12 baskets full
Thursday, September 28, 2017
John 6:12-13
So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
What were they going to do with all that fish and bread? They started out with food that was too little for the crowd and now they clearly had more than was required. If Jesus could work a miracle of such multiplication, how come he couldn’t get it just right so that there was nothing left over?
In the wilderness, the people were told to gather just what they needed for each day. If they gathered more than they needed it went bad on them. In Exodus 16:4 we seem to be dealing with a matter of obedience, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Whereas in John 6:1-14 we seem to be dealing with a matter of abundance.
But back to the 12 baskets. It is very interesting that guys who had no food to start with somehow had 12 empty baskets waiting for some leftover from a miraculous meal. A most unlikely scenario indeed. So what is this all about? There a few explanations given by those who have studied old Jewish custom and history. Let’s look at those.
The first explanation is that bread was regarded by Jews as a gift of God, and it was required that scraps that fell on the ground during a meal be picked up. The fragments were collected in small wicker baskets that were carried as a part of daily attire. Or, they were possibly the lunch baskets of the 12 disciples. Each of the disciples returned with his basket full. (NIVSBN)
There is another explanation, at Jewish feasts the regular practice was to leave something for the servants. That which was left was called the Peah; and no doubt the people left their usual part for those who had served them with the meal.
Also, no doubt each of the disciples had his basket (kophinos). It was bottle-shaped and no Jew ever travelled without his. The Jew with his inseparable basket was a notorious figure. He carried it partly because he was characteristically acquisitive, and partly because he needed to carry his own food if he was going to observe the Jewish rules of cleanness and uncleanness. (DSB WB)
Those aspects we’d never really know for sure, but this much we know, that when Jesus intervenes in our lives He brings more than enough.
This idea of receiving more than enough in the Kingdom of God is fundamental to understanding how God supplies. God provides more than enough. And God also teaches that when we give we should not use a short measure because the measure we use others will used it in return to us, but if we “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
If we look around our lives we’d see evidence of God’s abundance to us. Often the things we have in abundance are being wasted. They are not being put to good use. We said earlier in the series that we should take an inventory of what we have before we go to God. We have to also learn to take a good inventory after God has answered our prayers.
We need to be careful that we do not waste anything with which God has blessed us. When we have been fed and are full, we must remember those who have little or nothing to eat. When we have been adequately clothe, we must remember those in rags. We must not let any part of our blessing be wasted but assemble it, record it, and bless others with it.
Jesus said “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” We must be good stewards of the blessings we receive from God.
Think on these things:
- What has God blessed you with recently?
- Can you think of anything that God has blessed you with that you can now use to bless others?
- What would you have to do to be better at sharing what you do not use?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that God would help us to be better stewards of the blessings we receive from Him.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
