leftovers

Scripture: Mark 6
when Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
^35-36 When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”
³⁷ Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”
They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?”
³⁸ But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”
That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.”
^39-44 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.

Observation:  Jesus' disciples were tired and hungry.  They're ready for the day to end and for the crowd to disperse.  "Send them away to fend for themselves," they suggest.  But Jesus has another idea. "You give them something to eat."  Of course, their resources are scarce and the needs are excessive---thousands of hungry people, 5 loaves of bread and two fish (barely enough for Jesus and his disciples).  Jesus invites the crowd to sit and then he takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread to them.  And all are fed and are satisfied and there are 12 baskets left over!  Scarcity becomes abundance.  Resistance becomes generosity. Hunger becomes satisfaction.  An end to the day's work becomes a promise of more feeding yet to come (leftovers!)  It's amazing!

Application:  God is willing and able to provide in ways we can't imagine or believe.  Because God is the creator and giver of life.  And food is a gift of creation for all living things.  I have seen abundance appear where once there was scarcity.  If you create the conditions and the intention, God will provide.  Peter's Porch was started after some leaders listened to this story and heard Jesus command us to "give them something to eat."  By creating a hospitable feeding ministry, more resources have become available to us.  We receive generous gifts all the time that allow us to do more than we ever thought possible, to serve more people than we ever imagined we could.  Jesus is all about multiplication.  His "UP" relationship with God allows his relational mission ("OUT") to thrive.  He gives away his powers, so that others might do what he does.  Disciples are "equipped' with "baskets full of leftovers", so that they can continue the work of "feeding the hungry."   What have we been given in abundance that we are invited/challenged to share with those who hunger?  What hungers exist around us that cry out to be satisfied?   If you could ask God for more of something, what would that be? 

Prayer:  Jesus, your generosity amazes us.  Your resourcefulness surprises us.  Your commands challenge us.  Forgive our reluctance and our belief in scarcity.  Give us baskets full of leftovers to continue your mission of generosity. Amen.