More Than Bread, More Than Fish – Twelve Baskets Full….Now What? (Part IV)
Sermon Title: More Than Bread and Fish – Full Baskets… Now What?
Good News Statement: Jesus fills our baskets
Preached: Sunday, May 15th, 2025 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): Luke 9:12-17 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke. The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 people on the shore of Galilee from two little fish and five loaves of bread is more than a miracle focused on bread and fish. It’s miracle of work, fellowship, restoration, and preparations. Our exploration of this text begins with reminding us that we have work to do for Christ. Our scripture reading is Luke Chapter Nine, verses Twelve thru Seventeen. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.
Feeding the 5,000 People
12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside to lodge and get provisions, for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were filled, and what was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
The following Sermon Series will be drawn from the words of Biblical Scholar Charles R. Swindoll, who offers commentary and thoughts on the Gospel of Luke in his book ”Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke” published in 2012 by Zondervan Publications in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012.
Introduction: [1]
The Twelve Disciples had followed their Master, Jesus, to Bethsaida[2] and then beyond, into the hill country, eager to report their experiences and—and best of all—to enjoy a period of much-needed rest. They had returned with mixed emotions: exhausted after long days of ministry but energized by their experience. After watching Jesus exercise divine authority over the dominion of evil, healing the sick and commanding demons to release their victims, they never dreamed of having that kind of power themselves. They had contented themselves with the privilege of assisting the Messiah, perhaps one day ruling under his administration. But then they received power and authority from Jesus. For several weeks, the Twelve fanned out across Galilee proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom and validating their message with Messiah-like miracles. While physically demanding, those weeks on the road must have felt absolutely amazing!
They were starting to see a pattern, the beginning of an agenda, and it made perfect sense. Jesus came to eradicate evil by reestablishing the kingdom of God on earth. He trained twelve deputies and delegated his power and authority to them so they could wage war just like their Master. They would, in turn, train disciples of their own, and when they were ready, pass on their divine power. Generation by generation, an ever-increasing army of disciples would proclaim, heal, cast out demons, and recruit yet more disciples. It was brilliant! Their idyllic thinking left them dreaming that within a few generations, evil wouldn’t stand a chance.
But before they could process all what had happened, before they had a chance to regain their strength, a sea of people surged, bringing with them waves of human need. Suddenly, for all their divine power, the Twelve Disciples found themselves powerless to meet the most basic human need of all: the need to eat. Before long they realized they didn’t understand the agenda nearly as well as they thought. They were now challenged to find a way to feed 5,000 people on the shore of Galilee from two little fish and five loaves of bread.
This famous miracle, which appears in all Four Gospels[3], is a true testament to not only the work of Jesus, but also to the work that Jesus calls us to do. Believe it or not, there is more to this miracle than bread and fish. As a matter of fact, when examined closely, one can see that there is an element of Jesus needing us to do something for him, an ingredient of fellowship, a task to let Jesus restore our lives, and lastly a call to consider what we do with what Jesus gives us. The people are not just fed with bread and fish on the shore of Galilee; they are given the tools to keep Jesus’ ministry alive. Are you on the shore of Galilee?
Body:
I would like to begin today’s message by offering a brief recap of where we have been. Three weeks ago, we learned that for whatever reason the Twelve Disciples were trying to get out of a challenge of taking care of the people by telling Jesus to send the crowd of people away. Jesus responds to the Disciples request, “You give them something to eat” (Luke 9:13). This single sentence or command spoken by Jesus directly to the Disciples, in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, is the same in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus wants the Disciples to do some work, specifically for the people, and to not shy away from a challenge. Even before Jesus multiplies the bread and fish, he is teaching his Disciples and us a lesson. In times of challenges, as a disciple and as a church, we are called not to shy away from them or develop some sort of excuse, praying that they go away, but to approach them knowing that Jesus is with us every step of the way: that the challenge before us is not to weaken us or defeat us, but to make us stronger in our faith.
Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that we have work to do: we are called to “give the people something to eat.” As a disciple, it is our job to find ways and methods to strengthen our faith, to be the hands and feet of Christ on this earth, and to do what we can today so that we can face tomorrow. As a church, it is our job to meet the people where they are, to feed those in and outside our church, to keep our church alive, and to develop ministries by which spiritually nurturer the people. Jesus has work for us to do, but are we willing to do the work, even if it means being challenged to do something new?
Two weeks ago we read Luke 9:13-15: “[The Disciples] said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’ (For there were about five thousand men.) And [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ They did so and had them all sit down.” For starters, the Twelve found themselves in a state of panic. The Twelve searched for what they could find and found nothing, except a mere five loaves of bread and two small fish. John’s narrative tells us the fish and bread were part of a little boy’s lunch, so neither the loaves nor the fish could have been very large (John 6:9).[4] Talk about being in a dilemma! And Jesus needs the Disciples to give the people something to eat, from practically nothing. They are faced with yet another challenge.
Jesus gives the Disciples another command. Jesus tells them, “Have [the people] sit down in groups of about fifty each” (Luke 9:14).[5] This moment of the miracle teaches us two things: First, sitting down is essential to having a healthy relationship with Christ, and second, Jesus provides us with opportunities to fellowship. First, when was the last time you simply sat down—took a break—because Jesus told you to? When was the last time you did anything for yourself that allowed you the chance to recharge, re-center, and refocus your life? No matter what you are going through in your life, no matter how busy your life may seem, if you truly open your ears to Christ, you will hear him inviting you to sit down and take a break. If God rested on the Sabbath, if Jesus rested on a boat, then certainly we can find some time to sit down and rest.[6]
Second, the people were not only instructed to sit down, but they were instructed to sit in groups of fifty each. Why? To create a moment of fellowship: to establish a moment when the people could gather together. Fellowship is essential to the ministry of Christ. Fellowship in the Bible is God’s people working and experiencing life together, building each other up to greater works of love. The people, whether they knew each other or not, whether they came from the same village or not, whether they believed in Jesus or not, whether they looked the same or not, whether they acted the same or not, whether they were wearing the same colored robe or not, whether they were having a good day or not, whether they had joys or burdens to share, sat and shared a meal together. Fellowship is what reminds people that they aren’t alone. Fellowship grants the people the opportunity to catch up, to say “hello”, and to ask how the family is doing. Fellowship is what brings order to our chaotic life because it reminds us to sit down.[7]
Last week, we not only observed how Jesus continually provided bread and fish for the people, as the disciples ran back and forth distributing the meal to the groups of people, but we saw how the actions taken by Jesus when multiplying the bread and fish are actions which Jesus performs in our life to revive us again. Luke 9:16 reads, “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.” Jesus receives us, looks upon us, blesses us, breaks us to mend us, and instructs us to give to the people. As a matter of fact, we pray to have Jesus take us into his care, we pray that Jesus looks up to heaven with us in his heart, we pray that we are blessed in some way that reminds us that we are favored by God, we pray that when we feel broken that Jesus is able to put us back together, and we pray we are able to give ourselves to God, allowing God to use us to do His will in our life. What Jesus did with the bread and fish is what he does in our life on a daily basis. It’s through his actions that we are made whole and revived.
Today, we conclude are sermon series on Jesus Feeding the 5,000 on the Shore of Galilee but being reminded that we are charged to find ways to create baskets of left overs to feed the people of not just today but of tomorrow. What are you doing to create leftovers? What are we doing as a church to keep our baskets full?
