Bread upon the Waters by Elizabeth Miller

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 17, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 41.

Bread upon the Waters

By Elizabeth Miller

WHAT did Jesus do when on earth? Did He go forth among His people as a great, proud, selfish king, thinking only of himself and slighting others? He "went about doing good." He threw out His good influence to those about Him; He gave of His best to others; He helped and healed them; He moved quietly among them as their friend and helper.

He preached to the multitudes in parables from the ship, on the mountainside. Wherever He found opportunity, He spoke, and they crowded round Him and listened. He cast His bread upon the waters, and many were converted, and that bread was found and returned to Him.

He met the woman of Samaria at the well, and seeing she was in need of water, spoke to her of the living water, of which if she drank, she would never thirst. Thus He cast His bread upon the waters, and she was made to believe.

Nicodemus came to Him by night, and asked what he must do to be saved. Christ in all patience told him he must be born again, born of the Spirit. Here He again cast His bread upon the waters, as He explained to Nicodemus, and helped him to understand and believe.

The rich young ruler asked what he must do to be saved. Christ told him to give to his needy brother a portion of his riches—to cast his bread upon the waters.

The Levite, seeing the poor beggar suffering by the roadside, left him, and passed by on the other side. The good Samaritan came that way, and stopped and helped him, and did him much good. He cast his bread upon the waters in giving of his kindness to others.

Then what else did Jesus do?—He healed a man sick of the palsy; He cleansed the leper; He raised Lazarus from the dead; He made the blind see and the lame walk. He turned water into wine; and out of the five loaves and two fishes He fed the great multitude of five thousand. He was continually casting bread upon the waters. The multitudes, seeing His great power and influence, began to believe on Him, and that bread returned to Him.

When Jesus sent His disciples forth into the world to preach, what did He tell them to do?—To go forth into the world and preach—to cast their bread upon the waters. He had helped others, and He wanted them to help others. He commanded them, as He commands us, "Go, and do thou likewise."

To cast our bread upon the waters, means to visit the sick neighbor, to feed the hungry at our door. If any thirsts, let us give him to drink. If we find any in need of

clothing, let us clothe him; for Jesus says, "Ye have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not."

With the sinner let us be patient and long-suffering and merciful. One word, or look, or smile that we might give to that poor sinner, might change that whole life for better. Remember the dying thief. How merciful Jesus was when He told him, "Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise"!

Why did Jesus, who was divine, go down there to the house of Simon the sinner and dine with him? Why was Jesus so humble?—Simply because He had a purpose. He was seeking for lost souls. He was friendly with them that He might save them. He cast His bread upon the waters, and saved many sinners.

When Christ gave Himself to suffer on the cross for sinners, He was casting bread upon the waters, and this bread returns to Him daily.

When we send our money to the mission field, we are casting bread upon the waters, but we know it will return to us after many days.

The missionaries who go forth into the foreign fields, make a great sacrifice. They give their lives for others. They cast their bread upon the waters; but they shall find it after many days, for great is their reward in heaven. Christ says, "Whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it." Then if we lose our life and our time for Him in this world, we shall find it; and when it returns to us it shall be life eternal.

We are sent into this world as God's messengers. We are here on business for Him. Our mission is that of Christ Himself when He was on earth, "not to be ministered unto, but to minister." "I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."