Sunday Shorts: Enough to Eat

John 6:12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” (NIV)

            I like what Jesus does here – He provides food for hungry people and doesn’t let anything left over get wasted. He is declaring with this miracle that food is a human right, so hunger is something that should not happen to anyone in our world.

            In recent years, the need for Food Banks has increased all over the world. In Appalachia, parents and grandparents are struggling to provide enough food for the children in their families. Across the world in war zones like the Ukraine and Gaza, food deprivation is being used as a weapon by inhumane leaders. And wherever natural disasters occur, as well as famine, millions of people try to survive on meager food resources. If Jesus were around today, how may loaves and fish would He have to break and share to provide more than enough for everybody on this planet?

            Sadly, there are also ‘Christian’ political leaders who want to halt hungry schoolchildren getting free meals or punish those kids whose parents haven’t paid their expected food bills. I wonder what those leaders would do if their own free political breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were taken away from them? I wonder how they would react if they realized that Jesus gave the example of providing enough food, and more besides, for those who were hungry? To deprive children of their basic nutritional needs is to harm them, something which Jesus said would be severely punished by God to those who caused harm to any little ones.

            So, what can we do to help? Support our local food banks and pantries, community ministries and charities that focus on providing food and water to those in need. We can also support the great work of the World Central Kitchen with a monthly gift which ensures food being provided, cooked, and distributed to people all over the globe. It’s a remarkable organization and one which Christ Himself would have supported to ensure others have enough to eat and that nothing is wasted.

Point to ponder: As a follower of Christ, which food ministries do I support?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You showed the example of how to help others in need of food. You did this several times for thousands of people, initiating food ministry events that included sharing Your Gospel. You provided for those who were hungry; help us to do the same whenever and wherever we can. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ministry devotion: A Tale of Two People - James 5:13

James 5:13     Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

            Yesterday morning, I was supposed to attend our quarterly Presbytery meeting which was being held at our beautiful John Knox Center. It’s always a delightful place to visit because of the wonderful scenery which surrounds the campground. However, God had other plans.

            As I was driving down the Interstate, I saw two people walking along the shoulder. Both of them were wilting under the tremendous heat of the sun. I thought that one of them was a woman and she seemed to be carrying all of her belongings in a rag bundle. After passing them, because I was in a hurry to get to Presbytery, I couldn't get the image out of my mind.

            I took the next exit and doubled back. By this time, they had stopped walking and were sitting on the metal railing in the shade. I eventually came around their way again and stopped the car on the shoulder beside them. They were relieved that someone had actually stopped.

            They hadn't eaten anything hot in two days. They were both unwashed, sunburned, and suffering from exhaustion. They had been on the road for four days and still had another six days journey ahead of them. They were heading to Arkansas but hoped to reach Nashville that day, whereas I was heading to the camp just a couple of miles up the road. As my exit came up, I decided to take them to get them breakfast and then drive them to Nashville.

            After they had eaten, I told them to go to sleep in the back of the car if they needed it. Within minutes, they were sleeping like babies. Nashville was almost a three hour drive and they slept all of the way until we reached the outskirts of the city. We stopped for coffee and lunch. I then took them to one of the biggest churches in the city, which has a large benevolence ministry. I knew that they would be well looked after. Today, they may be on a Greyhound bus traveling home. It my fervent hope and prayer that they get home quickly and safely to be with their families.

            As I drove back to Knoxville, I wondered if it had been a wasted day. I could have spent it at the Center enjoying the scenery and getting involved with a few theological tussles that us ministers like to provoke and participate in. And then I remembered the smiles on their faces when I stopped the car, as well as the laughter that we shared over lunch.

The day was not wasted; it was totally blessed.

Questions for personal reflection

What are my plans for today? Am I willing to let God’s plans change those of my own?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, help us in Church World to become part of the Real World. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Emmaus Window.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/13905769187_8b7a246e57_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: Making Jesus Angry - Mark 3 v 5

Mark 3:5              Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Injustice mixed with religious hypocrisy was the one thing that caused Jesus to get angry.  His Spirit could not abide heartless people who used their faith as a shield to stop them from being charitable or generous. Religious rules and traditions were meant to make people better, but instead they used them as spiritual tax loopholes to circumnavigate the needs of the poor and to block out the cries of the oppressed.

That’s why He got angry in His hometown synagogue. A man with a withered hand, which may have been a form of polio, was in need of a miracle. The pious congregation, especially the clergy, were not looking for Jesus to heal the man. Instead, they were like spiritual vultures waiting to see if Christ would break the Sabbath by working the miracle. They were more concerned about their religious rules than they were for the needs of the sick man. The cripple was being used as a guinea pig to feed the fanaticism of the ‘faithful;’ and this is what angered Jesus.

I’ve read some reports and heard some broadcasters say that we’ve done enough for Haiti over the years with our tax dollars. I even read a statement by a politician who compared giving welfare to the poor to the feeding of stray animals. All I can say to them is this: Christ tells us that the poor will always be with us and we have to do for them whatever we can. Our tax dollars may have helped the people of Haiti in the past, but it’s our charitable dollars that need to do the work now. If we fail to help provide for the least, then as Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels, we fail to help Him.

As Christians we need to do more than just sit on the sidelines, expecting someone else to give or help. We have to be amongst the first responders in charitable giving and second responders in sustaining the missions that help the poor at home and abroad. If we do this, then both justice and faith will be perfectly combined, just as Jesus did when He actually healed the man’s hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, You made us Christians not just for ourselves, but for the sake and welfare of the world. Help us to follow Your compassionate heart and do whatever we can to relieve the suffering of the poor, at home and abroad. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, pleases end him an e-mail to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.