Movement One: An Examination of the Text…
For the past several weeks, I have been saying (and hopefully exemplifying) that the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 people, which is appears in all four Gospels, is more than bread and more than fish. It is actually a miracle that invites us to examine our own faith, the works of our discipleship, and the tasks before us as a church. What some have said took anywhere from 4-19 hours to accomplish, is something that will take us a lifetime to fully comprehend but also something that we can do today.[8] The people who gathered on the Shores of Galilee were given a meal that saved their life. Whether they believed in Jesus or not, whether they trusted Jesus or not, whether they chose to follow Jesus or not, whether they thought the same way as their neighbor or not, whether they looked like their neighbor or not, and whether they worshipped in the same ways as their neighbor or not, the people were fed and Jesus is the one who provided that meal.
What took place almost 2,000 years ago on the Shore of Galilee in the presence of 5,000 people plus women, plus children, plus the Disciples, is what we are called to continue today. We are called to feed the people. We are called to create baskets full of leftovers. But how do we do that, and what does that look like?
Let’s remind ourselves of our scripture passage. Luke 9:17 states, “And all ate and were filled, and what was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.” As the requests for food dwindled down to nothing, Jesus completed the ministry lesson with a final task. Swindoll notes, “The Twelve [Disciples] gathered the leftover pieces of bread and fish the Lord had broken, presumably those that remained after all the people were full. Each of the disciples gathered enough to fill a kophinos, a wicker basket used by travelers to carry enough provision for a journey of two or three days (Judges 6:19; Psalm 80:7).”[9]
So, after the people have been fed, ate and were filled, Jesus orders the Disciples to gather what was leftover and to place the leftovers in twelve baskets. Some have asked why twelve? Well, twelve could relate to the Twelve Disciples, to the Twelve tribes of Israel, to the Twelve gates, angels, foundations of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, to the Tree of Life that will bear Twelve fruits (Revelation 22), or Twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament.[10] For some biblical scholars, the number twelve is a sign of perfection. Those twelve baskets were evidence of Jesus’ perfect action and the fact that we are invited to partake from those baskets is a blessing since we are not perfect.
Some have asked about the size of the baskets. In the New Testament, there are three possible words used to describe the potential size of the baskets. In Greek, these words are kophines, kranion, and spuris. Kophines and kranion are described as something you would take on a picnic or put on the front of a bike, which is the possible size of the baskets described in the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The third word used to describe the size of the baskets is used in the feeding of the 4,000 (Matthew 15:29-39 and Mark 8:1-21): spuris, which refers to a larger kind of basket—sort of the size of a hamper. Scholars don’t know how the specific dimensions of this kind of basket, but they have concluded that it was large enough to hold a person, based on Acts 9:25.
In Acts 9:25, the Apostle Paul was lowered from the roof of a house in a spuris, the same kind of basket used in the miracle of feeding the 4,000. Although, noting the size of the baskets used to hold the leftover bread and fish is important and a good visualization of how much was actually left over, I believe what is more important is the realization that those baskets allow us to witness that God is not in the business of simply just giving enough, but is in the business of giving more than enough. Ephesians 3:20 states, “Now to him (referring to both God and Jesus) is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” And in 2 Corinthians 9:8, we read these words from the Apostle Paul, “And God is able to you give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Before even focusing on the leftovers themselves, Luke is inviting us to understand the perfection of this miracle—and how we are part of this miracle just as we are—and that through the twelve baskets we witness a God that is always willing to provide more than enough. When we feel drained and worn out and tired, God is providing us what we need to keep going. If you don’t believe me, then just look at your own life.
Think about those moments when storms were raging in your life and you somehow made it to the other side: God provided you care and protection. Think about those times when the pieces weren’t fitting together but yet, somehow, the puzzle was completed: God provided mending. Think about those moments when life seemed against you—nothing was going your way—but yet you are here today: God fulfilled your needs. Consider those times when darkness prevailed but God provided you with a light of hope that is still shining. Consider that moment when God did something that you thought He would never do causing you to question Him or even maybe despise Him and in those moments God provided comfort and helped you. Consider the many messes that He has turned into messages, the multitude of trials that morphed into triumphs, and the several failures that transformed into faithful promises of hope.
