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IF JESUS LIVED TODAY HOW WOULD HE HANDLE CHARITY?
(Delivered: 10-6-02)
(Mark 6:31-44)

In a cartoon a little boy is holding some coins in his hand
talking to two of the disciples. He says, "Yeah! Normally I do
carry 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish, but today my mom gave me
some money to buy a hot lunch."

This story about Jesus using a child's lunch to feed 5000 people
is well known. One evening, after a long day of teaching and
healing, the crowds didn't want to leave. Jesus tried to get
away to eat and rest, but the people followed. Finally, "He
said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and
rest a while.' (For there were many people coming and going,
and they did not even have time to eat.) And they went away in
the boat to a lonely place by themselves. And the people saw
them going, and many recognized them, and they ran there
together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of
them. And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and He
felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a
shepherd; and He began to teach them many things" (Mark
6:31-34).

The disciples were aggravated, but Jesus couldn't say, "No" to
hurting people. "And when it was already quite late, His
disciples came up to Him and {began} saying, "The place is
desolate and it is already quite late; send them away so that
they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and
buy themselves something to eat. But He answered and said to
them, 'You give them something to eat!' And they said to Him,
'Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give
them something to eat?' " (Mark 6:35-37).

The disciples were being realistic, but Jesus tried to find a
way to fill the need. He began by taking inventory of their
resources. "He said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go
look!' And when they found out, they said, 'Five and two fish.'
" (Mark 6:38).

After taking an inventory of their resources he began to
organize the chaotic situation. "He commanded them all to
recline by groups on the green grass. And they reclined in
companies of hundreds and of fifties" Mark 6:39-40).

Next, Jesus prayed and began to feed the people. "And He took
the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven,
He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them
to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two
fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied."
(Mark 6:41-42).

Jesus wasn't finished. He saved what was left. "They picked up
twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.
And there were five thousand men who ate the loaves" (Mark
6:43-44).

Matthew relates a similar incident. "Jesus called his disciples
to him and said, 'I have compassion for these people; they have
already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do
not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the
way.' His disciples answered, 'Where could we get enough bread
in this remote place to feed such a crowd?' 'How many loaves do
you have?' Jesus asked. ' Seven,' they replied ' and a few
small fish.' He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then
he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given
thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they
in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken
pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was
four thousand, besides women and children" (Matt.15:32-38).

John adds the detail about the source of the food. It was a
little child who shared his lunch. "Another of his disciples,
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 'Here is a boy with
five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will
they go among so many?' " (John 6:8).

Why do you suppose Jesus responded to this event as he did?
What lessons can we learn from this incident? What point did he
make about charity?

I. FIRST, JESUS HAD EMPATHY FOR HUMAN NEEDS.

Jesus didn't go around handing out meals on a regular basis; but
in this case, through no fault of their own, the people were
hungry. It wasn't because of laziness or poor money management.
They had stayed and listened to Jesus in an isolated place until
it was too late to go home or into town for food. There was a
real human need. John later expressed it this way: "Whoever has
the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes
his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
(I John 3:17).

II. NEXT, JESUS USED WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.

It's significant that he didn't turn stones into bread. He
didn't pray for "manna to come down from heaven." We never see
him waving magic wands to produce miracles. Instead, he allowed
the people to be part of the solution. A child shared and the
disciples served. The Bible never promises something from
nothing. Solomon said, "He who gathers crops in summer is a
wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son"
(Prov. 10:5).

"The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul
of the diligent is made fat" (Prov. 13:4).

III. FINALLY, JESUS AVOIDED WASTE.

Some people have an, "easy come-easy go" mentality; but that's
not good stewardship. One of the worst consequences of a
wealthy society is the idea that small things don't matter. As
Americans we throw out more than many nations possess. Each of
us has a limited amount of time, energy and physical resources.
We must use them well. Jesus conserved every bit of the
leftovers. The disciples picked up the "broken pieces."

Even in the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus indicated that
wasting his money was one of the young man's most regrettable
sins. The Scripture says, "Not long after that, the younger son
got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild living" (Luke 15:13)

Solomon said, "He who works his land will have abundant food,
But the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty"
(Prov. 28:19).
Now, what if this were today?

