What was the context and significance of Sai Baba's instruction to 'give bread to the hungry first'?

This powerful instruction came directly after a devotee performed an act of compassion. As described in Chapter 9, a woman shared her food with a hungry dog and pig. Later, Sai Baba revealed that he had experienced her charity directly, as if he himself had been fed. It was in this context that he gave the command: "Know such is my mercy; give bread to the hungry first. Afterward, eat for your own stomach; keep this well in your heart." The significance is profound: Baba was teaching that serving any hungry being is equivalent to serving God directly. It elevates selfless service from a simple good deed to a supreme act of worship, emphasizing that compassion for others must take precedence even over one's own needs.