Free Food

 

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, 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.  If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so.  They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.  The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present....

Mark 8:1-8 

Jesus fed the hungry.  He did not criticize them for not packing a lunch or bringing money to buy food, He just fed them all.  

Today, in the United States free food pantries follow this example.  They require little from people who come for food.  Some have a few rules, but in general no one is turned away empty handed.  

There are critics that argue that some people do not look poor enough to need help.  They fail to understand that the purpose of food pantries is to feed hungry people just like Jesus did when he fed the 4000.

As Christians, one of our goals is to make people's lives better, and feeding the hungry does this.  So, when we are asked to donate to the local food pantry, we can do so knowing we are following Jesus' example.