Leftovers

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, your God isn’t stingy. He provides everything you need spiritually and physically out of the abundance of His mercy. Here in the wilderness, Jesus feeds 5,000 men plus women and children (possibly ten to twenty thousand people total) with five loaves of bread and two fish. And this text shows how Jesus is the Shepherd described in Psalm 23.

Jesus sees this massive crowd coming toward Him. The gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus restores their souls by teaching them many things (Mk. 6:34). But it looks like there is going to be a whole lotta want from this flock because Jesus’ sermon has gone long. The disciples get antsy and ask Jesus to send the crowd home because they are going to need to eat (Mk. 6:35-36).

But with Jesus as their Shepherd, so there will be no want. Jesus asks Philip, “Where are we going to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Even today, feeding a crowd this size is a monumental task. We are blessed with farmers that can produce massive amounts of food. Trucks, trains, and railroads can transport goods measured in tons. Most stores still have ample supplies of bread, meat, cheese, and all sorts of goodies, but how many stores would you have to buy out to feed this many people? Plus, the people in Jesus’ day didn’t have all these luxuries, and because this crowd is out in the wilderness, the task is even more impossible. But, again, Jesus is the Shepherd, so this flock will have no want.

A young boy is there, and gives his little snack to Jesus. Our translation records Jesus saying, “Have the people sit down,” but it’s a bit more forceful than that, and sounds more like Psalm 23. Literally, Jesus tells the disciples, “Make the people sit down.” And where do these people sit down? In the green grass. And Jesus prepares a table for His flock. Jesus takes the bread and the fish, gives thanks, and distributes the food to the people as the disciples wait on them (Mk. 6:41).

None of the Gospels say anything about what the crowd drank, but their plates certainly ran over. And everyone eats their fill. Not only that, but while everyone is unbuckling their belts, Jesus sends the disciples out again with doggie bags. They gather up the leftovers and return with twelve baskets full. There is more food in the end than there was in the beginning.

We should remember that in this feeding of the 5,000, Jesus does what He had already been doing and is always doing everywhere throughout the entire world – providing food. Every day, Jesus feeds the billions of people throughout the world and throughout history (Ps. 104:27-28). The only difference here is that Jesus does it differently than He normally does. Of course, feeding this massive crowd with five loaves and two fish is a miracle and reveals that Jesus is God in the flesh. But don’t lose sight of the fact that the food you ate yesterday was also a gracious gift of God miraculously provided for you. You have just gotten used to God feeding you through your paycheck or your parents, then through a restaurant or grocery store, your fridge, and your stove.

Now, let’s reflect on this a little bit. I am tempted (and I suspect you are tempted as well, so I’ll lump you in with myself) we are tempted to divide our life into two parts – the spiritual part and the physical part. And the temptation goes like this: Jesus takes care of the spiritual part – the forgiveness and the eternal life part. But we’re tempted to think that we have to care of the physical part – the working and earning a living part, the eating part, the caring for family and friends part. We think, “Sure, I need mercy and grace for the spiritual part, but I need works and effort for the physical part.” But the result of this makes us live like atheists who don’t believe in God. We end up living as though God isn’t involved in giving us our daily bread. We wrongly think that our food is only the result of creation – soil, seeds, sun, water, etc. But that’s not true. God provides forgiveness and eternal life, but God also provides strength, work, money, bread, and physical life. Because Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, He gives us what we need for the life to come, andHe gives us what we need for this life.

It is true that the way God provides for us spiritually is different than how He provides for us physically. Salvation comes down from heaven, and bread comes up from the earth. But God is behind both. And in this Gospel text, and our Old Testament text (Ex. 16:2-21), God reminds us that He sometimes rains bread from heaven. Sometimes five loaves feed 5,000 men plus women and children.

And notice how Jesus provided what His flock needed in this life. He used the little snack that the boy gave to provide for His sheep. Jesus wouldn’t have needed this boy’s food to feed the crowd. But He did use it, and Jesus used it to do more than was expected. Again, there were leftovers. As the crowd unbuckles their belts, Jesus sends the disciples out a second time saying, “Gather up the leftover fragments.” Christ here isn’t worried about waste. If He was worried about waste, Jesus wouldn’t have even given as much as everyone wanted, let alone enough for everyone to totally stuff their bellies. Jesus could have provided only what was needed.

But Jesus says, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may perish.” Our translation says ‘lost,’ but it is the same word Jesus uses in Jn. 3:16. In God’s infinite love, He sent His only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not ‘perish’ (same word) but have everlasting life. In other words, every last bit of what this boy gives and Jesus’ multiplication of it is used by Jesus. Even the leftovers are useful for further provision in Christ’s kingdom. Nothing of the boy’s gift or Jesus’ multiplication of it perishes.

Dear saints, the same is still true today. Because you belong to Jesus, because you have been redeemed by His death and resurrection, everything you do is used by Jesus to further His kingdom. We are always tempted to minimize what we do in our God-given callings and vocations as though it doesn’t matter or is insignificant. But it isn’t. Don't minimize what you do as God’s children. Don’t ever think, “Well, I’m just changing a diaper when I could be doing something more spiritually significant,” or, “God doesn’t care how I empty the dishwasher or fold the laundry,” or, “What I put in the offering plate doesn’t help as much as what so-and-so puts in because they can put in a lot more.” That simply isn’t true!

Everything you do and everything you give is used by God. Jesus makes sure none of your works or gifts perish, Christian. God takes what you do, multiplies it, and uses it for the good of your neighbor and for His kingdom. Nothing you do, Christian, will ever perish because it is holy work rendered to your neighbor in service to God. No leftovers end up in the trash. All of it is used by Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.