How did the disciples and Jesus show responsibility while feeding the four thousand men
The story of Jesus feeding the four thousand men is found in the New Testament in the books of Matthew (Matthew 15:32-39) and Mark (Mark 8:1-9). According to the accounts, Jesus and his disciples displayed responsibility in several ways during this event:
1. Compassion and Concern: Jesus had compassion for the crowd of people who had been following him for three days without anything to eat. He recognized their physical needs and was concerned about their well-being.
2. Planning and Organization: Jesus initiated the discussion about feeding the crowd, prompting his disciples to gather the available food resources. They discussed how many loaves of bread they had, accounted for the number of people, and organized them into groups.
3. Resource Management: The disciples collected seven loaves of bread and a few small fish from the crowd. However, knowing that it was not enough to feed everyone, they still gathered all the available resources and laid them before Jesus.
4. Trust and Faith: Jesus took the seven loaves and fish, gave thanks, and then broke them. The disciples trusted in Jesus' ability to provide and distribute the food, even though it seemed insufficient for the large number of people.
5. Serving and Distribution: After Jesus blessed and broke the food, the disciples distributed it among the crowd. They actively participated in the process of serving the food and ensuring that everyone received enough to eat.
6. Care for Leftovers: After the crowd had eaten and was satisfied, the disciples collected the leftovers, which amounted to seven full baskets. They made sure to gather and preserve the excess food, demonstrating a responsible approach to not wasting resources.
In summary, the disciples and Jesus showed responsibility by demonstrating compassion, planning, resource management, trust, active involvement in serving, and mindful care for leftovers during the feeding of the four thousand men.