Matthew 20:20 28
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In this scripture we can read the story of how the mother of James and John approached Jesus with a request. She asked for her sons to be accorded places of honor in Jesus’ kingdom, that they might sit on his right and his left hand. Jesus said (to the brothers) that they didn’t know what they were asking. Were they able to drink of the cup that Jesus himself was about to drink? They proclaimed themselves able. Jesus agreed that they would drink of it, but that he could not grant their request. Such a thing was only for God to give.
Both Mark and Matthew make it clear in the long run that the brothers were responsible for what happened. In fact, when Mark tells the story, he doesn’t even mention the mother. And Jesus identified them as the originators of the scheme because he addressed them alone. "Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?"
The other disciples were angry with the brothers.
Anger could have come from many sources.
Some may have been angry because this broke their sense of community. When some people want to be more important than others in the group, true community is lost.
Then again, some of the disciples may have been jealous, wondering if Jesus might actually give James and John favored status. Some may have wished they had thought of it first.
Whatever the motives and feelings on either side, the reputation of James and John’s mother has been mixed. She is sometimes dismissed and barely noticed by the scholars. Or she may be dismissed as though she was just like a “stage mother” or a “sports father,” i.e. seeking to succeed through her sons.
Her name is usually not given. She is mostly known in the Bible in two ways--as the mother of James and John and elsewhere she is known as the wife of Zebedee. But Mark does give her name as Salome. Some scholars believe (from John 19:25) that she was a sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary. Other scholars do not agree. If she was Jesus’ aunt (which makes James & John his cousins), the gospel writers did not consider this necessary to specifically mention. Either it was so well known the information was considered redundant, or it was viewed as unimportant.
Salome’s husband, Zebedee, was a fishermen. There may have been some partnership with the brothers Peter and Andrew. Zebedee ran a business large enough to employ not only his sons, but servants as well, at least in the busy season. He was probably not wealthy. However, he seems to have been fairly prosperous.
James and John were working in their boat mending their nets when Jesus saw them. Mark tells us how Jesus called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
What is not recorded at the time of the call, but only mentioned later in passing, is that the wife of Zebedee also left her daily activities and traveled with Jesus through the countryside of Judea. We have no way of knowing whether her discipleship was before or after her sons decided to follow Jesus. She was one of a group of women who contributed financially to the traveling ministry of Jesus. Most people think of Jesus going about Palestine with the twelve men that we know as his disciples. But there was actually a much larger group of men and women (at times at least seventy), who were also disciples. The twelve were those chosen for special education and leadership roles. The fact that both brothers, James and John, were chosen, would seem to indicate a talented and dedicated family trend.
Zebedee seems to have remained behind. We are not told that he made any objection to his family's decision to follow Jesus, although some scholars speculate he may have done so. Such an episode, it is suggested, may have included some "thunderous" arguments. Jesus called James and John "the sons of thunder." Scholars are undecided on whether the "thunder" referred to Zebedee or to the volatile nature of his sons.
So, the wife of Zebedee was a follower of Jesus. We can speculate, a little, about her personality. She was a brave and courageous disciple. She apparently didn't hold grudges. Jesus was more important to her than personal feelings.
This can be speculated about her because we also know she was one of the few disciples who stood it out at Golgotha. She was one of the women who watched and grieved and remained faithful to the end.
It seems possible that the wife of Zebedee was the spiritual force in that household, the formative influence on her sons. We can speculate this because of how her sons reacted and by the faith of the mother herself.
Salome is probably remembered best (and somewhat negatively) for the time she asked Jesus to honor her sons. But she also stood at the cross. This involved considerable risk. She was also one of the women who went to the tomb and first heard the news of the resurrection.
Salome stepped out of the traditional role for women, embracing religious life in a way that her society did not see as necessarily appropriate for her gender. Jesus himself did not appear to care or concern himself about the restrictions placed on women.
What can you imagine Salome told her sons about those hours at the cross?
How does human ideas of honor and status fit with the Christian life?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 17, 2010 - Joseph of Arimathea
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This is posting one day early.
Joseph of Arimathea is not a completely “unsung” hero of the Bible. He is respected by Christians, and is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. In the West his feast day is – today - March 17! It is July 31 in the East.
All four gospel stories tell us that Joseph of Arimathea is the one who donated his personal tomb for the burial of Jesus after the crucifixion.
