Psalm 103.1-10

2 King.4.1-7

Philippians 4.1-7

Matthew.6.1-14

  The only sign in the four Gospels is that of Jesus feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). Five people are seen in this sign. Philip, Andrew, the boy, the disciples, and the hungry and weary crowd. It is from this incident that a theory of mission and evangelism is formed here. He goes on to preach in detail that the bread that Jesus gives is not just physical hunger, it is the “bread of life”. Jesus is the one who told the tempter that “man does not live by bread alone” when he was tempted to turn the stone into bread after fasting for forty days (Matthew 4:3,4; Dt. 8.3). Therefore, the purpose of this sign was not only to give bread to the hungry. New Testament theologians are of the opinion that the bread of life to the multitude is introduced here. The role of Andrew’s faith in this sign is examined here.

Philip

Philip was said to be the fifth in the list of Jesus’ apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Jesus told Philip to feed the multitude because he was from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44, 12:21). The day after Simon, Andrew’s brother, was brought to Jesus, Jesus told Philip to follow Jesus (John 1:41-43). The first thing that Philip, who followed Jesus from that time, was to lead Nathanael to Jesus: “He who is written in the law, Moses and the prophets, has been found; Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see” (John 1:45-47). However, Jesus knew Philip’s weakness when he performed this sign in John 6. So he was put to the test and asked, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat” (6:5). Because Jesus knew what he was going to do (6:7). Once in Jerusalem some Greeks came to Philip and said they wanted to see Jesus. Philip consulted with Andrew and both informed Jesus about this (John 12:21,22). During the Last Supper, Philip says to Jesus, “Show us the Father and it is enough for us” (John 14:8). Philip’s argument is that two hundred pieces of bread are not enough for everyone to get a little. A penny is a day’s wages (Matthew 20:2). Today a daily wage earner has a salary of Rs. That is, Philip argued that even if he had two lakh (200 x 1000) rupees, it would not be enough. This shows his calculation that two lakh rupees of bread is not enough for everyone to get a little bit. Despite seeing Jesus turn green water into wine (2:1-11) and Philip knowing similar miracles in the Old Testament (Exodus 16; Numbers 11:31,32; 1Kings 17:9-16; 2Kings 4:1-7) Philip looked into their purse. Even today, such Philip can be seen. They may have once brought many to Jesus. But we should learn from Philip that if we live only by looking at our resources, we will fail. Other evangelists say about this: “This place is a desert (deserted land) and the time is late” (Matthew 14:15, Mark 6:34). All these opinions are facts. But they are negative realities. Philip is talking about intellectual things. A life of faith cannot be lived by negative realities, even if they are intellectual realities. There is still much to say negatively today. Objections, adversities, culture of consumerism, mistrust of the new generation, financial crisis – so many. But Andrew is taking over that task from Philip. That is where faith begins.

Andrew

Andrew is the apostle who brought the boy with the five loaves and two fish to Jesus’ attention (John 6:6-9). Like Philip, he was from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44). He was the son of John and the brother of Simon Peter (John 21:15). Matthew and Luke write him second in the list of disciples (Matthew 10:2; Luke 6:14). Mark is written as the fourth (3:18). There is more information about him in the Gospel of John. Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, followed Jesus with another disciple (John 1:36-40). When he realized that Jesus was the Messiah, he brought his own brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:42). As mentioned earlier, it was Andrew who helped Philip to bring the Greeks to Jesus (John 12:20,22). Here the faith of Andreas provides a good lesson. According to Mark 6:38, Jesus himself sent his disciples to look for something to eat. Finally, Andrew is the only one who brings this good news to Jesus. Evangelism requires positive and real faith. Andrew knew that this would not be enough for such a large crowd (John 6:9), but he spoke words of faith. Despite such a simple dish, the creative stance taken by Andrew is commendable here. What he said was kind of stupid, but faith. This kind of faith is essential to evangelism. If you think that you can evangelize with all the facilities, you will never get it again. This is where we are challenged to act like Andrew. Put your resources into Jesus’ hands. It will be praised and blessed and the gospel will spread.  

Prayer

Gracious God, We thank You for the inspiring example of Andrew, whose faith and trust in Your power led him to bring others to Jesus. As we reflect on his unwavering faith, we ask for Your help to cultivate a similar faith in our own lives. Lord, grant us the courage to trust in You fully, even when circumstances seem uncertain. Help us to see opportunities to share Your love and truth with others, just as Andrew did. May our faith be strong and steadfast, leading us to act boldly for Your kingdom. Fill our hearts with the assurance of Your presence and guidance, so that we may be faithful servants, always seeking to bring others closer to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.