you feed them

CLICK HERE for today's OT reading, and CLICK HERE for the NT reading.

In the gospel today, we read the familiar story of the feeding of the 5,000. And we think of it as Jesus feeding them, right? But when we read the story carefully, we learn something interesting. Jesus tells His disciples that He wants THEM to feed all of those hungry people.

And that reminds us of what He tells Peter when He asks him if he loves Him. "Do you love Me?" Jesus asks. "Yes, Lord." "Then feed My sheep."

Notice, too, that Jesus isn't saying, "You should feed these sheep." He's not saying, "You might consider feeding the sheep." He's not saying, "It's a good idea to implement a program of feeding the sheep." He very directly COMMANDS His followers to feed them.

And He gives us that same command. It's not optional. It's not just a good idea. It's a command. "Feed My sheep," He tells us. If the sheep aren't being fed, it's our fault. We have our orders. Let's be sure to follow them.

God, thanks for making it so clear how we can demonstrate our love for You. Please help us feed Your sheep.