Leftovers …?

Amy was amazed. It was her very first time helping prepare and serve food at the downtown “soup kitchen,” but she was discovering that much more than soup was involved.

She had met some good cooks, but these people were simply amazing! They took whatever food was donated and turned it into fabulous (and plentiful) meals.

As she stood in the dining are looking through the large serving window into the kitchen, it looked like a well-orchestrated cooking ballet was in progress.

Amy looked up to see her best friend Stacy smiling at her. “So Amy, what do you think?”

“Wow,” was all Amy could think to say. “Just wow.”

Stacy pointed at the outside doors. “Just wait till all the people come through those doors. We’ll probably feed over 200 people today.”

“Two hundred? Seriously?” Amy pictured what that would look like. “Two hundred people? Those kitchen people aren’t just good. They’re awesome! Two hundred people fed with…leftovers…simply amazing.”

Stacy smiled again. “Oh, and that’s not the end of the story either. After that, we’ll pack up all the leftovers and take them to the homeless camps down by the river. And Tom (he’s the one making the veggies) discovered another group camping in the old warehouse down by the abandoned railroad tracks. Our motto truly is: There are no leftovers. No leftovers with Jesus, so no leftovers with His disciples (that’s us) either. That’s why we call it the ‘No Leftovers Ministry.’”

We are a culture which seems inexorably drawn to fantastic, sensational, over-the-top spectacles.

Whether in the news or on so-called “reality shows,” we are tempted (many times successfully) and drawn to give these events all our attention.

When we read about Jesus miraculously feeding thousands, our attention is drawn the same way: “Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus 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.” (John 6:10)

While all our attention is on the “miracle,” Jesus’ attention shifts to great care toward the leftovers.

We tend to overlook the very things Jesus focuses on. Here’s the “end of the story.”

“After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, ‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.’ So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.” (John 6:12-13)

Twelve tribes of Israel. Twelve disciples. And twelve baskets of “leftovers.”

Twelve. Jesus is teaching us something here. God takes what people consider leftovers, expendable, not worthy of further attention – and builds a nation (12 tribes), a foundation for the spread of the good news (12 disciples), and now — now he connects these 12 baskets of “leftovers” to that tradition in order to make the point that not only is nothing wasted, but God builds his kingdom from that which the world would discard as unworthy and useless.

Like most, your attention is probably drawn to the amazing miracle Jesus performed to feed all those people (5,000 men plus women and children). Only God could accomplish such a thing! But what about the “rest of the story” – the ending? How do you think they are connected?

As you read about Stacy and the “No Leftovers” ministry, what are your thoughts?

What/who do we throw out as “leftover,” which this Scripture teaches as needed (and perhaps even vital) to keep, use, and even build a future on?

In God’s eyes, there are no leftovers. None. God accomplishes truly miraculous things through us when our lives illustrate this eternal truth.