Jesus & Leftovers
Jesus did two different miracles of feeding the the multitudes. He fed 5000 men besides women and children (Mt 14:20)(Mk 6:44)(Lk 9:14)(Jn 6:10) and He later fed 4000 men besides women and children (Mt 15:38)(Mk 8:1). They call these two miracles of feeding the multitudes mirror stories because they are so similar, yet different. The feeding of the 5000 men besides women and children ended with 12 small baskets (Kophinos) it is a lunch sized basket enough for one person, of leftovers remaining. Just the right amount to feed the disciples, who, remember Mark said they hadn’t eaten. I call these leftovers a picture of sufficiency.
The feeding of the 4000 men besides women and children began with 7 loaves and a few fish and ended with 7 large baskets (Spuris) a basket big enough to fit a man in like Paul when they lowered him over the wall in a basket of this type (Acts 9:25). That’s how large the 7 baskets of leftovers remaining were. I call these leftovers a picture of abundance.
You might recall when Paul had a thorn in his flesh in 2Corinthians 12:9 and appealed to God three times for it to be removed. Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” A sufficient grace is as great a testimony to the goodness of God as an abundant grace might be.
You may also recall that in, 2Corinthians 9:8 it declares that God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
An abundance of grace also gives God glory. We get to experience both of these manifestations of grace at various times in our lives. It is not just one type of grace that we get to experience. What’s important is our need to stop trying to earn His favor, and discover how to sit down in Christ and rest. We need to learn what it means to sit down in the Spirit and receive what God is offering in the moment. Even when things seem difficult you have either His sufficient favor or abundant favor. Sit down within and receive.
I love how Jesus not only fed the multitude He made sure His disciples weren’t left out in both occurrences. I love how Jesus was able to have His wits about Him even after hearing about John’s death, having to listen to the disciples report on how their ministry time went, and being made aware of the hunger of the people. He was loaded with one thing after another and yet He was able to administrate the moment according to grace.
When you learn to rest in His grace you too can be bombarded with many things in your day and yet know exactly what needs to be done and how. You can still find you have something to bring to the moment. You will never give so much that you are left hungry while others are well fed. There’ll either be sufficient leftovers, or an abundance so great it will last you a long time afterwards. He will take care of you!
