A new word about the Apostle Andrew of Ukraine

Exclusive. Today we celebrate the memory of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called of Ukraine. He was the brother of Simon Peter and, we hope, another disciple of Christ who will inspire you. Throughout his life, Andrew faced many challenges, but he never forgot his mission. He remained steadfast in his beliefs and continued to preach the Gospel with conviction. His devotion inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps, leading them to a better understanding of their own spiritual path.

He was the first disciple of Jesus Christ, but from the very beginning of his discipleship he was confronted with the dynamics between an older brother and a younger brother. He spent his entire discipleship serving in the shadow of his younger brother, Simon Peter. The New Testament mentions Andrew’s name 12 times—10 times with Simon Peter (and usually as Peter’s brother) and 4 times as part of a list of disciples, but never before is Peter mentioned (Acts 1:13 and Mark 3:16-19). Even the boat they used for fishing was identified as Peter’s boat (Luke 5:3), and John and James are mentioned as Simon’s partners (Luke 5:10).

However, it seems that the two brothers were inseparable companions and close friends (John 1:41, Matthew 4:18). There is no record of Andrew complaining about this turn of events—from being the first disciple to serving as a shadow servant. Despite having to contend with his brother’s high status, Andrew felt quite comfortable playing the role of a thoughtful and humble apostle (John 12:22).

This is because Andriy himself had a great mentor. in the person of John the Baptist, who taught his disciples that a man can receive nothing unless it is given him from heaven (John 3:27). For John had seen the ascension of Jesus Christ and experienced his own fall in glory, yet with joyful faith he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). This is the cry of every true disciple, and Andrew truly lived it. Andrew understood from the first meeting that the Lord Jesus had plans for Simon that were different from his own.

During their acquaintance, and before Simon had said or done anything, the Lord Jesus gave him a new name, Cephas (Peter, rock). Andrew understood that Peter was a creation of God, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that he should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Andrew was a man with a keen understanding of spiritual truth who sought to know God until he had a deep understanding. It should be realized that God chose not to give the same importance to Andrew’s works as to Peter’s. Andrew shows us how to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5) and to be faithful to what has been given to us (Matthew 25:21). He worked quietly and with deep devotion. Saint Andrew humbled himself under the mighty hand of God, expecting that He would be exalted in due time and in due manner (1 Peter 5:6). And so we now pay homage to his discipleship.

Andrew is a Greek name derived from the root word aner or andros, meaning “man.” The name is related to andreia, meaning “courage,” and is most often defined as “manly.” What personality did little Andrew demonstrate at such an early age that his Jewish parents, who lived in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of ​​Galilee, chose a Greek name for him? Nevertheless, Andrew as an adult was certainly a man of courage. When John the Baptist identified Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, Andrew (and an unnamed disciple) had the courage to leave John and follow the Lord (John 1:35–36). And after spending just one day with the Savior, Andrew had the courage to openly identify Him as the Messiah (John 1:41).

Later, as Jesus Christ walked along the Sea of ​​Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew fishing in the lake with a net. He called them to follow Him and become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Andrew had the courage to lead his younger brother to implicit obedience to the Lord and to leave their lucrative business (Mark 1:16-18). Another noteworthy incident occurred when Peter was so consumed with his guilt that he decided to return to fishing (John 21:1-3). Several disciples went with him, but Andrew is not mentioned by name as being present. It is hard to imagine that Andrew would not have been with his brother while fishing. However, only a courageous person would have made such a decision not to follow the man whom the Lord had appointed as the Rock.

Andriy was also the one, who did not hesitate to bring matters and new developments to the attention of the Lord Jesus. When he did not understand something, Andrew had the courage to ask the Lord (Mark 13:3-4), and the Lord was sure to answer. It was this courage to turn to the Lord that glorified him as the One Who introduced (John 1:39-42, John 6:8-9, John 12:20-22). His one-day encounter with the Lord Jesus filled him with the greatest joy in that he was the first to introduce his brother Peter to the Lord (John 1:39-42). When the Lord called the disciples to feed the five thousand people who had gathered to hear Him, Andrew introduced a boy who had five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:8-9). Even when some Greeks asked to see Jesus, it was Andrew who brought them to the Lord. This connection prompted the Lord Jesus to show that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified (John 12:20-23).

Andrew responded very quickly to his calling to be a fisher of men (Matthew 4:18-20). We too are called to continually fulfill this glorious and heavenly calling—to introduce others to the Lord Jesus. We don’t have to be on the same level as Peter or Paul; but we can bring a brother (Peter), a boy, or a Gentile (Greek) to the Lord Jesus. No matter how ordinary we may feel, the Lord Jesus can use us to help others know Him. Saint Andrew is the man who will show us how to do this. Saint Andrew truly lived the saying, “Charity begins at home.”

