Who your Heavy?

John 12:20-22

When reading an article do you look for the story line, the object, or subject of the story, I do, and in doing so do we miss many treasures the writer has placed in the story?  Never has this been more true to me than this morning as I was looking for the deeper truths, and read right past verses 20-22, “Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”  (John 12:20-22 ESV)  First, I noticed that these Greeks were going to worship with the Jews and so they were converted to the Jewish faith, but they were still gentiles and looked down on by the Jewish people.  They did not have access to Jesus, so they went to Philip and what does Philip do, he goes to Andrew, not Peter, not John, no he goes to Andrew.  And that should make one wonder, why Andrew?  Maybe because he was the brother to Peter, and the gospel of John 1:35-41, gives the account of Andrew being a follower of John the Baptist.  And John the Baptist looked at Jesus as he walked by them and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” And the two who were with John follow Jesus, one of them was Andrew, and the next day he found his brother Simon Peter and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.”  Could it be that Philip believed Andrew was a little more connected with Jesus than he was, and we do have Mark’s gospel that gives some support of that theory; “And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:2-4)

All of the facts from above more than likely played into Philip getting Andrew to go with him but what came to my mind is that Philip was a lot like you and me.  Could it be that he was not sure if Jesus would listen to him, but thought if I bring a heavy like Andrew, then my odds go way up.  We have all done this, a need comes into our life, it may be a sickness of a wife or husband, a child, or your own sickness and we run to the pastor.  Now we know that pastor’s have the ear of Jesus more than anyone, I sure hope you do not believe that statement!  Yes, too often I believe that the ground at the cross is not level, that Jesus will listen to my pastor or some other person of position before listing to my request, but what is needed is to believe that God is a Promise keeper, for that is what Scripture tells us over and over, and one such is Romans 4:20-21, in the account of Abraham.  “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”  So as His child what promises have you lost faith in, has He not promised;  “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  (John 15:7)  We are told in Hebrews, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice