1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian Feed My Sheep | Page 8

with those who had previously rejected them. So the first motive for feeding people
is simply because “it is the right thing to do”.
2. Obedience – God tells us to do it and the response of our obedience is quite
naturally the only legitimate response. In Matthew 21 we have Jesus telling the
parable of two sons. He speaks of a father who commanded his first son to do
something, the son replied that he would do it, but he never did. The second son,
however, told his father that he would not do it, but then he did it anyway. Jesus
asked the crowd who did they think did the right thing? They answer was easy, the
one who had at first said no, but then obeyed his father. There are many of us who
would look at the issue of feeding the hungry and our initial response is one of “Yes
absolutely! I’ll do it!” But then when the pressure of life sneaks up on us, we end up
never fulfilling that which we said we would do. There are others amongst us who
may initially have felt that they would not respond to the command, but as a result
of further contemplations, were moved through a motive of simple obedience to
fulfil the command. This is the one that Jesus affirmed to be correct response.
3. Compassion – where we genuinely feel compassion for those who are hungry
and we respond accordingly. There are, unfortunately, not many models of this in
Scripture, but it is a great model anyway.
4. Fear of God – in Leviticus 25 v 35 – 36 it says “If one of your countrymen becomes
poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him… Do not take interest of
any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live
among you.” This fear, which is referred to here, is a fear that I believe should
motivate us because of the fact that one day we will stand before God to give an
account of our lives; where God will ask us what did we do with what He gave us.
And the challenge will come to us as to whether we hoarded our material blessings
and used them for our own well-being, as opposed to sharing them with those in
need. One of the most frightening passages I find in Scripture is Matthew 25 v 31 –
40. Won’t you read it as we close the devotion today and contemplate the fact that it
could be true of us one day where God might declare, “Depart from me…I never knew
you.”
Prayer Thought: I think at the end of the day all four motivations are legitimate and I
trust that you will find yours. Won’t you pray about this today.

Saturday