Give them something to eat!
Samuel Caraballo
SUMMARY: In Luke 9:12-17, Jesus feeds more than 5000 people with just five loaves and two fish. This miracle shows that Jesus' ministry was not just about meeting spiritual needs, but also bodily needs. As Christians, we are called to follow this example and help mitigate the basic needs of our neighbors, such as providing adequate food, housing, health, and education. Even if we feel like we only have a little to offer, Christ can multiply our efforts to make a significant impact. We are called to proclaim a comprehensive gospel that meets all aspects of people's lives.
More than 5000 men without counting the women and children: It was already getting dark and the disciples, probably motivated by their fatigue and hunger, advised Jesus to dispatch the crowd that followed him. For the disciples, the task of feeding and sheltering the crowds fell on the shoulders of others: "let them go to the surrounding villages and fields, and lodge and find food" (Luke 9:12). “Give them something to eat!” - exclaimed Jesus. I imagine the faces of the disciples filled with astonishment. At the end of the story, five loaves and two fish were enough to feed them all to satiety. However, this miraculous feeding should lead us to reflect on the breadth of Christ's call to the lives of all his disciples.
Ironically, the Gospel of Luke places this narrative shortly after the disciples were commissioned by Jesus to preach the good news and heal the sick, (Luke 9:16). Judging by the urgency in dispatching the followers, the disciples seem to have thought that Jesus' ministry consisted only of alleviating the "spiritual hunger" of the multitudes. However, Jesus' commitment to his flock was much more encompassing. Letting people go without eating, in the middle of a desolate place and about to get dark, would have been an act of abandonment. Jesus understood this and took on the responsibility of also providing for the bodily needs of his sheep.
These details help us understand that Christ's commission to our lives goes beyond meeting the spiritual needs of our neighbors. Today, "give them something to eat!" it is the challenge that Jesus Christ throws at his church in the 21st century. Faced with a global economic crisis where millions of people live in extreme poverty, we Christians cannot relegate the task of helping to mitigate the basic needs of our neighbor to “other” institutions. Along with the work of preaching the gospel, we have also been called to positively affect the formative areas of the human being such as adequate food, appropriate housing, equitable health and excellent education. In us dwells the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to meet all kinds of needs in our communities, whether spiritual and / or material.
Perhaps you think that what you have on hand is the equivalent of five loaves and two fish. However, what seems tiny in your hands is more than enough for Christ to unleash his power in your community. "Give them something to eat!" it is a call to unite our skills and resources to bless the needy in all aspects of their lives. Today there are many Christians and congregations that have taken on the task of accompanying their sermons and exhortations to the downcast with a good plate of hot food, or with clean clothes or accommodation. But we still have so many areas to impact in our communities. God is looking for people committed to the proclamation of a comprehensive gospel. It is up to us to offer what we have and Christ is in charge of multiplying it to the full. Therefore, let us feed him!
Ironically, the Gospel of Luke places this narrative shortly after the disciples were commissioned by Jesus to preach the good news and heal the sick, (Luke 9:16). Judging by the urgency in dispatching the followers, the disciples seem to have thought that Jesus' ministry consisted only of alleviating the "spiritual hunger" of the multitudes. However, Jesus' commitment to his flock was much more encompassing. Letting people go without eating, in the middle of a desolate place and about to get dark, would have been an act of abandonment. Jesus understood this and took on the responsibility of also providing for the bodily needs of his sheep.
These details help us understand that Christ's commission to our lives goes beyond meeting the spiritual needs of our neighbors. Today, "give them something to eat!" it is the challenge that Jesus Christ throws at his church in the 21st century. Faced with a global economic crisis where millions of people live in extreme poverty, we Christians cannot relegate the task of helping to mitigate the basic needs of our neighbor to “other” institutions. Along with the work of preaching the gospel, we have also been called to positively affect the formative areas of the human being such as adequate food, appropriate housing, equitable health and excellent education. In us dwells the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to meet all kinds of needs in our communities, whether spiritual and / or material.
Perhaps you think that what you have on hand is the equivalent of five loaves and two fish. However, what seems tiny in your hands is more than enough for Christ to unleash his power in your community. "Give them something to eat!" it is a call to unite our skills and resources to bless the needy in all aspects of their lives. Today there are many Christians and congregations that have taken on the task of accompanying their sermons and exhortations to the downcast with a good plate of hot food, or with clean clothes or accommodation. But we still have so many areas to impact in our communities. God is looking for people committed to the proclamation of a comprehensive gospel. It is up to us to offer what we have and Christ is in charge of multiplying it to the full. Therefore, let us feed him!
