When Jesus Didn't Feed Them

When Jesus was on the earth, He was merciful to the people He met. He met lepers, blind men, and even those who were simply hungry and needed food. Jesus treated people with compassion while simultaneously caring for their souls. As Christians who follow Christ, we behave compassionately toward all people as a reflection of God. However, there are times when it is better not to give people what they seek. In John 6, Jesus encountered such a time, and it is recorded so that we would think carefully about generosity and serving the soul.

In John 6:1-14, a large crowd came to Jesus in the wilderness, and rather than sending them away hungry, Jesus miraculously created food for more than five thousand people, and more food was left over than they began with. John 6:24-25 records how, on the following day, the people returned, but there was a problem. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” In other words, they had no spiritual goal in mind. They only cared about the food Jesus could provide for their bellies. And on that day, Jesus did not feed them the food they sought. Instead, He provided difficult spiritual truths, resulting in many leaving Him (John 6:66).

Jesus’ mission was always about the soul first. When it became evident that physical generosity was actively working against that goal, that generosity was no longer appropriate. Christians should be careful not to be overwhelmed by the desire for generosity to the neglect of the soul. Give and seek the soul. And if physical generosity distracts from spiritual progress, serve the soul as Jesus did in John 6. In rare cases, it’s better not to give.