Remembering the least of us

Throughout scripture we find wonderful stories of how God fed His people through a miracle.  

He provided manna and quail for His chosen people after they left captivity in Egypt (Exodus 16: 4-35).  The prophet Elisha fed a hundred men with a few loaves (2Kings 4:42-44), the prophet Isaiah predicted a rich feast from God (Isaiah 25: 6), and Jesus fed the multitudes with a few loaves and fish (Matthew 15: 32-38).  And God has fed us ‘from the beginning’ with the Word, Jesus Christ (John 1: 1-18).

After reading about the people in the gospel of the loaves and fishes in Matthew, I’m feeling a bit short-sighted in my own faith.  These people have been following Jesus for three days, and in that span of time have had nothing to eat.  Their desire to be with Jesus has overcome even their basic desire for food.  They have been walking behind Jesus with reckless abandon, at great personal cost to themselves.  These people must be crazy!  Or are they?

Jesus evidently doesn’t think so.  He says, “I do not want to send them away hungry for I fear they may collapse on the way.”

Perhaps for us this should be reality check.  How much do we desire to follow Jesus?  Do we desire Him enough to seek Him even when we’re hungry?  Busy?  Tired?  Sick?  Streaming our favorite Netflix or YouTube video?  What are we willing to give up in order to follow Jesus?  What kind of things aren’t we willing to give up?

If this story tells us anything, it’s that Jesus will provide for us.  If we’re willing to make sacrifices to go where Jesus may be leading, He won’t forget us, He won’t allow us to perish in pursuit of Him.  Jesus will give us what we need to carry on after Him.  He feeds the crowds out of just seven loaves and two fish.  Imagine what He can do with the very small amount we have to offer.  Our path may not be easy, and will probably be wrought with suffering, but it won’t be in vain.  Jesus will lead us to heaven if we’re willing to follow Him above every other desire.

As we begin our journey through Advent, looking to the celebration of Christmas and the birth of our Lord, consider this: With all of our modern technology, with all of our advancements and with all we have been able to accomplish as a race over the centuries since Christ's birth, we still have those who are hungry each and every day.  They are our neighbors as well as those in the impoverished corners of the world.  They are starving, and really for no practical reason.

There are many of us who never face this situation and never lack for food and clean water.  It is our obligation as Christian servants to feed the poor, give water to the thirsty and clothe the naked.

During this Advent, our period of renewal and waiting, we might want to consider the circumstances of those so desperately in need and to do what we need to do to come to their aid.  

Perhaps you don’t have a lot of wealth and that’s ok; but there is much to be done that does not require money such as serving in a mission kitchen or working in a food pantry.

How about cleaning out your closets and donating the good stuff to the homeless shelters?  Or, like Isaiah, maybe you can "feed the hungry" with the Word of God.  Whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him.