Topic: Feed The Hungry [October 3, 2016]
Text: Mark 8:1-9
Key Verse: “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat” (Mark 8:2).
From available records, about 13 percent of the world’s population is hungry. That is, about 925 million people go undernourished daily, consuming less than the recommended 2, 100 calories a day. Although the world produces enough food to feed all 7 billion people who live in it, those who go hungry either do not have land to grow food or money to purchase it.
Therefore, hunger kills more people then AIDS, malaria or tuberculosis put together. In our text, a crowd came from far and near to the wilderness to hear Christ preach the Word. Having spent three days with Him, they were hungry. Jesus had compassion on them and arranged for their feeding by a miraculous multiplication of bread and fishes, ignoring His disciples’ advised to send them away to get food for themselves since they may not have enough to feed them all. Like Christ’s disciples, we often see problems and impossibilities when ministering to people.
Sometimes, we say in our hearts, and sometimes with our voices, “Send the people away”, “There’s not enough money”, or “There aren’t enough teachers for the youth or children programmes; send them away”. All around us in the entire world, there are people who are physically in need – hungry, physically disabled, oppressed, lonely, grieving, scared, etc. Our duty as Christ’s followers is to have compassion on them as our Master had.
This compassion can be cultivated by simply meditating on their plight. We cannot claim to be Christians when we see the agonies and pains people go through and remain unmoved towards them. Such a stance will amount to walking at cross-purposes with the compassionate deportment of the Saviour.
Thought for the day: Brighten the corner where you are with Christlike compassion.
Bible Reading in one Year: Hebrews 5-9
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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