Don't send your neighbour away when he is in need

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

18^th Week – Sunday

Gospel – Matthew 14: 13-21

 

Don't send your neighbour away when he is in need

1) Sending away attitude of the Disciples

• The disciples of Jesus came and said to him “The hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves”
• Disciples wanted to send away those people who were hungry. They did not think about helping them in whatever way it was possible

Sending away would mean

• Escaping from the responsibility
• Not showing any kind of care and concern to the crowds
• Not taking any risk to those people who are really in need
• There is no real belongingness and friendly approach
• Not ready to involve oneself in the difficulties of the people
• Not ready to share the sources when it was really needed

2) They need not go away attitude of Jesus - A Friend in need is a Friend indeed

• Jesus didn't want to send the people away who were hungry. He thought sending those people away hungry would be dangerous and they may collapse on the way
• He was concerned about those people and that is why he thought of helping them in whatever way it was possible. In other words Jesus helped those people when it was most urgent and necessary.
• He was ready to remain with those people than to escape from the responsibility
• This attitude of Jesus also shows that He is concerned about the crowds and he is ready to take some risk in helping them

3) Helping the needy is equal to helping Jesus Himself

• ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^[a] you did it to me” Matthew 25:40
•  Helping a person who is in need is a great quality and virtue. That is why Jesus says that when we help a needy Brother/Sister we help to Jesus himself.
• A person, who can understand the need of another person and shows the willingness to help him, is a real follower of Jesus. Such a person can really understand the agony and need of every one

4) Jesus never sent a person away who is really in need

• In the Gospel we have many instances where varieties of people approach Jesus in their agony, sickness, problems, crisis, and those who were desperate and dying. In none of the cases Jesus sends them away without helping them. Whatever may be the situation and whoever may be the person without any discrimination Jesus goes out of the way to help them person who were really in need.
• In fact Jesus calls those persons who are really in need of some help “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. Jesus is in no way sends the people away rather He all the times ready to welcome them and to help them.
• All those who came in touch with Jesus went back with sufficient help and Jesus always went out of the way to help them in their need. This is what we call as humanity.

5) By extending the helping hand there wasn’t scarcity rather there was surplus

• In fact the disciples had five loaves and two fish. But they were not willing to share. But when Jesus said that they have to help the needy crowd they offered whatever they had
• Earlier they might have thought that they will lose whatever they have by giving them.
• But the reality is that by sharing things won’t become less, rather they are doubled  
• The amount of people who ate with the five loaves and two fish and finally they were able to collect 12 baskets full of broken pieces
• What is the size of five loaves and two fish and the 12 baskets full of broken pieces after having fed five thousand people?

6) With Jesus little is abundance

• For Jesus five loaves and two fish were sufficient to feed the five thousand people. With Jesus little or great amount is one and the same.
• For disciples five loaves and two fish were noting. For Jesus that was everything and He was able to work miracle with that

7) Am I ready to help others?

• Do I follow the example of the Disciples or
• Am I ready to follow my master’s way of life?
• When I am ready to share a little; God works great miracle in my life. This is the reality of life
• So let’s follow our master in helping others. When there is a genuine need we have the duty to help. This is the real spirit of Christianity.
• By sharing little let us look for a great miracle by Jesus in our life

 God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones.

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore