A friend of mine was telling me how she had been thinking about names for baby boys lately because her daughter was expecting her first child. She said that she was surprised to find that the names of seven of the disciples are still in the top 100 for most popular male baby names in the US.
The name “James” leads the way at #19. One of our disciples for today “Andrew” comes in at #40. And “Philip” is in the top 300 names at the place of #295. The influence of the disciples is still seen in the way we name our children. How else have the disciples Andrew and Philip changed our world? How can their lives change us?
Most of the stories about Andrew and Philip are found in the Gospel of John. They were fishermen from Bethsaida, a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They stand out in the group of disciples because they both had Greek names, not Hebrew ones.
At some point in his life, Andrew had left his home and had traveled down to the Judean wilderness and had become a follower of John the Baptist. Through John's introduction, Andrew has encountered Jesus. Andrew spends a day with Jesus and decides that he will follow him- he is the first disciple to make that decision.
The next thing that Andrew does is to go and find his brother, another fisherman who we will know as Peter. Andrew tells him the exciting news: “We have found the Messiah.”
Philip also has traveled to the region where John the Baptist is preaching. Jesus notices Philip and invites him to come and learn and be his disciple. Philip in turn encourages his friend Nathaniel who we discovered a few weeks ago probably also went by the name, “Bartholomew,” to “come and see” all that Jesus is doing.
Both Andrew and Philip were actively seeking God; they had left their daily routine of fishing in order for their faith to grow. Jesus recognized their spiritual longing and included them on his team.
Descriptive words for these two disciples are “seeking and sharing.” Andrew told his brother about Jesus and Philip told his friend.
Two disciples now have become four disciples. What they had received they also wanted to share.
Pope Benedict wrote a book about the disciples a few years ago. In it he says this about Philip: “This apostle encourages us to become closely acquainted with Jesus.”
We can't pass on our exact faith experience to someone else, but we can encourage them to get to know and to love our friend Jesus. We can plant the seed and we can open the door.
Philip and Andrew continued to introduce people to Jesus. In the Gospel story for today, Jesus was facing the dilemma of feeding many hungry people. A large crowd had gathered to hear his teaching and now it was late in the day. People had become hungry and needed to be fed.
It was Andrew who brought the boy with his lunch of fish and bread to Jesus. He helped make a connection between the child and Jesus. Andrew was not sure where that action would lead; after all there were thousands of people to feed, and the boy's lunch was small. Andrew enabled the boy to give of himself.
On another occasion, there were Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus. The crowd was large but Philip and Andrew made a way for this to happen. They introduced these outsiders to Jesus.
Even though Andrew and Philip introduced others to Jesus, they themselves did not have all the answers. They questioned and grappled with their faith. We do not have to have all the answers in order to help someone else become closer to God.
When Jesus asked Philip how they were they going to feed so many, Philip thought the answer was way beyond their resources. When Andrew looked at the boy's small lunch, he didn't see how that could possibly be adequate. Like Andrew and Philip, we want to walk by faith and yet our doubts naturally arise. Will our resources be adequate? We offer up what we have and we trust that God will work through our efforts.
In Leonardo di Vinci's painting, you will find Andrew on the left side of Jesus seated near to his brother Peter. Andrew has his hands with palms out as if he is pushing away Jesus’ words that someone at that very table will betray him. On the opposite side we have Philip who is in the threesome with James and Thomas.
Philip's hands are clutched tightly at his chest as if he is saying “Not me, Lord, not me.”Andrew and Philip have known Jesus for the longest time of all the disciples and the painting shows their dismay vividly.
The book of Acts gives us the impression that the disciples shared the Gospel with others, but we don't get many details about who went where except for Peter and Paul. Through the centuries, stories were told to fill in the gaps of the apostles' adventures.
For Andrew and Philip, there are many extra-Biblical stories and traditions about them, especially within Orthodox churches. They are portrayed as people with great passion to fulfill their mission: to let others know about Jesus Christ.
Andrew and Philip did not travel together in these stories but took separate routes. Andrew is said to have gone on various missionary trips within the Black Sea area that included Russia, Bulgaria, Romania with his life ending in Greece. Philip is portrayed as going to Turkey and dying there.
There are legends of them bravely speaking out against wrong and fighting against cannibals and snakes and horrendous storms at sea. They are both said to have died by the hands of rulers who were upset that their wives had become Christian through the preaching of Andrew and of Philip.
