Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
John 6:11-13
The people were hungry...tired...ready for food.
They had traveled quite a distance to get to Jesus, spent hours listening to the wisdom that poured from HIs mouth, and as daylight began to fade, Jesus knew they now had long journey back home ahead of them.
"Give them something to eat," He tells His disciples (see Luke 9:13).
These words speak of love to me.
Maybe because food is my love language.
Maybe because I can't imagine walking miles on an empty stomach.
Or maybe because I've raised kids who fear hunger every single day - even now, when food is continually available.
Loving them has meant making sure the snack shelf stays full, the meals are on time, and the groceries are ordered every Friday so they know - when they are hungry, I will feed them.
The most loving thing I could say to them is, "Give them something to eat."
These words not only stand as evidence that I see them and I see their hunger …they are also proof that I care about it.
Jesus did, too.
"Give them something to eat."
The disciples find a boy with a lunch - five loaves and two fish.
It isn't enough and they know it.
And yet Jesus says, "Have the people sit down."
Lifting the lunch to the Father, He blesses it and then tells them to distribute the food to the crowd - all five thousand of them.
I can only imagine what the disciples thought.
Will it last?
How many will it feed?
One row, two rows, three.
Okay, there's still more in the basket - can we feed more?
Four, five, six...ten...twenty...
How is there still food in this basket!?
Thirty...forty rows of people...okay, last one.
How is this happening?
Oh, no - the guy in the second row wants more.
It's probably emp...what is going on! The basket is full again!
That day, everyone ate "as much as they wanted."
They left full - not just "appeased" but full.
This wouldn't just "tide them over" until their real meal.
This was the REAL MEAL.
And then...there were the leftovers.
Twelve baskets of leftovers, to be exact.
Proving that this wasn't just a filling. It was an OVERFLOWING.
And as I read this story, I am reminded that my God is still the God of More Than Enough. He is still El Shaddai - the All Sufficient One. He still a God of abundance. And when I come to Him on an empty stomach - no matter the longing, the ache, or the need - HE is "exceedingly, abundantly more" than I could ask, think, or imagine. He is able to not only fill me to full, but fill me overflowing. As David said in Psalm 23, "You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows."
Or should I say basket?
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