- Ruth Moody
After this Jesus went across the Galilee Sea (that is, the Tiberias Sea). A large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miraculous signs he had done among the sick. Jesus went up a mountain and sat there with his disciples. It was nearly time for Passover, the Jewish festival. Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten. When the people saw that he had done a miraculous sign, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.”
- John 6:1-14
I’m sure you are familiar with the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Many questions are raised by this passage. Skeptics ask how it could happen at all. Numbers folk ask how many people were actually gathered. Luke alone of the gospels lists five thousand men, which would make the final number that would include women and children much higher. And some who follow closely the miracles of Jesus ask why John didn’t call this event simply a miracle instead of a miraculous sign, as if it’s different from the other gospels. They’re all legitimate questions, but I am interested in another question altogether, a simple question, a question rarely posed, a question seemingly without depth or significance. I can’t read the story without asking what the disciples did with the twelve baskets of leftovers they collected.
I know that later in the chapter Jesus accuses the crowd of looking for him only because they craved another feast. But here’s the deal; they didn’t get one. So that leaves the question, “What did the disciples do with the leftovers?” Did they have a feast themselves, or use the food sparingly along their journey (at least until it spoiled)? The gospels don’t tell us, but I have an idea this is because they want us to decide what to do with the leftovers. That is to say, God invites us to eat at the welcome table time and time again, but when we are full – spiritually nourished – what do we do with the leftovers? Are we by chance challenged to welcome others to the table as God has welcomed us; are we challenged to extend God’s invitation, which is offered to all without limits? We will look at such questions on Sunday with our guest speaker, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of our denomination; the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I hope you will join us at 10:30 on Sunday.