Andrew is said to have died on an X shaped cross which is known today as St. Andrew's cross which is the visual on the flag of Scotland. How did Andrew who was a first century Galilean fisherman ever become related to Scotland? For those of you familiar with golf courses, no, he wasn't a pro golfer....
There are a variety of stories of how some of his bones were taken to Scotland from Greece and how these relics brought victory in a Scottish battle. Through this, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland.
Some traditions say that Philip was also martyred for his faith by being hung upside down on a cross. The emphasis in both these legends is that Andrew and Philip both chose to die in a different manner than Jesus himself.
The disciple Philip was in the international news within the last ten years with this headline: “Philip's Grave Discovered.” At excavations in Turkey, at the traditional place of his death, archaeologist believed that they had uncovered the remains of the ancient church built over his burial place. Isn't it amazing that the interest in his life continues 2,000 years later!
Ukraine is in the midst of internal strife and dominates our news stories today. The Ukraine is a land with a long history of Christian faith and their traditions link them to the apostle Andrew. There are claims that he first brought them the Gospel on one of his journeys in the Black Sea area.
Seeking and sharing, questioning and striving for more faith, obeying Jesus' instruction to go and tell: this is how Andrew and Philip followed Jesus. In the Scriptures, these disciples are remembered by just a few stories.
What stands out in your life? If your years of faith had to be described by one story, what would it be?
One legend of Andrew is that he had such eyes of compassion that he saw something of Jesus in everyone. Once he thought the captain of the ship was Christ himself and that is why they sped across the waters, and arrived safely at their destination. Another time Andrew thought the peddler on the docks was Jesus and so he treated him with great kindness.
In my own life, there are stories that I would not want to be remembered by. And I have not been chased by lions, or shipwrecked at sea, or have preached to thousands. But I hope that along the way I have shared some love of Christ, and because of that, someone has wanted to know more about him. What story would you want to be remembered by?
There is a prayer that honors what Andrew and Philip did. It reads “O God, give us grace to follow Jesus without delay and to bring those near to us into his kingdom.”
May that prayer be seen in each of our lives.
The Disciples of Jesus: Andrew & Phillip
Sermon Discussion Questions
John 6:1-14
March 15, 2020
We are spending the season of Lent focusing on the twelve disciples of Jesus. On this Sunday, we look at Andrew and Phillip. They are the only disciples who have Greek names rather than Hebrew names and they were both fishermen from Bethsaida located near the Sea of Galilee.
Interesting Information about Andrew: 1) He was the first disciple of Jesus. 2) Andrew is known as the first “evangelist” by introducing Jesus to his brother, Simon (Peter.) 3) In our Gospel reading for this Sunday, Andrew is who introduced Jesus to a boy who had fives loaves and two fish which lead to the feeding of the 5,000. 4) Andrew, along with Phillip helped some Greeks (non-Jewish people) to meet Jesus.
Interesting Information about Phillip: 1) Invited Nathaniel (Bartholomew) to meet Jesus. Like Andrew, he is known as someone who wanted people to meet Jesus. 2) Phillip was also part of the feeding of the 5,000 story with Andrew. Phillip had told Jesus that not even a half a year’s wages would be enough to feed everybody.
Both Andrew and Phillip were disciples who were willing to seek and share their faith with others.
In what ways have you shared your faith with others? In what ways are you willing to seek a deeper faith?
Church tradition (post-bible) reveals that Andrew traveled to areas around the Black Sea to share his faith with others. It is said that Andrew brought the faith to the people of Ukraine along his missionary journey. Andrew was martyred in Greece. His bones were taken to Scotland where he is known as their patron saint. He was crucified on an “X” shaped cross which is known today as St. Andrew’s Cross. Tradition tells us that Phillip as going to Turkey and being killed for his faith. It is said that both Andrew and Phillip were killed because the wives of the rulers became Christian because of their preaching. More recently, excavators in Turkey discovered what they believe to be the church that had been built over the spot where Phillip was buried.
In The Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, Andrew is on the left side of Jesus near his brother, Peter. Andrew has his hands in the air in surprise that Jesus said that someone would betray him. Phillip is on the opposite side as part of a grouping of three with the disciples, James and Thomas.
Who are the people in your life who have been like Andrew and Phillip and introduced you to Jesus?
Say this simple prayer which is a traditional prayer in honor of the disciples, Andrew and Phillip: “O God, give us grace to follow Jesus without delay and to bring those near to us into his kingdom. Amen.”
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