| The Secrets of a Beautiful Life |
Chapter 9 |
Page 6 |
The last thing in this story of the feeding of the people was the passing of the broken loaves through the hands of the disciples to the people. Jesus did not distribute them himself. He gives our consecrated gifts back to us, that we may dispense them. He would teach us, for one thing, that we can be our own best almoners. Our money loses sadly in power to do good if we must pass it through a society instead of taking it ourselves to those who need it. If possible, we would better always give it with our own hands, and let our love go with it, in expressions that will be bread for the hunger of those whom we would serve.
“The gift without the giver is bare.”
It is a great responsibility which this truth puts upon Christian people. The bread can reach the hungry only through the hands of the disciples. “Give ye them to eat” is still the word. The perishing world can get the blessings of the gospel of Christ only through us. Here stands the Master with the consecrated bread in his hands, enough for all. Yonder is the multitude, with countless needs and hungers. But between Christ and the people is the human ministry. “He gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples, to the multitude.” Suppose the disciples had eaten of the bread themselves, and, when satisfied, had still remained sitting there, enjoying their blessing, but carrying it no farther; what would have been the result? The people would have gone hungry, although there had been ample provision made for them by the Master. The guilt would have been on the heads of the disciples.
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