Matthew describes Joseph as a rich man (Matthew 27:57). This is further demonstrated by the fact that he had his own tomb. Note that he also had enough social standing to get a hearing with Pilate, the Roman procurator. Matthew 27:57 and Luke 23:50. He was from the town of Arimathea. The location of this town is not known for certain.
Luke and Mark tell us that Joseph was a member of the council. Mark says he was a respected member. Luke adds the detail that he had not agreed to the council’s plan and behavior regarding Jesus. Luke further notes that he was good and righteous, a man waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. Matthew tells us that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus. John also states this, but says his discipleship was in secret. But at the time of Jesus’ death, the gospel story tells us that he went boldly to Pilate so he could request the body of Jesus. The Catholic Encyclopedia presents the believable scenario that Joseph’s faith and love were “quickened” by the crucifixion, along with the courage of Nicodemus.
Some commentators have wanted to suggest that Joseph was only concerned about ritual purity, i.e. leaving the body unburied over the Sabbath. Since, however, he did not show the same interest in the bodies of the two thieves, and as he laid the body of Jesus in his own tomb, it is hard to support any supposition except that Joseph was paying an individual and heartfelt respect for Jesus himself. One scholar says that in a sense, Joseph was bringing Jesus into his own family.
Once Pilate was satisfied that Jesus was indeed dead, he gave permission. Joseph purchased fine linens, according to Mark, and went to Golgotha to bring Jesus down from the cross. Nicodemus, another somewhat secret follower of Jesus, assisted him. They applied myrrh and aloes to the body. The tomb was new and had never been used (and wouldn’t be used long this time, as it turned out!). It had been cut out of rock.
Some scholars believe that it could have been Joseph who provided the details of Jesus’ trial and other deliberations of the council. If so, it would appear that he was modest and did not over-burden the account with the story of his own protests.
It seem significant also that Joseph, though wealthy, did not send others to take care of Jesus’ body. He took care of it himself.
During the middle ages, Joseph became connected by Arthurian legends to the Holy Grail and to Britain. The manuscripts from earlier centuries do not attribute the conversion of Britain too him, but later Arthurian works say he traveled to Britain and became the first Christian bishop there.
The Gospel of Nicodemus, which is appended to the “Acts of Pilate” gives non-scriptural additions to the story. In it, the members of the council were angry at Joseph for burying the body of Jesus. He in turn was angry with them because they had not repented for what they had done. Then they imprisoned him, whereupon he had a vision of Jesus appearing to him. Other legends, in addition to the Grail and the earlier conversion of Britain, include Joseph setting his walking stick on the ground as he slept. It miraculously took root, leafed out and blossomed as the “Glastonbury thorn.” The same story is told of the Anglo-Saxon saint Etheldreda. Another legend claims that Joseph was Jesus’ mother’s uncle. That he was a tin merchant (connected with Britain because of its tin mines), that he had taken Jesus to Britain as a boy, etc.
These, again, are all legends that collected around the person of Joseph of Arimathea. The gospel stories are honor enough.
In what ways can we follow in Joseph of Arimathea’s footsteps?
Joseph of Arimathea showed courage in going to Pilate. What aspects of Christian living require our courage today?
This is posting one day early.
Joseph of Arimathea is not a completely “unsung” hero of the Bible. He is respected by Christians, and is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. In the West his feast day is – today - March 17! It is July 31 in the East.
All four gospel stories tell us that Joseph of Arimathea is the one who donated his personal tomb for the burial of Jesus after the crucifixion.
Matthew describes Joseph as a rich man (Matthew 27:57). This is further demonstrated by the fact that he had his own tomb. Note that he also had enough social standing to get a hearing with Pilate, the Roman procurator. Matthew 27:57 and Luke 23:50. He was from the town of Arimathea. The location of this town is not known for certain.
Luke and Mark tell us that Joseph was a member of the council. Mark says he was a respected member. Luke adds the detail that he had not agreed to the council’s plan and behavior regarding Jesus. Luke further notes that he was good and righteous, a man waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. Matthew tells us that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus. John also states this, but says his discipleship was in secret. But at the time of Jesus’ death, the gospel story tells us that he went boldly to Pilate so he could request the body of Jesus. The Catholic Encyclopedia presents the believable scenario that Joseph’s faith and love were “quickened” by the crucifixion, along with the courage of Nicodemus.
