are, he knows who they will become, and he can speak to them by name.
To think I once thought the burden rested on me!
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