8-02-15: That Nothing May Be Lost

Scripture: John 6:1-15 

John 6:1-15 recounts the story of the feeding of the five thousand, a story that is recounted in all four Gospels. Jesus asks Philip where they will get the money to feed all the people. You can just see Philip panicking as he replies that even a year’s wages would be insufficient to feed such a host. Yet, Jesus takes five barley loaves and two fish and feeds the multitude. After the meal was over, Jesus has his disciples gather up the remaining fragments (enough to fill twelve baskets!) that nothing may be lost. Honestly, I’m not sure what to do with the food part of this miracle. Did the barley loaves and fish indeed stretch to feel all those people, with more left over than when they began? Or did people see that all were sharing and pull out food they had brought with them? Personally, these considerations take a back seat to the gathering up the fragments at the end: that nothing may be lost. God gathers us the leftover fragments of our lives and brings them into the very heart of God, that nothing may be lost. This is good news indeed. See you Sunday.

Yours on the journey,

Pastor B.J.

Cover Image: Five Loaves, Two Fish by Suzanne Frie