Some commentators have wanted to suggest that Joseph was only concerned about ritual purity, i.e. leaving the body unburied over the Sabbath. Since, however, he did not show the same interest in the bodies of the two thieves, and as he laid the body of Jesus in his own tomb, it is hard to support any supposition except that Joseph was paying an individual and heartfelt respect for Jesus himself. One scholar says that in a sense, Joseph was bringing Jesus into his own family.
Once Pilate was satisfied that Jesus was indeed dead, he gave permission. Joseph purchased fine linens, according to Mark, and went to Golgotha to bring Jesus down from the cross. Nicodemus, another somewhat secret follower of Jesus, assisted him. They applied myrrh and aloes to the body. The tomb was new and had never been used (and wouldn’t be used long this time, as it turned out!). It had been cut out of rock.
Some scholars believe that it could have been Joseph who provided the details of Jesus’ trial and other deliberations of the council. If so, it would appear that he was modest and did not over-burden the account with the story of his own protests.
It seem significant also that Joseph, though wealthy, did not send others to take care of Jesus’ body. He took care of it himself.
During the middle ages, Joseph became connected by Arthurian legends to the Holy Grail and to Britain. The manuscripts from earlier centuries do not attribute the conversion of Britain too him, but later Arthurian works say he traveled to Britain and became the first Christian bishop there.
The Gospel of Nicodemus, which is appended to the “Acts of Pilate” gives non-scriptural additions to the story. In it, the members of the council were angry at Joseph for burying the body of Jesus. He in turn was angry with them because they had not repented for what they had done. Then they imprisoned him, whereupon he had a vision of Jesus appearing to him. Other legends, in addition to the Grail and the earlier conversion of Britain, include Joseph setting his walking stick on the ground as he slept. It miraculously took root, leafed out and blossomed as the “Glastonbury thorn.” The same story is told of the Anglo-Saxon saint Etheldreda. Another legend claims that Joseph was Jesus’ mother’s uncle. That he was a tin merchant (connected with Britain because of its tin mines), that he had taken Jesus to Britain as a boy, etc.
These, again, are all legends that collected around the person of Joseph of Arimathea. The gospel stories are honor enough.
In what ways can we follow in Joseph of Arimathea’s footsteps?
Joseph of Arimathea showed courage in going to Pilate. What aspects of Christian living require our courage today?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
March 10, 2010 - Ananias
Bible Study – 03-10-2010 Read: Acts 9:10-19
There is much known about certain people in the Bible, little known about others. Yet, there are people for whom the brief details of what we know are sufficient for us to admire them.
One example is Ananias. (There are two men of that name known in the book of Acts. The subject of this study is the one mentioned second. That is, he is not the Ananias who was the husband of Sapphira, both of whom are remembered for lying, rather than being known for qualities we would admire.)
We know very little about the man Ananias. One tradition says he was a shoemaker, but there are no facts to back up the tradition.
He lived in Damascus. Scholars think he could have moved there because of the persecutions in Jerusalem against the Christians.
Ananias is mentioned only twice in the Bible, in connection with the same event. He was involved with the conversion of St. Paul, originally known by his Hebrew name of Saul.
Paul, in telling the story, says that Ananias was a good man, who was devout and respected by the Jewish community. If you are not going to have very much remembered about you, that's still a fine summary of your life.
There are a few things we can probably surmise about Ananias from the story.
He may have been a quiet man. He didn’t see himself as especially courageous, which was why he may have left Jerusalem to escape persecution.
We often admire the daring folk, the ones who practically seemed to embrace the Roman arena and the lions and the gladiators. But there were other Christians who were good and devout and who just wanted to live the best they could and walk in the path that Jesus taught. So they stayed out of the way of the persecutors and kept hold of their faith in Jesus.
Glorifying the martyrs too much was even a bit of a problem in the early church. Some early church leaders felt they had to warn Christians not to seek for martyrdom. The church needed those who got caught and wouldn’t recant, and it needed those who taught and witnessed and loved and served and lived.
Ananias was one of these who survived and served. We are never told, at least, that he was ever martyred. If he ever was martyred, it wasn’t because he was someone who rushed headlong into danger. There are few traditions about him and what there are only developed much later. So it seems safe to say he was a quiet, unassuming man, cautious yet devout.
The Christians in Damascus had likely heard that Saul was on the way.
Saul was a fearsome opponent of the Christians. He was extremely intelligent, very organized, exceptionally efficient, overwhelmingly energetic for the things in which he believed. That’s a dangerous combination to face in an enemy.
