安得烈幫助耶穌 Andrew Helping Jesus

約翰福音六章1至11節

你有沒有留意經文中怎樣描述安得烈？說他是「西門彼得的兄弟」。他可能經常這樣被人稱呼，他的名字只出現在前三卷福音書；約翰福音則三次提到他，每次都是記述他把人帶到耶穌面前。
活在他人陰影下容易嗎？兄弟彼得處處出色，並與雅各、約翰同成為耶穌最親密的三位門徒。安得烈只是十二門徒中的一個；然而，他卻從沒有妒忌或爭競的表現。他就像我們教會中，許多默默無聲事奉，卻是每個教會骨幹的信徒。我們真要為他們感謝神。
時近傍晚，群眾開始躁動不安、肚子飢餓。部分門徒覺得要有所行動，但他們惟一的建議，就是打發群眾離開。腓力（他是會計嗎?）努力算出，單是給群眾每人吃一口，也所費不菲。安得烈則周圍觀察，看看能找到甚麼。
不消多久，他引著一個小孩子來到耶穌跟前，那小孩帶了少量食物。雖然安得烈也猶豫那麼少能起甚麼作用，然而，他想到或許耶穌用得著它。安得烈未必有很強的信心，可是，正如我們呈獻給主的東西一樣，安德烈交給耶穌的任何東西，耶穌都樂於接納並使用。我們可以猜想，當小孩子聽見基督為他那點兒食物向神謝恩時，究竟有何感想呢？安得烈那天幫了耶穌的忙。當腓力在計算花費，其他門徒在站著質疑，安得烈卻作出行動。你有沒有被邀請幫忙，或看到你的教會最近有需要完成的工作呢？你可以像安得烈幫助耶穌那樣，出一分力嗎？只要有神的祝福，雖微薄也必作用巨大。


Did you notice how Andrew is described in our reading? "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother." That is how he was often referred to. Only his name appears in the first three Gospels. It is John who mentioned him three times, and on each occasion he was bringing someone to Jesus.
Is it easy to live in someone's shadow? Brother Peter was always the prominent one. He became one of the three closest to Jesus, together with James and John. Andrew was just one of the total group, but he never showed any jealousy or rivalry. He was like many in our churches who are willing to work unseen by others but who are the backbone of every church. Thank God for Andrews.
It was near evening when the crowd began to be restless and hungry. Some of the disciples thought something should be done but the only suggestion they had was to send them all away. Philip (was he an accountant?) tried to work out what it would cost to just give each person even a mouthful. Andrew went scouting around to see what he could find.
He came back in a few moments with a boy who had a small package of food. Andrew was hesitant about offering it but he thought that somehow Jesus could do something with it. Andrew's faith might not have been very strong, but like everything we offer Christ, He was willing to accept and use what Andrew brought. We wonder what the boy's thoughts were when he heard Christ giving thanks to God for his small lunch?
Andrew helped Christ that day. While Philip calculated and others stood and questioned, Andrew acted. Have you been asked or have you seen recently some task in your church that needs to be done? Can you be the Andrew who helps Christ in that way? Little is much when God is in it!