Immediately after finding Jesus Christ, Andrew realized that he had a task before him. The Savior was worth knowing! He had to share this discovery with others. He was filled with a desire to win someone else for the Lord. The message he bore was urgent. And the first person he thought of and set out to win for Christ was his own brother; so he went in search and found Simon first (John 1:41).

We must also seek and find those who can be brought to the Lord, for they will not find us. All those around us who are without Christ are lost. The most important thing we can do to help them is to find them and introduce them to the One who alone can save them (Acts 4:12). Andrew shows that we are first responsible for the members of our own family circle before we can go after another’s brother. As Saint Paul says, whoever does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8). This task requires much patience, and Andrew was well prepared to do it.

Saint Andrew was a man with strong convictions that enabled him not only to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but also to encourage Peter to become His disciple. Andrew knew his brother well enough to understand that he had to give his testimony to convince him. He had the testimony of John the Baptist, and he had his own testimony. Thus, he bore oral testimony of the Lord and for the Lord as the long-awaited Messiah.

He took the opportunity to proclaim that the Messiah had been found (John 1:41). He was ready and willing to speak of the Lord and for the Lord (Luke 8:39, Mark 5:19, Psalm 50:23). He did not complicate the message. Anyone could understand what he said. He spoke naturally of the Lord as his own Savior. He was confident in his message. He was so sure of what he was saying. He was calm in the confidence of the One with whom he had spent the previous day. He had the wisdom to know how much Simon was also seeking the Messiah (James 1:5). He knew how to reach Simon’s mind to make contact and win him to Christ. And he prevailed because he did not send him to the Lord. He brought Simon to Jesus and introduced him (John 1:42). Andrew facilitated the connection between the Savior and his lost brother. His reward was to be present when this brother, in turn, testified about the Lord and for the Lord (Matthew 16:13-19, Acts 2:14).

Faced with the challenge of feeding the multitude, Philip noted that the money they had would not be enough bread for the people. But Andrew did not complain. He trusted the Lord to offer what was at hand. As a practicing Jew, Andrew knew that one of the miracles of the prophet Elisha was to multiply twenty small barley loaves to feed a crowd of 100 men (2 Kings 4:42–44). He hoped that the Lord Jesus would perform a miracle even more impressive than Elisha’s, feeding thousands with even less.

But Andrew’s ability to know what the boy was carrying says a lot about his character. Andrew had a knack for seeing people, not their problems. He must have already been looking for a solution to this possible problem, spotted the boy in the crowd, and somehow struck up a conversation with him. Imagine how this boy, who had shared a meal with the Lord, must have returned home with his luggage to tell his mother. And the connection between this boy and the Lord Jesus was reestablished by Saint Andrew.

Andrew had the gift of easily finding common ground with people of all kinds—Philip, Simon, James, and John, the boy, the Greeks. Considering that the Lord Jesus was constantly under threat, Andrew must have had a keen eye. Philip trusted him and relayed to him the requests of the Greeks. He could read people to know whom to bring to Jesus. And he was approachable and willing to help others see Jesus. He was the salt that quenched people’s thirst for Jesus (Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50).

Thus, Andrew’s character is characterized by his willingness to be devoted and useful to Christ, no matter how small the task, and his desire to lead people to Him without hesitation. Jesus Christ is at the center of the Gospel and must be seen as the hero of this story, now and always. However, there are things we can learn from the character of His disciples, both good and bad, including the traits that Christ changed for His glory. Andrew is no exception.

The extremely ordinary lives and ordinary pursuits of the disciples were noted. However, it is important to remember that the Savior did not call the disciples for their profession, influence, or qualifications. He called ordinary people by His grace, whom He desired to prepare and equip for the Gospel, showing how “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

As Christians, we expect gifted preachers and outstanding ministers to lead others to Christ. They often do. But as we see through Andrew, people are also and often led to the Savior simply by those they know. Personal transformation and the power of relationships are sometimes as effective, if not more effective, than any sermon or altar call.

In the events leading up to Jesus Christ feeding the five thousand, the disciples focused on the impossible. They saw five thousand mouths to feed and limited resources for all of them. Andrew saw the Savior and the opportunity for a miracle. Where others saw a vast crowd, Andrew saw a little boy with a small gift that could be used in mighty ways. Perhaps he could understand that. Therefore, no gift is too small for Christ to use for His glory.

Although the Gospels portray Andrew in a mostly positive light, it is important to remember that Andrew, like his brother and the rest of the disciples, abandoned the Lord on the night of His arrest and later crucifixion. Given this, no sin or betrayal was too great for Christ to forgive. The same is true for all followers of Christ today. Although Andrew was the first to encounter the God-man, the news of his coming was too good for Andrew to keep secret. He had to tell those he loved about Christ, including his older brother.