Some of the Christians in Damascus had almost certainly escaped from Jerusalem because of Paul’s persecutions, so they were familiar with him and his tactics. It was not good news to hear that he was headed their way.
Then Ananias hears the voice of Jesus in a vision. This tells us that he was a spiritual man who was open to hearing God speak.
He heard Jesus saying that he should go and help Saul. This was obviously a frightening proposition, so, in a sense, he told Jesus about Saul and what kind of man he was. This may be interpreted as a statement that he would rather not do what Jesus was asking.
But Jesus again said, "Go."
Ananias got up and went. This also tells us that he was a spiritual man who sincerely wanted to do what God asked of him. He may have been afraid, but his love for Jesus must have given him courage.
Ananias found things as it had been explained to him. He went to the street called Straight. He entered the house and found his enemy, and he called his enemy his brother. In a sermon, Paul later gave a fuller version of what Ananias said to him that day.
After helping him regain his sight, Ananias told him, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice, for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name."
As a young man, Paul had seen the Christian, Stephen, forgiving those who were killing him. Now, blind, probably scared, still a proud and forceful man, he encountered another Christian. Paul had been out to persecute people like Ananias. Yet this man still came to him and called him brother. The “shoemaker” must have been a powerful introduction to the Christian faith.
To read another presentation about Paul and Ananias, go to the following:
www.gbgm-umc.org/dellville/sermons/sm2001april29.htm
This is a page at the website General Board of Global Missions of the United Methodist Church.
What are the qualities that make Ananias a Christian hero? (Think in terms of an epitaph, or writing an obituary about him, what would a Christian writer say?)
What influence do you imagine that Ananias had upon Paul?
There is much known about certain people in the Bible, little known about others. Yet, there are people for whom the brief details of what we know are sufficient for us to admire them.
One example is Ananias. (There are two men of that name known in the book of Acts. The subject of this study is the one mentioned second. That is, he is not the Ananias who was the husband of Sapphira, both of whom are remembered for lying, rather than being known for qualities we would admire.)
We know very little about the man Ananias. One tradition says he was a shoemaker, but there are no facts to back up the tradition.
He lived in Damascus. Scholars think he could have moved there because of the persecutions in Jerusalem against the Christians.
Ananias is mentioned only twice in the Bible, in connection with the same event. He was involved with the conversion of St. Paul, originally known by his Hebrew name of Saul.
Paul, in telling the story, says that Ananias was a good man, who was devout and respected by the Jewish community. If you are not going to have very much remembered about you, that's still a fine summary of your life.
There are a few things we can probably surmise about Ananias from the story.
He may have been a quiet man. He didn’t see himself as especially courageous, which was why he may have left Jerusalem to escape persecution.
We often admire the daring folk, the ones who practically seemed to embrace the Roman arena and the lions and the gladiators. But there were other Christians who were good and devout and who just wanted to live the best they could and walk in the path that Jesus taught. So they stayed out of the way of the persecutors and kept hold of their faith in Jesus.
Glorifying the martyrs too much was even a bit of a problem in the early church. Some early church leaders felt they had to warn Christians not to seek for martyrdom. The church needed those who got caught and wouldn’t recant, and it needed those who taught and witnessed and loved and served and lived.
Ananias was one of these who survived and served. We are never told, at least, that he was ever martyred. If he ever was martyred, it wasn’t because he was someone who rushed headlong into danger. There are few traditions about him and what there are only developed much later. So it seems safe to say he was a quiet, unassuming man, cautious yet devout.
The Christians in Damascus had likely heard that Saul was on the way.
Saul was a fearsome opponent of the Christians. He was extremely intelligent, very organized, exceptionally efficient, overwhelmingly energetic for the things in which he believed. That’s a dangerous combination to face in an enemy.
Some of the Christians in Damascus had almost certainly escaped from Jerusalem because of Paul’s persecutions, so they were familiar with him and his tactics. It was not good news to hear that he was headed their way.
Then Ananias hears the voice of Jesus in a vision. This tells us that he was a spiritual man who was open to hearing God speak.
He heard Jesus saying that he should go and help Saul. This was obviously a frightening proposition, so, in a sense, he told Jesus about Saul and what kind of man he was. This may be interpreted as a statement that he would rather not do what Jesus was asking.
But Jesus again said, "Go."
Ananias got up and went. This also tells us that he was a spiritual man who sincerely wanted to do what God asked of him. He may have been afraid, but his love for Jesus must have given him courage.
Ananias found things as it had been explained to him. He went to the street called Straight. He entered the house and found his enemy, and he called his enemy his brother. In a sermon, Paul later gave a fuller version of what Ananias said to him that day.
After helping him regain his sight, Ananias told him, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice, for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name."
As a young man, Paul had seen the Christian, Stephen, forgiving those who were killing him. Now, blind, probably scared, still a proud and forceful man, he encountered another Christian. Paul had been out to persecute people like Ananias. Yet this man still came to him and called him brother. The “shoemaker” must have been a powerful introduction to the Christian faith.
To read another presentation about Paul and Ananias, go to the following:
www.gbgm-umc.org/dellville/sermons/sm2001april29.htm
This is a page at the website General Board of Global Missions of the United Methodist Church.
What are the qualities that make Ananias a Christian hero? (Think in terms of an epitaph, or writing an obituary about him, what would a Christian writer say?)
What influence do you imagine that Ananias had upon Paul?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
March 3, 2010 - Philip the Apostle
Philip the Apostle – Some scriptural mentions: John 1:43 John 6:5-7 John 12:20
In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke), Philip is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. We hear more about him in John, who tells us that he is one of the first to be called. After his call, he brings Nathanael to Jesus. This is the occasion when Nathanael asks, in some disbelief, whether anything good can come from Nazareth. Instead of arguing the issue, Philip simply invites him to come and see.
When Jesus was preaching to the multitude and the rest of the disciples were fussing about sending the crowds away to find food, it is Philip who comes forward with a boy who has five loaves and two fish to share.
There must have been something very approachable in Philip, for a number of “Greeks” also came to him to say that they wanted to meet Jesus.
The “Greeks” mentioned here might have been Jewish people who lived in Greece, although the word (in the original manuscripts) that identifies them would seem to indicate that they were Gentile Greeks. It was said that they were in Jerusalem for the festival. This tells us that they were could have been worshippers of God. If they were Gentiles doing this, they were God-fearers, who were Gentile who had been converted to worship of God.
God-fearers - The Israelites who lived outside of the area, then known more or less as Israel, were in population in far greater numbers than those who lived inside Israel. They are sometimes known as Hellenistic Jews or Jews of the Diaspora. They maintained their monotheistic faith, but were more liberal than those who lived in Israel. They were missionary-minded and had witnessed to their faith in God to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles had become convinced that there was only one God. They were attracted by the spiritual and moral nature of the Jewish faith. But they saw no point in the dietary laws and abhorred circumcision, so most could not be considered full converts. The Hellenistic Jews allowed these ‘God-fearers’ to worship with them in the synagogues. This would generally not have been allowed in Israel. It is possible that these Greeks were either Hellenistic Jewish people, or were God-fearers.
It may have helped that Philip is a Greek name. Many Jewish people of that time had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek or otherwise familiar to the Gentile world. If Philip did have a Hebrew name, at some point he obviously had chosen to be known primarily by his Greek name. This could have been a significant fact to the Greeks. Many orthodox Jewish people who lived in Israel would not associate with Gentiles, considering them unclean unless they were fully converted to Judaism, which entailed circumcision (abhorrent to the Roman world), and the dietary laws. Even then, the converts might find acceptance difficult to receive by the Orthodox. But since Philip commonly used his Greek name, they may have felt more comfortable coming to him.
After being approached by the Greeks, Philip brought the news to Andrew (Andrew is also a Greek name), and together they went to tell Jesus.
The fact that Philip was from Bethsaida (The location of this town is not known for certain) is specifically mentioned in connection with the Greeks approaching him.
The fact that the Greeks asked to see Jesus was likely a sign that they were interested in becoming his disciples. Jesus and Andrew were the first to receive the invitation to discipleship directly from Jesus and now they are the ones who are first to hear of non-Jewish interest in him. The response of Jesus was to lay out the difficulties of discipleship, as well as its fruitfulness. This is not a rejection of non-Jewish followers. He did the same on a few other occasions as well. Being a disciple could not be a casual hobby, a brief enthusiasm, or an intellectual pursuit. It takes much more than that, and because it does, it gives more back in fruitfulness and fullness of life.
