You did it to me

by Sal Huckel

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Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation (Luke 11:3,4).

Read Luke 11:1–13

Many of us have probably heard about the homeless person walking into the church to ask for help (food, use of facilities or money) but being turned away.

Here, we have the pattern of prayer modelled for us by Jesus – including the petition for daily bread before we even get to the repentance and forgiveness of sins and deliverance from temptation.

Physical needs are important, and we do well not to overlook them. We move on, in the same passage, to a picture of a man asking his neighbour for food in the middle of the night, and finally, a comparison to the request from a son: ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

Yes, this is a passage that teaches about the Lord’s compassion, mercy and generosity on us. He shows this spiritually and with our salvation and spiritual gifts – but the Lord does not ignore the temporal – the body. He provided food by a physical miracle with loaves and fish. His first miracle for the disciples was a catch of fish. Schools know that children cannot learn when hungry – this is why some schools feed children breakfast for free when their families cannot feed them before school.

Let’s come back to the homeless person knocking at the door. Yes, we are a church. Yes, there are programs out there to help. And yes, whatever we say to them in that moment will be our moment of witness. We are ambassadors. Is Jesus sending them away empty or fuller? Will we ever be able to feed their spirit if we are unwilling to feed their body?

‘You did it to me’ (Matthew 25:40) are Jesus’ words to us in this moment. We pray the Lord’s prayer every Sunday. We ask for daily bread each time we pray that prayer. That might even be the only prayer the homeless person knows. Who will answer their prayer on behalf of our generous, forgiving, gracious God?

Give us each day our daily bread, Lord – and help us deliver this bread to others in need as they come across our path. May we have compassion on others as we have our own needs generously and graciously met by you, just as we pray in the words you taught us. Forgive us for the times we find reasons not to help others, and may we leave judgement to you alone. In the saving, giving and forgiving name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children. Music, theology, literature and languages are passions the family share and explore together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.

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