God Likes Leftovers! John 6:8-15

John 6:8  Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Andrew was the one who brought Peter to Jesus, and now he notices a young lad with five barley loaves and a couple of small fish. Barley was a cheaper bread than wheat, about a third of the value. The fish were also quite meager.

 “While the other Evangelists use the ordinary word for fish (ichthys), John calls them osparia, indicating that they were two small (perhaps salted) fish to be eaten as a relish along with the cakes of barley.” (Bruce)

The point is that Andrew, though he doubted whether it would be enough to feed all the people, looked for a solution. Jesus recognized his faith, so he had the disciples seat the people. 

“Small things are not always contemptible. It all depends on the hands in which they are.” (Taylor)

Jesus did things decently and in order. Though he was going to do something supernatural. he still needed the disciples to prepare for the miracle practically speaking. Sometimes though we don't know how God is going to provide, we need to prepare as if He will. Of course we don't know exactly how Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves, but we know through the other gospels that he involved the disciples.  Jesus could have supernaturally delivered the food to the people, but chose to use his disciples to teach them more of who He was. 

"The miracle resided in the hands of Jesus, not in the distribution. Little is much in His hands.The disciples did not do the miracle; they simply distributed the miraculous work of Jesus." Guzik

What is ironic is that not only did Jesus provide enough for everyone to have as much as they wanted, but there were leftovers.  Maybe you had leftovers at Thanksgiving! LOL. When they had retrieved all of the extra barley loaves, they put them in 12 baskets. Jesus was generous but not wasteful. If God had provided it, he surely did not want the disciples to squander it. 

This sign of providing bread for all these people would have reminded the Jews of Moses providing bread in the wilderness in the form of manna.  Moses had predicted the coming of another prophet, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear." (Deuteronomy 18:15) 

Jesus knew that as the people started connecting his miracles with Moses' prophecies, they would want to make him a king. He knew that it was not yet his time to show them the true nature of his kingship, so he withdrew to a quiet place. 

Where are you facing a situation in your life, where it seems like what you have cannot meet the need you are facing? What do you have and how can God use it and multiply it in a way only he can do? Why did God provide so much food that there were even leftovers? What does it show us about his character? What is one tangible way you can offer God what you have to meet the needs of others? How can you trust in God today to meet and exceed the need you have?  

Jesus, we thank you that you showed us the great provision of our Father in heaven with the feeding of the five thousand. Help us to offer you what we might think is meager to meet the needs of those we see around us. Help us to trust in you for our own needs, even though at times they seem overwhelming. Amen.