8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

— John 6:8-9

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

41He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

42 Andrew brought him to Jesus…

— John 1:40-42a

12 In these days He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God.

13 And when day came, He called His disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles…

— Luke 6:12-13

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

The grace of Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

Jesus’ disciple Andrew is often spotlighted bringing someone to Jesus in John’s Gospel. Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to meet Jesus. Andrew led a group of Greeks to Jesus before His crucifixion. This time, facing a great crowd needing to eat, Andrew brought to Jesus a boy with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. Instead of considering Jesus’ unlimited power, Andres focused on the inadequacy of resources. The food the boy had is a meager lunch for himself. It certainly is an insufficient meal for a burgeoning crowd. Hopelessly, Andrew asks, “How far will they go among many?”

Andrew and the other disciples of Jesus, had witnessed Jesus performing many miracles, such as turning water into wine, healing countless sick people, enabling a lame man to stand and walk. But now they saw only a problem that seemed too big for Jesus to handle. Undaunted, Jesus persistently developed the faith of the men He had chosen as apostles to change the world. Jesus’ disciples had much to learn. In grace He continually revealed that He could be trusted completely with every need. Today in His grace and in all our situations and needs, let’s also exercise our faith to trust and obey Jesus Christ. He is our God and Provider with rich mercy and steadfast love.