Better smile!
How did you behave when you were distributing to the 5000 plus gathering? Were you selfish or generous? Were you feeling one above them? Were you partial or compassionate? Were you lavish and careless? Were you stingy and hard on people?
Now when you walk on the streets, probably there are people in those villages who had been to that same gathering; they had watched you, observed you or even had a tussle with you. Now it is their time to react or respond.
Jesus had the capacity to provide food for thousands of people! Were they miracles or organizational skill is not known to me!
But for him and his disciples, he depended on the people not on miracles!
Public life and service demands; discipline, principle and compassion!
A bank cashier may handle millions of rupees. But they don't belong to him. But he could be very kind and pleasant at the cash counter. You are not losing your money but one who receives can receive both money and a smile!
Mr. Kakkan, Mr. Sathiyamoorthy, Mr. K. Rajaram, Mr. Kamarajar, Mr. Omanthooraar, Mr. Nallakannu, Mr. Lal bagathoor Shasthri, Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Mr. Sahayam are some of the Indian politicians who were highly and exemplarily disciplined in this direction. They were scrupulously cautious about common money.
A religious, a priest, a politician, a person in government service have ample number of opportunities to handle the common money. There will be a constant temptation to swab aside some of it or the whole of it. That is a death trap!
When Jesus instructed, "Don't carry anything more than the bare necessity", he forced them to depend on the people for their salary. Providence therefore, is not looking up, for assistance! But look around for your sustenance. It is not a blind belief in an unknown God but a deep trust in people around you.
If you have an opportunity to handle common money, just get detached from it and enjoy a total freedom. It is bliss!! Don't grumble, don't be silly, don't horde things for no reason, don't be stingy.
The people are provided by the master. You only have distribution responsibility both with things and service.
Better smile! Otherwise you may go "hungry"!
