“What are you looking for?” Jesus asked them. “We would like to know where you are staying.” They saw where he was staying and stayed with him. Today’s Gospel reading recounts the evangelist John’s account of the calling of Jesus’ first disciples. According to John, this was the first action that Jesus performed following his baptism by his cousin the Baptist in the river Jordan. As it turned out, the event of the baptism was of central importance to Jesus’ mission. Not only was Jesus “unveiled” and presented to the world as God’s Son, but as the Holy Spirit descended upon him, a new chapter was opened in Jesus’ life. From then onwards, no longer was Jesus going to retreat to the comfort of his Nazareth home. He had received the seal of approval from the Father, and there was not time to waste. It was time to fully immerse himself in ministry.
Even as Jesus hoisted himself into the ship of ministry, he was perhaps also planning on how to recruit those who were going to be his companions. He had probably seen from the Baptist how useful it was to have disciple-companions in this business into which he was venturing. And so when Andrew and the unnamed disciple approached him with all the indications that they wanted to “shift” allegiance from the Baptist to him, he did not prevent them. They were not only bringing with them some much needed “work experience,” they were “referred” by none other than John the Baptist himself. The Baptist knew the two would be beneficial to Jesus. But just to make sure that they were on the same page, Jesus asked them what it was that they wanted from him. Whether Jesus’ question had caught them off-guard, or whether it was their way of telling Jesus that they were ready to follow him, their response to Jesus was a simple request: “We would like to know where you are staying.”
Andrew and the unnamed disciple had all the reasons to want to know the place Jesus called home. They were not delusional into wanting to know where Jesus was “hanging out.” After all, an individual’s abode speaks volumes about him/her. If they were to heed their master’s command (look, there is the lamb of God) and follow this new Rabbi Jesus, it was only right that they got to know something about him (they must have been aware of the false rabbis who were prevalent at the time). Jesus seemed to like the idea, and he let them have their wish. “Come and see,” he told them.
This short conversation that took place between Jesus and his first two disciples is what discipleship is all about. Discipleship begins with “hearing” about Jesus (evangelization). Andrew and his buddy heard about Jesus from the Baptist’s testimony (cf. John 1:19-34). It was probably easy for them to warm up to Jesus because the Baptist’s preparatory teaching had been about Jesus. And so when Jesus finally appeared and the Baptist told them that he was the one he had been talking about, it was easy for them to accept him. However, they still needed to know more about him. They had to form a personal relationship with him. And it was to this end that they suggested he begins by letting them into his life by telling them “where he was born and raised up.”
The second phase of discipleship is wanting to know more about Jesus. This is a personal initiative that follows a successful “evangelization.” Hearing about Jesus from others should make one both inquisitive and curious. Andrew and his buddy must have been grateful to the Baptist for the much he shared with them about Jesus. But they felt that it was not enough. They had to learn about Jesus “first-hand.” Their knowledge of Jesus had to come from experience. This can only come by “hanging out” with Jesus. They had to know the likes and dislikes of Jesus, so to speak. They had to know what makes Jesus tick. And this leads to the third phase of discipleship: “hanging out with Jesus.”
Jesus allowed Andrew and his buddy to accompany him (essentially making them his disciples/followers). He must have observed from the Baptist the benefit of having close associates in a line of work such as his. In order for his mission of preaching the message of God to succeed, he needed partners. Andrew and his buddy provided him with the perfect opportunity to recruit his first partners in ministry. While some of the group who later joined Jesus did so at the invitation of Jesus, they nonetheless had to “be with” Jesus in order to learn from him and to know more about the mission. When we look back at that group of Jesus’ initial companions and marvel at the success they had in doing ministry, we realize that it was possible because of the personal relationship they formed with Jesus. May our discipleship be founded upon a personal relationship with Jesus. May our personal relationship with Jesus result from our personal knowledge of Jesus. And like the initial disciples of Jesus, may our knowledge of, and relationship with Jesus transform us into successful partners of Jesus.