Contemplative Bible Reading

John 6:8-9 (New International Version)

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

These verses come from John’s account of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Andrew brings a small amount of food, sees the five thousand people, and asks a question that any sane, rational, logical person would ask. How far will they go?

Andrew could see the physical. He could count people and weigh food. At this time, he could not see what was unseen; he could not see what Jesus could do with a few biscuits and sardines. He was putting limits on Jesus’ power.

Do we do the same? Do I look at a person and size them up? Do I decide what that person is worth, what they can do, where they can go?

I am afraid I do and I am afraid I don’t do it well.