In all aspects and avenues of your life, God provided you more than enough to see things through. How do I know that? Because you are here today! God gives us not only what we need, but He gives us more than we need because He knows we will need it: we will need that extra care, that extra support, that extra smile, that extra strength, that extra ounce of understanding and patience, that extra hand to wipe away our tears, that extra glimmer of hope. The baskets Jesus has given us are more than full: they “runneth over.”
This notion is probably why some scholars suggest that each Disciple was given a basket to use as provisions during their journeys, which was more than what was given to them when they were sent out two by two to do the work of Jesus. Remember the Disciples were told to take nothing for their journey: “neither staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics” (Luke 9:3). But here, the Disciples were given a basket to provide for themselves and others with more than they needed to do the work of Jesus Christ. It’s through each basket that the Disciples’ faith began to “runneth over”. It’s through each basket that the Disciples and so many others realized that they are in the business of giving more than enough for the people in need.
When ending his commentary on this particular section of Jesus feeding the 5,000, Swindoll emphasizes that what the Disciples witnessed on the Shore of Galilee is what they will need to do as they carry out the works of Jesus. Swindoll notes, “Jesus taught the men to embrace their inadequacies as an opportunity to let the power of God flow through them and accomplish the impossible…. He taught the apostles to face with complete abandon the impossible tasks they would soon encounter, admitting their own inadequacies in order to receive the Lord’s overabundant supply.”[11] It’s through those baskets that the Disciples witnessed the impossible, witnessed a miracle, and witnessed an overabundant supply of faith. What does this look like today?
Movement Two: Baskets Full in John Wesley…
This past Saturday, May 24th (and even today), Methodists gathered to honor and respect the individual who created the movement known as the People Called Methodists. May 24th is known as “Wesley Day,” and it marks the day when John Wesley got the order of salvation right. Prior to May 24th, 1738, John Wesley believed he had to be perfect before God would forgive him of his sins. Instead, after attending a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, John Wesley realized that we don’t have to be perfect to be forgiven by God. We can be forgiven right here, right now—imperfect as we are—because that is what God does: He forgives us today and doesn’t wait until we are “perfect.” When Wesley realized this, as his journal notes, he expressed, “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”[12]
The warming of John Wesley’s heart on Aldersgate Street is a prime example of what it means to realize that God has given you a basket full of leftovers to share. The warming of John’s heart not only proved that his sins could be forgiven, but it reassured him that God had a plan for him: a plan to share what God had given him, a plan to help others find Christ in their life, a plan to feed the multitude, and a plan to keep the message of Christ alive. On May 24th, 1738, John Wesley’s basket was running over. It was running over with what Steve Harper describes as the “five marks of a Methodist”: 1) A Methodist Loves God, 2) A Methodist Rejoices in God, 3) A Methodist Gives Thanks, 4) A Methodist Prays Constantly, and 5) A Methodist Loves Others.
Love of God: Our life in Christ begins in the fact that we love God. We are like Peter, sitting with Jesus on the shore in John 21:15-19 and hearing him ask three times, “Do you love me?” There is no other starting point for the life of faith or the journey of discipleship or even spiritual formation, than to say we love God. But, when you say you love God, what do you mean you love God? Do you love God because He is there for you? Because He cares for you, sees you, and hears you? Because He answered your prayers when you prayed that your car would start? Do you love God because He loves you? Why do you love God? And how many times does Jesus need to ask you, “Do you love me?” before you respond to His question.[13] Our basket should be filled with the love of God.
