28th October 2023
Nothing will be wasted
Growing up, I was taught to not waste anything. We lived by the motto, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” So when I read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, I wondered if he grew up with the same saying, though perhaps worded differently. After he fed the people gathered to listen to him, he told the disciples to put the leftover pieces of broken bread into baskets, so that nothing would be lost or wasted (John 6:12). One might wonder, why bother? He could make more if he wanted. Was he just being frugal or was there more to it? Spoiler alert: there was always more to what Jesus was saying.
Some of the possible interpretations of this include the idea that Jesus was showing them the value of God’s provision and the importance of not wasting it or taking it for granted. He could also have been demonstrating his authority over nature and his power to create. And of course, we recognize the symbolism of the broken bread and Jesus’ body that would be broken for us. He later said he is the bread of life. It’s easy to imagine all of those thoughts may have been going through his mind when he told the disciples not to waste anything.
Jesus isn’t wasteful in any way. All of the bread was eaten. Pain, suffering, trials – all can be used by him to bring about good. His broken body redeems us all. No life is wasted in his hands. None of us are throwaways, because we are all made in the image of God. This world and everything in it belong to him and is precious, with nothing and no one to be lost or wasted. What a marvelous insight into who he is – a God who won’t waste even a leftover piece of bread!
Study by Tammy Tkach
First published on 26 September 2023, at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
About the writer:
Tammy Tkach is the Assistant Pastor of the Eugene, Oregon, USA, Grace Communion International congregation. She is a speaker and writer, and publishes a blog at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
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