"***** Blessings, both temporal and spiritual, will accompany those who impart to the needy that which they receive from the Master. Jesus worked a miracle to feed the five thousand, a tired, hungry multitude. He chose a pleasant place in which to accommodate the people and commanded them to sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two small fishes. No doubt many remarks were made as to the impossibility of satisfying five thousand hungry men, besides women and children, from that scanty store. But Jesus gave thanks and placed the food in the hands of the disciples to be distributed. They gave to the multitude, the food increasing in their hands. And when the multitude had been fed, the disciples themselves sat down and ate with Christ of the heaven-imparted store. This is a precious lesson for every one of Christ's followers. 6T 263.1"
"And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
The EGW passage directly references and elaborates on the miracle of feeding the five thousand, as described in Matthew 14:19. It recounts the events of the miracle and draws a spiritual lesson from it.
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Both passages connect acts of service to others with serving Christ. Matthew 25:40 states that acts of kindness to the least of Jesus' brethren are done unto Him. The EGW passage describes the miracle of feeding the 5000 and connects it to the principle of imparting to the needy, implying that such acts are pleasing to God.
"***** Pure and undefiled religion is “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 . Our church members are greatly in need of a knowledge of practical godliness. They need to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice. They need to give evidence to the world that they are Christlike. Therefore the work that Christ requires of them is not to be done by proxy, placing on some committee or some institution the burden that they themselves should bear. They are to become Christlike in character by giving of their means and time, their sympathy, their personal effort, to help the sick, to comfort the sorrowing, to relieve the poor, to encourage the desponding, to enlighten souls in darkness, to point sinners to Christ, to bring home to hearts the obligation of God's law. 6T 263.2"
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
The EGW passage directly quotes James 1:27 and then expands on its meaning, applying it to the practical godliness needed by church members.