Rejoice: When one of my good friends from seminary sends me an email, she ends the email by using these words: “with His joy.” For my friend, this phrase is much more than a happy-go-lucky way of ending a communication. It captures the spirit of biblical living. It brings forth the words of Nehemiah 8:10 “Don’t be sad, because the joy from the LORD is your strength.” It leads me to understand that when I rejoice in the LORD, His joy shines through me to others as my heart is strangely warmed. While standing in the stream of the Christian saints, John Wesley said, “God is the joy of his heart.” How many of you have the joy of God in your heart? How many of you have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in heart to stay? Through this joy, Wesley shows us that joy (like everything else) flows from the love of God and should be something that is placed within our basket.
Give Thanks: In 2 Corinthians 9:15, Paul wrote, “Thank God for his gift that words can’t describe”; and in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When was the last time you gave thanks to God for what God has done, is doing, and may do in your life? This thanks doesn’t have to be complicated: it can be simple and still change your life.[14] In your basket is placed the practice of gratitude.
Pray Constantly: Prayer is the way we create and sustain our relationship with God, it’s a conversation. John Wesley viewed prayer as a means of grace, saying that “the chief of these means is prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation.” He goes on to say, “The heart of a disciple is a heart of attentiveness, and devoting ourselves to prayer is the main way we confirm our desire to hear from God and then put what we have heard into action.” The key element in prayer isn’t what we say to God but rather what God says to us. Wesley knew that by praying from the heart, it is possible to be fully engaged in the affairs of life while simultaneously being attentive to God and to others. In your basket is the reminder to pray.
Love Others: We are simply called to love others. In the second greatest commandment Jesus calls us to “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:33) which echoes the words spoken by God in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The United Methodist Book of Discipline asserts, “We affirm that God’s grace is available to all. We will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.” Christ’s love is something that Wesley didn’t wait to share. As a matter of fact, Wesley hastens to say it extends to people we don’t know, and to people whose lives are not like our own, and to people we don’t necessarily agree with. It extends even to our enemies. We are called to love others.[15] In all that we do, in all that we say, in all the places we go, we are called to help God by showing Him our love and by offering our love to all people. When we love others with the same love Christ gives us, our heart is strangely warmed. Probably the most important thing that Jesus places in our basket is his love for us and for others.
As followers of Christ, our baskets are full: they are full with what gives us a heart that is strangely warmed: our love of God, rejoicing in God, giving thanks to God, praying to God, and loving others as God loves them. If we have those things in our basket, then the devil stands no chance, people will be found, people will be heard, people will see the light, and the church will continue to grow and grow and grow. Those twelve baskets of leftovers are a call to each of us to pass on what Jesus has given us. Kurt Kaiser wrote in his hymn Pass It On, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone; you want to pass it on.” It only takes one item from your basket to change someone’s life, to show them that God loves them.
John Wesley’s heart was strangely warmed because he finally realized what was in his basket. What was in his basket was more than bread and fish: it was more than enough to start a movement that lead and continues to lead others to experience the love of Christ in their life. What is in your basket?
Movement Three: What is in your Basket?
The time has come to think about what is in your basket and how you are going to use the leftovers. I will be honest with you, I enjoy me some good leftovers: sometimes eating leftovers for two to three days after the meal or thing was originally made. Sometimes I find that the leftovers taste better the next day. I don’t know why that it is! Do any of you enjoy leftovers?
As you know, there were leftovers after Jesus finished feeding the 5,000. They weren’t placed in cool whip containers but in baskets. There were twelve baskets full of fish and bread. How much? I don’t know. But there was enough to fill those baskets—maybe a two or three day supply for each Disciple. The question that I ask myself, every time I read this verse, is “What am I doing with my leftovers?” What are you doing with your leftovers? If we consider the literal sense of this moment in the miracle, the leftovers represent food. According, feedingamerica.org, “47 million people in the United States are food insecure; 14 million about 1 in 5 children in the United States are food insecure; greater than 50 million people turned to food programs in 2023; and 100% of U.S. counties have food insecurity.”[16] What makes these statistics even more discomforting is the fact that “92 billion pounds of food go to waste each year which equates to 145 billion meals, 38% of all food goes unsold or uneaten, and 51.7% of waste comes from the food industry.”[17] Jesus, even during his time, knew that people were food insecure, so he deliberately created baskets of leftovers to help those who were in need of food. Notice that Jesus never tells the Disciples that what is left they can eat, or that what is left is strictly for the people: Jesus simply says there are baskets of food leftover so that we, as his disciples, can use it in a way that meets the needs of the people before the devil spoils it.
