MATTHEW 25:31-35, 37, 40 “When the SON OF MAN comes in HIS glory, and all the angels with HIM, HE will sit on HIS throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before HIM, and HE will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. HE will put the sheep on HIS right and the goats on HIS left. Then the KING will say to those on HIS right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by MY FATHER; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink….’ Then the righteous will answer HIM, ‘LORD, when did we see YOU hungry and feed YOU, or thirsty and give YOU something to drink....’ “The KING will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers [or sisters] of MINE, you did for ME. [New International translation]
Summary: The teachings of JESUS make it clear that we have a duty to feed the hungry. The verses in Matthew chapter 25 emphasize that our sense of duty to feed the hungry should have the same weight as if we were feeding JESUS HIMSELF.
Imagine JESUS coming to your house for Thanksgiving dinner. Think of all the preparation. Image all the planning you would put into the meal. No doubt you would shop at the best stores. Serve the highest quality food you could find. No amount would be too much to spend.
Now consider how campaigns to feed the hungry actually occur in our cities, our churches and communities. When we donate food for the hungry, do we donate the best goods in our pantries or just the unwanted and older goods? Do we bring food “fit for a KING” or just grab “something.” Do we spend more time over the food we feed pets than over the donated food we provide our hungry neighbors, living in tents, on the sidewalks or in shelters, in need?
JESUS commands that we treat the hungry the way we would treat HIM.
The Hungry
Hunger is still a problem in America. According to Feed America statistics:
- In 2014, 46.5 million, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors lived in food insecure households.
- One in seven Americans turned to the Feeding America network for help.
- The medium monthly income for Feed America network clients is about $927 a month.
- Many people facing food insecurity are forced to make the tradeoff of food verses medical care.
- Many food banks, including Feed America, are offering diabetes appropriate foods, education, blood pressure monitoring and referrals to primary care physicians.
- A 2014 study ‘Spotlight on Senior Health: Adverse Health Outcomes of Food Insecure Older Americans, found that food insecure seniors consume fewer key nutrients than do food secure seniors. Food insecure seniors were also more likely to develop adverse health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart problems, than their counterparts.
- According to data from Hunger in America 2014, there are approximately 6.7 million youth, ages 10 through 19, amount the 46.5 million individuals who receive assistance from the Feeding America network each year.
See, www.FeedingAmerica.org.
Hunger is a worldwide problem. According to The World Food Programme:
- Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead an active life. That’s about one in nine people on earth.
- The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest prevalence (percentage of population) of hunger. One person in four there is undernourished.
- Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year.
- One out of six children -- roughly 100 million -- in developing countries is underweight.
See, https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats; Sources: State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO, 2015, Global health Observatory, WHO, 2012 and Series on Maternal and Child Nutrition, The Lancet, 2013
The war on hunger in America and worldwide has not been won.
Hunger and Nutrition
One of the things we have to be mindful of when feeding anyone, including ourselves, is the difference between foods that merely fill the body and foods that provide good nutrition. Having plenty to eat can take away hunger but still leave you malnourished if you do not eat the right food---that is food that provides the body with the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
So as we eat, as we serve food and respond to the needs of the hungry among us, as CHRIST instructed, let us think how we are treating ourselves and others. Think about the “quality” of the food we eat, give and serve. Is it fresh? Is it “real food?” Let us ask the “bottom line” question that Matthew chapter 25 suggest we ask: Would give it to JESUS? If not, why give it to someone else or eat it ourselves?
In the days ahead, as we physically and spiritually prepare for the holidays, let us pray that we all be obedient to GOD’s commands.
GOD bless and BE BLESSED!
