Humility
Perhaps it’s an incidental detail, but Andrew’s name means ‘manly’. That caught my attention, because the New Testament radically redefined what masculinity meant in the cultural setting in which the Early Church was born. The Romans didn’t see humility as a strength, viewing it as a trait that only slaves should show. Rather they saw the ruthless warrior, dominant over lesser, weaker mortals, as the model of perfect manhood. Scholars of Roman culture talk about ‘the manliness of war’: in their thinking, the best person was the greatest fighter, the victor. The church came to that culture, and challenged it, with its Christ-centred teaching on serving, gentleness, putting others first, and yes, humility. Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not on a horse, which was the chosen transport of warrior-kings. The church redefined healthy masculinity in its call to treat wives and children with honour and respect – in Roman thinking, they were objects owned by the man. Andrew served, thought of others and, as we’ve seen, didn’t need to be seen as first in line or a winner.
Pray for Christian men – that they will be shaped by God’s model and heart for them, and not by the cultural demands that seek to form them into something different from God’s design.