Waste Not!
Comments(3)
Many of us know the story of the feeding of the 5,000. This story is in all of the Gospels, which is rare because of the whole book of John, 93% of it is unique to that book and not found anywhere else in the New Testament. So the miracle of feeding five thousand falls into the 7% of the book that is found elsewhere.
So Jesus and his disciples go to the east side of the Sea of Galilee and upon arriving, Jesus looks and sees the people and is concerned not only for their spiritual state, but also their physical condition. Philip tells Him that boy has five barley cakes and two fish. Jesus takes them them thanks the Father and then distributed them among the people. There was so much that everyone was satisfied. And then Jesus said John 6:12, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” F.F. Bruce, a New Testament scholar, wrote in his book entitled The Gospel of John the following commentary from this verse:
When the Lord supplies His people’s needs, there is abundance but no waste. His directions to the disciples convey an important practical lesson. To waste food which we do not need, when many live at starvation level, is an insult to the Divine Giver. (pg. 145)Oh what a simple lesson and yet often we fail to follow our Lord’s example. I often take more food than I can eat and end up throwing some of it away, but I must be a good steward of the food that is given me, just as in everything else. I guess I never thought about trashing food as an insult to God. Jesus still did not waste even though the leftovers were divinely made. It wasn’t like He was trying to save out of lacking, but out of abundance. How much more should we conserve and not waste the food that God has graciously given us.
Good thoughts! After reading your post I am reminded of a testimony today in chapel from a group of students who went to Egypt on a mission’s trip and how they had to travel through a place in Egypt called Garbage City in order to get to the Cave Church and how the people there rummage through the trash looking for food or anything of value that they can sell in order to make at least $1. And how if they can get just that much they are happy about it. We are so blessed here in America and it is way too easy to take those blessings for granted.
Very good! We need to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us–no matter how much He’s given us!
I like what you said about Christ conserving not out of need but out of plenty. He has abundant power and resources, but He knows the importance of stewardship. I guess you would know quite a bit about stewarship if you were the sustainer of everything….
Man. What an amazing point. This is not just a principle to live by cause mamma said so!