Ever wondered what happened to the leftovers from the feeding of the 5 thousand in John 6.
Today as my team and I were studying John 6, my teammate Taylor helped me see this chapter in a new way and kinda rocked me. She told us about a conversation she had about the 12 baskets of leftovers from the feeding. It never tells us whether or not the disciples brought the 12 baskets with them on the boat to Capernaum or not.
So, have you ever thought about what happened to them?
I for sure have but never really dug into that thought. Well today I did just that with my team, we studied this very passage this morning and we had a pretty cool conversation that still has me thinking thought the day. As the story goes Jesus performs the miracle of feeding 5 thousand people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. After all the people there have been fed and were full, the disciples collected the leftovers that equaled to 12 baskets total. Right after that Jesus slipped away into the hills and disappeared. The disciples go to the shore and wait for Jesus and he didn’t come back so they packed up the boat and headed to Capernaum, while in the boat a storm came upon the sea. The disciples were nervous and looked up and saw Jesus walking on water toward the boat and were afraid by that. Jesus said to them “Don’t be afraid, I am here.”
As my team and I were dissecting the passage, we were talking about what we thought happened to the leftovers from the feeding. Taylor brought up the possibility that the fish and loaves were in the boat with the disciples while they were freaking out about the storm going on. The disciples were just like all of us in the fact of Jesus just performed a huge miracle and then they doubted Him and His power to do another miracle. Like What?!
Sometimes when I read about the disciples or just people who were around to see Jesus perform miracles but doubted still, I would get frustrated by their lack of faith. But I can’t even get mad or frustrated because I do the exact thing with Jesus. In the disciples case Jesus just fed 5 thousand people with ONLY 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, and they get in a boat and freak out because there is a storm and question where Jesus is and if he can or will call the storm. All the while the fish and bread from that miracle could have been right in the boat with them, they can smell the fish and remember that if Jesus can feed 5 thousand people and have leftovers He can call a storm.
Jesus being who He is though, never once gave up on the disciples and said “well they just don’t get it I give up”. Time and time again he said okay I will show you again who I am and how much I love you. Jesus is so patient and has so much grace for the disciples and He does the same thing for us!
Think about it He does miracles in our lives everyday! He restores broken families, He provides 18,000 dollars to someone who wants to go and serve Him for a year, heals cancer, ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF THINGS! Yet we still doubt his grace, patience, love, and faithfulness for us so easily.
The disciples were literally sitting in the midst of the proof of one of Jesus’ many miracles….yet they still doubted. And we do the same thing, We have the stinky fish right next to us yet still doubt Him. I was just blown away and reminded to remember who Jesus is and what He has done for me in the midst of miracles and the midst of storms. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow we just have to hold on the His promises and trust Him.
This month I am clinging to this story, and trying to remember with all of the unknowns that are coming to remember my stinky fish.
What is your stinky fish that you need to remember in the midst of storms in life? We all have them, just think back to the beautiful miracles Jesus has done in you life.
#Jenskianswersthecall
