Currently we are reading a book about the Twelve Disciples. I must admit that I haven’t really paid much attention to these men from a literary point of view. That is to say that I don’t know much about the character of Andrew, the relationship Peter had with other Disciples, etc. So the book we are reading is quite interesting to me. Inasmuch as Peter is the one who is always talking and answering questions, Andrew is much more subdued. I am beginning to really appreciate the latter. I think the key aspect of Andrew is that he is always pointing people to Jesus. He is always bringing them to the Messiah, not necessarily answering questions on Jesus’ behalf. The author of this book points out that perhaps Andrew should be given more consideration on Church leadership, for that very reason. Instead of answering questions on his own (like Peter), Andrew is a great role model in that he humbly takes people to the true leader.
Another thing I am learning is the importance of the Old Testament as a “New Testament believer.” I say this because I was reading Luke 17. It is recorded in this chapter that Jesus was engaged in another discussion with the Pharisees, and is beckoning a lot of Old Testament stories that the Pharisees knew quite well. I often wonder how much I am missing from the Gospel because I don’t have that supreme understanding of the Old Testament that many of Jesus’ listeners had? All that to say that I am taking the Old Testament more seriously than I used to, and would encourage you to do the same.