Would Jesus run a permanent soup kitchen? Would he throw a big
Bar BQ for the homeless? Would he vote for more food stamps?

Well, it's a different world now. Food is more readily
available. There are many agencies set up to feed the hungry
both here and abroad. We don't know for sure what Jesus would
do if he lived in America today instead of in Palestine 2000
years ago; but he would still try to fill people's needs.

1. FIRST, JESUS WOULD STILL HAVE EMPATHY FOR OTHERS.

Over and over the Scriptures say he had compassion for the
people. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
shepherd" (Matt. 9:36).

He felt the pain of those oppressed and confused and ill men and
women who came to him for help. Once, when Bishop Desmond Tutu,
winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, was asked by one of the
other Bishops what we could do in the world to promote peace.
He gazed into the distance for a moment, then answered in a
quiet voice, "You must care."

That was Jesus' trademark: He cared.

2. NEXT, JESUS WOULD STILL USE AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

He wouldn't turn stones into bread during his temptation; and he
never did such things during his ministry. On another occasion,
when his own disciples were hungry on the Sabbath, he didn't
create miraculous manna. They simply picked the wheat. "At that
time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His
disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and
eat them." (Matt. 12:1).
So, today, we should use what we have. There are so many
agricultural opportunities in America that no one should be
hungry. The old saying is so true: "Give a man a fish and he'll
eat today; but teach him to fish and he'll eat every day."

3. FINALLY, JESUS WOULD STILL BE SENSIBLE AND FRUGAL.

He wouldn't waste money or food. He instructed his disciples to
carefully gather up the leftovers. We don't know if they used
them, or sent them home with the people, but they were certainly
not left to rot.

In a nation of plenty, frugality is often neglected and even
ridiculed; but Jesus was frugal. He owned few possessions. He
summed up his lifestyle when some men wanted to follow him, by
saying "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matt. 8:20).

So, we should be careful with our resources. People should
learn how to make do and stretch their food dollars.

Now, if we're to take the Gospel seriously, what does this mean
for us?

Remember the Scripture says, "Whoever claims to live in him must
walk as Jesus did" (I John 2:6).

If Jesus lived today he would still try to meet people's needs.
He was realistic and practical. His brother James probably
reflected Jesus' philosophy when he wrote: "Suppose a brother or
sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to
him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does
nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James
2:15-16). A church leader wrote:

"I was hungry

and you formed a benevolence club; and discussed my hunger.

Thank you.

I was imprisoned

and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and
prayed for my release.

I was naked

and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was sick

and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless

and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of
God.

I was lonely

and you left me alone to go to church.

You seem so holy; so close to God.

But I'm still very hungry and lonely and cold.

So where have your prayers gone?

What have they done?"

What does it profit a man to repeat his prayers and sing his
hymns when the rest of the world is crying for help? We must
care and we must share; but we must not do it in a way that
encourages people to remain helpless. Charity is harmful unless
it enables the recipient to become more independent.

There's a successful business man in New York City who stands on
a street corner every winter and gives away gloves to people who
have none. When someone asked him why he did that, he
explained, "It is because there was a time many years ago when I
was very poor and could not afford to buy a pair. I remember
how cold my hands got and how much I envied people who had
gloves."

Our needs should sensitize us to others who have needs. A
person who has known hunger can identify with another who has
gone without food. A prisoner knows what it is for another to
lose his freedom. A person who has been very ill understands
how lonely and depressing it can be for another to be
hospitalized or shut-in.

The problem is that most of us forget. This man remembered.

Do you have empathy for other people? Jesus did!

Do you share the abilities and resources you have? Jesus did!

Are you cautious and frugal and careful to avoid waste? Jesus
was.

Sir Walter Scott said, "Mankind would perish if people ceased to
aid each other. We can't exist without mutual help."

****
(Word Count 2023)

These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted
by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in
any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that
you give credit for original material in published works.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other
people's sermons. When I started preaching 55 years ago, I
waited for "inspiration" before I began my sermon preparation
(usually Saturday night, about midnight). Then, I discovered it
wasn't inspiration at all-it was sheer PANIC. I would have
welcomed this service.

Comments are always welcome. (Please indicate if you do not want
your comments to appear in New Perspectives).

Miles E. Wesner