Have you ever gone to a restaurant and asked the staff there what dish they recommend? Sometimes this intimate knowledge of the menu can open up opportunities to try a new dish you would otherwise have ignored or been reluctant to try.
Or have you ever had a friend recommend an author or a film or a new place to you? Based on your trust in that person’s judgment, have you followed their recommendation and been pleasantly delighted to discover a new friend you might otherwise have ignored? This has happened to me so many times and it remains a source of unexpected joy to find new allies in exploring life…
Recommendations are only really helpful if you trust the person making them and that person knows you, for the things recommended can be highly personal and tastes vary enormously. It is not that there is anything wrong with some authors or films or places, but they may not be to our taste, and disappointment will come when recommendations fail to deliver the promise they suggest. However, the joy that results from recommendations which delight and which open for us new vistas cannot really be underestimated!
I have been meditating on John 1:35-51 for most of this year and I see this as one of the classic descriptions of evangelism that is accessible to us all. People who met Jesus essentially recommended Him to others: to their family, friends and acquaintances. Andrew, one of the first people to follow Jesus, told Peter: ‘the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.”‘ (John 1:41) Later, Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ (John 1:45) Nathanael’s response was sceptical, but Philip’s reply was ‘Come and see.’ (John 1:46)
Essentially, evangelism involves recommending Jesus to people around us. We cannot force them to accept Him: salvation is a spiritual work of the Holy Spirit and will involve their response to God’s personal invitation. But our role is to recommend Jesus, for we know that in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:3) Just as many of our friends’ recommendations to us enrich our lives beyond words, this ultimate recommendation will lead to other people’s joy and salvation. Let’s not be shy in recommending Jesus!