The stories about Philip show a man who brings people to Jesus. He was approachable and obviously a person that people respected. Although we are not told this specifically, his actions and manner must have shown integrity and faith, or no one would have been interested in Philip as an introduction to Jesus. (It is reminiscent of the missionary who went to a small village in India. He handed out Bibles in their language and lived there a while. Finally he went to one of the village elder and asked whether the people were reading their Bibles. The elder said, ‘no, they are reading you first.’
Philip the Apostle is not the same Philip the Evangelist in the book of Acts. Yet Philip the Apostle is known for bringing people to Jesus, and in living a life that helped interest people in being disciples.
How can Christians today follow in the footsteps of Philip?
In today’s world, what qualities of living would make people more interested in Jesus?
In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke), Philip is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. We hear more about him in John, who tells us that he is one of the first to be called. After his call, he brings Nathanael to Jesus. This is the occasion when Nathanael asks, in some disbelief, whether anything good can come from Nazareth. Instead of arguing the issue, Philip simply invites him to come and see.
When Jesus was preaching to the multitude and the rest of the disciples were fussing about sending the crowds away to find food, it is Philip who comes forward with a boy who has five loaves and two fish to share.
There must have been something very approachable in Philip, for a number of “Greeks” also came to him to say that they wanted to meet Jesus.
The “Greeks” mentioned here might have been Jewish people who lived in Greece, although the word (in the original manuscripts) that identifies them would seem to indicate that they were Gentile Greeks. It was said that they were in Jerusalem for the festival. This tells us that they were could have been worshippers of God. If they were Gentiles doing this, they were God-fearers, who were Gentile who had been converted to worship of God.
God-fearers - The Israelites who lived outside of the area, then known more or less as Israel, were in population in far greater numbers than those who lived inside Israel. They are sometimes known as Hellenistic Jews or Jews of the Diaspora. They maintained their monotheistic faith, but were more liberal than those who lived in Israel. They were missionary-minded and had witnessed to their faith in God to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles had become convinced that there was only one God. They were attracted by the spiritual and moral nature of the Jewish faith. But they saw no point in the dietary laws and abhorred circumcision, so most could not be considered full converts. The Hellenistic Jews allowed these ‘God-fearers’ to worship with them in the synagogues. This would generally not have been allowed in Israel. It is possible that these Greeks were either Hellenistic Jewish people, or were God-fearers.
It may have helped that Philip is a Greek name. Many Jewish people of that time had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek or otherwise familiar to the Gentile world. If Philip did have a Hebrew name, at some point he obviously had chosen to be known primarily by his Greek name. This could have been a significant fact to the Greeks. Many orthodox Jewish people who lived in Israel would not associate with Gentiles, considering them unclean unless they were fully converted to Judaism, which entailed circumcision (abhorrent to the Roman world), and the dietary laws. Even then, the converts might find acceptance difficult to receive by the Orthodox. But since Philip commonly used his Greek name, they may have felt more comfortable coming to him.
After being approached by the Greeks, Philip brought the news to Andrew (Andrew is also a Greek name), and together they went to tell Jesus.
The fact that Philip was from Bethsaida (The location of this town is not known for certain) is specifically mentioned in connection with the Greeks approaching him.
The fact that the Greeks asked to see Jesus was likely a sign that they were interested in becoming his disciples. Jesus and Andrew were the first to receive the invitation to discipleship directly from Jesus and now they are the ones who are first to hear of non-Jewish interest in him. The response of Jesus was to lay out the difficulties of discipleship, as well as its fruitfulness. This is not a rejection of non-Jewish followers. He did the same on a few other occasions as well. Being a disciple could not be a casual hobby, a brief enthusiasm, or an intellectual pursuit. It takes much more than that, and because it does, it gives more back in fruitfulness and fullness of life.
The stories about Philip show a man who brings people to Jesus. He was approachable and obviously a person that people respected. Although we are not told this specifically, his actions and manner must have shown integrity and faith, or no one would have been interested in Philip as an introduction to Jesus. (It is reminiscent of the missionary who went to a small village in India. He handed out Bibles in their language and lived there a while. Finally he went to one of the village elder and asked whether the people were reading their Bibles. The elder said, ‘no, they are reading you first.’
Philip the Apostle is not the same Philip the Evangelist in the book of Acts. Yet Philip the Apostle is known for bringing people to Jesus, and in living a life that helped interest people in being disciples.
How can Christians today follow in the footsteps of Philip?
In today’s world, what qualities of living would make people more interested in Jesus?
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