THE SCRAPS OF LIFE
By Frank Tunstall, D. Min.
Have you wondered how the disciples felt – their emotions – when they visibly saw the bread and fish keep multiplying in their hands until all the people in the multitude ate to the fill? Obviously, the disciples never forgot the miracle.
Did the disciples keep serving the people second and third servings until all were satisfied, so that many were left holding uneaten food in their hands? Or did the bread and fish multiply in the hands of the people while they were eating it? We are not told how it all worked out, but hundreds of people in the multitude no doubt had not had a meal to the fill in a long time.
Jesus did not ration the miracle, telling His disciples, for examples, to give each man three pieces of fish and two pieces of bread, and each woman two pieces of fish and one piece of bread, and each child one piece of fish and a half piece of bread. He did not even instruct the disciples to be generous and then leave it to them to decide the meaning of “generous.” His instructions were “as much as they want!” (John 6:11). The result was “everyone was full” (NLT); they ate until they were satisfied.
When the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon, one of the many things that amazed her was the over-abundance of food on Solomon’s table (See 1 Kings 4:22-23; 10:1-5). But “one greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). The food Jesus blessed and the disciples’ distributed was bread and fish, and all ate to the fill. But this food was only a symbol of what was to come, for Jesus’ table serves eternal life to all who believe, making Him the very satisfying Bread of Life (John 6:35).
The Scraps of Life
What Jesus did for their stomachs, He wanted to do for their souls. How many people through the centuries have come to Jesus hungry and famished, both the commoners and the wealthy. Others have been living with splitting headaches caused by their empty lives. Jesus has been their answer too so that they left “satisfied.” In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord promised, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV).
While Jesus wanted everyone satisfied, at the same time He wanted no waste.
THINK ABOUT IT: People are wasteful in lots of ways other than food: time, talent, callings, spiritual gifts, tithes, assets, and the list goes on.
“When they had all eaten their fill…” (RSV), Jesus showed the mind-boggling extent of the miracle by focusing on the leftover scraps. Jesus is not the Lord of waste. He sees the importance of “the pieces” too. In fact, He commanded, “Gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted” (John 6:12-13 NLT).
Many people feel like leftovers and know they have become the broken pieces of life. Jesus is the Sovereign who rescues them, demonstrating Himself as “the Lord of the scraps.” Even those who have been gobbled up by abuse or a host of other causes leave some scraps, and those leftover pieces have value to Jesus. He can bless and serve a feast that opens the door to a life of new beauty from the squashed leftovers on a platter, and He does it without fanfare.
The Messiah came filled with the Holy Spirit without measure, committed to quenching the hunger of the soul. His table is rich with what we need most – the love and mercy of God.
THINK ABOUT IT: He did not come with a raised voice and a clenched fist, screaming at people to get what He wanted. We conclude much yelling is not the key to gaining the Lord’s attention, nor is it the answer to winning the loyalty of people. God seeks sincerity of heart. Yet, there is a time to cry out to God (Psalm 22:2; 34:17; Mark 10:47).
“He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice” (Isaiah 42:3 MSG).
Have you wondered how the disciples felt – their emotions – when they visibly saw the bread and fish keep multiplying in their hands until all the people in the multitude ate to the full? Obviously, the disciples never forgot the miracle. The Apostle John, interestingly, does not tell us how this great miracle changed the disciple’s and especially Philip’s understanding of Jesus’ authority and capability as the Son of God.
When they had all had enough to eat, Jesus said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
One can also wonder how this happened. Did the disciples keep serving the people second and third servings until all were satisfied, so that many were left holding uneaten food in their hands? Or did the bread and fish multiply in the hands of the people while they were eating it? We are not told how it all worked out, but hundreds of people in the multitude no doubt had not had a meal to the fill in a long time.
The Scraps of Life
What Jesus did for their stomachs, He wanted to do for their souls. How many people through the centuries have come to Jesus hungry and famished, both the commoners and the wealthy. Others have been living with splitting headaches, for one example, caused by their empty lives. Jesus has been their answer too so that they left “satisfied.” In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord promised, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV).
While Jesus wanted everyone satisfied, at the same time He wanted no waste.
THINK ABOUT IT: People are wasteful in lots of ways other than food: time, talent, callings, spiritual gifts, tithes, assets, and the list goes on.
“When they had all eaten their fill…” (RSV), Jesus showed the extent of the miracle by focusing on the leftover scraps. Jesus is not the Lord of waste. He sees the importance of “the pieces.” In fact, he commanded, “Gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted” (John 6:12-13 NLT).
Jesus fills the hungry with good things. Yes, He is the Messiah of the scraps of life too.
“So, they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
What about the people – their eyes surely bulged and jaws dropped jaws when they realized what a huge miracle was happening right in front of them – perhaps in their own hands. Others of them no doubt looked at those little baskets of food and just knew there would be no bread left for them.
Many think to this day: God gives His miracles to others but He does not care about me; there is no bread in God’s basket for me.
But Jesus showed time and again His concern for written-off people. Zephaniah the prophet wrote that Messiah takes “great delight in you;” He will “quiet you with his love;” He will “rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
What exciting emotions must have been in the crowd! They watched the disciples serving the multitude as the loaves and the fish kept multiplying. The miracle did not stop until everyone was fed to the fill.
Even the naysayers were fed. The liars, thieves, and adulterers in the crowd were fed. The worst sinners among them were fed. The meal included the very Pharisees and elders who hounded Jesus with their doubts and unbelief – they were fed too. Those who despised Him and turned their heads so they would not have to look at Him were fed. What a gracious and generous host Jesus was to the multitude. Jesus’ table is so blessed with abundance He even send His rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
The miracle of feeding the 5,000 was a very bold sign, flooded with Sonlight; Jesus is indeed the light, the Son of God and the bread of life.
Even the naysayers were fed. The liars, thieves, and adulterers in the crowd were fed. The worst sinners among them were fed. The meal included the very Pharisees and elders who hounded Jesus with their doubts and unbelief – they were fed too. Those who despised Him and turned their heads so they would not have to look at Him were fed. What a gracious and generous host Jesus was to the multitude. Jesus’ table is so blessed with abundance He even sends His rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
Little wonder this miracle has lived in Holy Scripture to this day!
