Leftovers—again?  These are the words expressed as I invented ways to stretch our meal budget to feed a family of five.  I learned from my parents that Sunday’s roast beef meal could be a tasty beef stew for a few days.  I learned to creative all the ways to stretch a pound of hamburger meat into various, tasty meals, too.  Pasta, beans, and rice are excellent “fillers” and additions to any meal if you’re hungry enough and not too picky.  We often shared our Sunday roast with others around our table.  The kids were probably wondering what I was thinking when it was all eaten!  No leftovers for stew!

However, I do not hold a candle to Jesus’ invitation to feed thousands who gathered to hear Him speak in the wilderness—away from takeout or grocery stores!  The Twelve were asked to be a part of this miracle as they served the people.  They each had a basket of fish and bread, blessed by the Master Chef, to hand out to all who gathered in groups.  What a holy picnic it was!  All had their fill.  No one complained.  And there were leftovers!!  Twelve basketfuls to be exact! 

Luke 9, The Message

Bread and Fish for Five Thousand

¹² As the sun set, the Twelve said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

^13-14 “You feed them,” Jesus said.

They said, “We couldn’t scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody.” (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)

^14-17 But he went ahead and directed his disciples, “Sit them down in groups of about fifty.” They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

It is Jesus’ way to use our hands and feet in His work to help people know Him.  Jesus told the disciples to think about how to solve the hunger problem in the wilderness.  When they came up with suggestions, no matter how “weak” they seemed, He then offered the way to solve the problem by using what food they had.  Jesus held up what they had to God for His blessing.  With God’s blessing on the resources, the people were miraculously fed—with food leftover!

What surprised the disciples was the heavy basket that exploded with fish and bread for the people AFTER the blessing of God through Jesus.  What was amazing was the disciples never saw the bottom of an empty basket! 

AND, it is no coincidence that each disciple felt the weight of their basket full of leftovers after the meal!  Jesus made his point clear.  Give me with all you have. Obey my directions. Then trust Me.  See what happens! 

This is how we learn to live expectantly as we walk with God, ready to do His will as He works in and through us in ways that are beyond our wildest imaginations and dreams!  Trust Him.

Paul’s prayer is for all of us today,

Lord,

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Ephesians 4:16-21

In Jesus Name, Amen