Bringing people to the Lord was a trait that Andrew displayed more than once. As the apostle Paul writes, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach good tidings!” (Romans 10:14-15). Andrew seems to have understood this even before the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20). During His earthly ministry, the Savior warned His future disciples: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Like the rest of the apostles, Andrew accepted the price of discipleship and suffered much for the sake of the gospel. After Christ’s ascension to heaven, Andrew became a leader of the early church alongside his brother and the other apostles.

Today, on his feast day, we can reflect on our own calling to follow Jesus Christ and our mission to help others meet the Savior, who also came for them.

Saint Andrew was called by the Greeks for centuries as the protoclete, because he was the first to be called, but in a sense he was also the apostle who became the first to call others. We are not the first called, but just as Saint Andrew was called, so we were called. Christ seeks to make us “fishers of men,” as He made him. The words of Saint Paul are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them to the Romans: “How can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” Christ sends us too—and not to do something against the will, but after it, because once we have accepted Jesus within, we cannot help but share Him. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” St. Paul tells us. When we truly believe in the essence of our being, we cannot refrain from confessing with our mouths.

And that's what Saint Andrew did until the very end of his life. We don't have any of his letters or sermons. But we do have an ancient account of his martyrdom, in which we can see how he died and from there draw conclusions about how he would have lived.

Beloved in Christ, today, remembering the holy Apostle Andrew, whom the Greek people have reverently called the First-Called for centuries, we turn our attention once again to the mystery of the calling. He was the first to hear the voice of the Master, but at the same time the first to lead others to Christ. This is the great power of his example: the one who was called became the one who calls.

You and I are not the first disciples in the line of generations, but each of us is called just as truly as Saint Andrew. The Lord is still searching for hearts ready to respond to Him, and He seeks to make us fishers of men, as He did His apostle. For the word of God is unchangeable, and today it speaks to us just as much through the mouth of Saint Paul: “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Christ sends us also. Not against our will, but according to it, for when the Lord lives in the heart, it is impossible to remain silent.

The Apostle Paul reminds us: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Sincere faith naturally becomes confession. Those who have accepted Christ with their whole being cannot help but testify of Him by their word and life.

Thus lived the heart of Saint Andrew — until his martyrdom on the cross. His letters have not been preserved, his sermons have not reached us, but the ancient testimony of his suffering reveals to us the spirit of courage and loyalty that permeated his entire life. Looking at the death of the righteous man, we understand what his path was: the path of a person who accepted his calling with all his heart and did not renounce it to the end.

In the life of the holy apostle Andrew, we read that he suffered martyrdom on a cross erected in Achaia, in northern Greece. The cross had an oblique shape, and on it the apostle spent thirty-eight hours - two days of continuous suffering. Tradition testifies that during all this time he did not remain silent, proclaiming the Gospel to the people.

The suffering on the cross is not only in pain. A person slowly exhausts himself due to the inability to breathe fully: each breath requires movement of the whole body to open the lungs. When the strength melts, suffocation sets in. Depending on the previous torture, this can last from several hours to several days. Imagine what a superhuman strain it was for Saint Andrew to utter even a word when his body was struggling for every breath. And it was then, on the verge of exhaustion, that he continued to preach about Christ.

The apostle preached the Gospel not only with words, but with his whole life. His two-day stay on the cross became the highest testimony of the Truth he served: the truth for which a person lives to the end and for which he accepts death with unwavering loyalty. The martyrdom of Saint Andrew reveals to us the power of love for Christ - a love that transforms even death into a sermon of Salvation. It is most correct to enter into these sacraments (confession and communion) - daily, here, before the Holy See. For here is revealed before us the very Lamb of God, Who takes upon Himself the sin of the world; The One whom Saint Andrew followed according to the word of Saint John the Baptist. Here we meet the very Lord Jesus, Who at the Last Supper took the bread and the cup, blessed them and revealed to the apostles: "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood of the New Testament." And, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He called them and us to communion with Him, to life in His love and sacrifice.

Saint Andrew not only fulfilled this testament, but also followed his Master all the way to the cross, giving himself completely — in faith, in love, in service.

May this same Lord Jesus strengthen us too: that we may believe in Him with all our hearts, confess Him with our lips, follow Him in our daily lives, and lead others to Him — just as the first-called Andrew, the apostle of our mother Ukraine, did. And may those who meet us on our path see in it the good news and, according to the word of Scripture, be able to say about us in future generations: “Their fame has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the earth.” May the example of the first-called apostle strengthen us on the path of serving Christ.

Abbot Theophanes of Polotsk.