Jesus Loves Leftovers

Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. (Jn. 6:12)

I've always been warned not to over-allegorize the Bible. Don't take little details and blow them up into central doctrines. But in John, I have been finding that he seems to pack a lot even in the details, like the Master. Also, I just couldn't resist here.

Last night we had some "Artisan" bread with our dinner. It was the second night in a row we had bought some from the store. My daughter said, "Is this homemade? It's wonderful!" What a pretty loaf it was. A nice oval with a cut down the middle. A shiny brown crust. It tasted pretty good too.

That's what I've always wanted to be in my Christian walk. A nice, pretty loaf that tastes good too. Not only do I look good, I actually do good as well. What a pleasant surprise that would be. Not what anyone expects at all. (I wonder why. . .)

Well, here's my reality. I'm a leftover. Partially chewed, a little stale. No perfect loaf here. There may be some good taste, but it is more a memory of a good meal rather than the real thing. Sometimes I feel downright moldy! So much for the perfect loaf dream.

Here's the good news. The new twelve tribes of Israel (and really this goes for the original as well), are like twelve baskets of left over bread pieces after a grand meal. The kingdom not only is a grand feast supplying all I need, it is also a place for the leftovers like myself. I am glad I can be part of the feast, even if it is as a left over.

Jesus said, "Gather the pieces that are left over." What a calling for these disciples! Looking at the crowds that Jesus loved and served, I can see he must really had a thing for leftovers. These were the people that had nothing to offer really. What an idea of "poor in spirit" - something almost forgotten in the back of the refrigerator! Yep, that's how I really am. The gathering of all these leftovers could only mean a future feast. Rather than say, "Throw it away and get something better," Jesus says, "Gather them for a new feast, one that comes from the power of my hands into the pieces of everyday people's lives."

Jesus said, "Let nothing be wasted." The leftovers from this feast are precious. Not because leftovers are precious, but because of the feast they come from. The kingdom of God has come in the hand of Jesus that broke the bread and multiplied it. My life may be chewed up and partially eaten, but it becomes precious when it is placed in the basket of life. To be left on the ground is to be lost, wasted. Jesus wants nothing wasted from his kingdom, even what is broken and gnawed on.

Lord, I find my desire to be a perfect loaf is constantly frustrated. Rather, let me be gathered into your life - a life that feeds and nourishes. Let me not be wasted because I have not been gathered. Truly, the gathering must be into the community of the Trinity. In that place there is not waste, but renewal and usefulness. Let me be gathered into that love and not left out because I am ashamed of being a leftover. Amen.