Here in Oblong, we are trying to do just that. Volunteers from differing churches come together twice a month to help with the local Food Pantry, which hands out 30-40 boxes per month, with hopes of reducing the food insecurity in our area. During the school year and throughout the summer, the organization Nutrition on the Weekends (or NOW), sends free lunches home for children in the Crawford County school system on Fridays so that the children will have food over the weekend. Our community is finding ways to use its “leftovers” to help those who are hungry and are in need. The food in those baskets is a visual reminder that there is a need that needs to be met and taken care of no matter where we happen to be.
Now, if we take the food metaphorically, we have a few questions to ask. First, what has God given you that can be used to help someone else? God has given us all “leftovers”—gifts, talents, ideas, suggestions, etc.—to strengthen our faith, but are you using what God has given you or have you let it spoil? There are many reasons to why we let things spoil: we forget about things, we ignore things, we don’t believe in what God needs us to do, we don’t have confidence in ourselves, we don’t want to get out of our comfort zone, we are afraid of failing, we don’t want to add something to our already busy schedule…so we let things spoil, we don’t give things a chance. But sooner or later, what we let spoil will begin to smell. It will begin to smell so bad that we can no longer ignore it. God doesn’t give us more than enough to have it spoil and smell. God gives us more than enough so that we share with others what we have. God has given you something that He doesn’t want to get spoiled. He has given you something by which can create leftovers for the next generation, to keep your faith alive, to keep the word of God alive, to keep this church alive.
Many will call what God has given you “spiritual gifts.” The Apostle Paul notes to the people of Ephesus, “God gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11). It’s through those “spiritual gifts”—what you are good at that draws others toward Christ—that will help feed those who are hungry. So, what sort of leftovers has God given you, and what are you doing with those leftovers?
Second, what are we doing as a church to create leftovers? What are we doing as a church to share those leftovers with others? Did you know that what we do as a church today impacts tomorrow? Did you know that what we do today effects the next generation? Did you know that if a church doesn’t seek ways to generate leftovers, then there is a chance that sooner or later there won’t be a church? The leftovers produced by a church are a reflection of the motivation, care, and faith of the people. The leftovers produced by a church are signs that the church is seeking to grow. The leftovers produced by a church are implications that the church is seeking to meet the needs of those both inside and outside its walls. The leftovers produced by the church are the result of different ministries, of listening to what God is calling them to do, hearing and seeing the needs of the people, casting nets into the deep water, taking risks, forming opportunities of fellowship, and realizing that there is always work to be done.
You, as a church, have done so many things to generate leftovers. How do I know that? Because you are here today! There are people sitting in the pews; there are people attending Sunday School; there are people attending Bible Study; there are people sharing ideas and volunteering; there are people inviting others to attend this church; there are kids smiling, laughing, and playing on the playground; there are people who check with others from the church; there are moments of fellowship outside of Sunday mornings; there is interest in how to keep the church moving forward; and there is physical fruit being produced by what you are doing. We are creating leftovers; but my question is, “Are there more leftovers by which we could be producing?”
Conclusion:
As I have been saying for the past three weeks, the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is more than bread and more than fish. It is a story about overcoming challenges, about doing the work of Christ, about taking time to fellowship, about realizing that God gives us more than enough, and about encouraging us to find ways to not only fill our baskets but to find ways to produce and share our leftovers. On the Shores of Galilee, 5,000 people came to Jesus hungry and after being fed, 5,000 people left full: some were physically full and others were spiritually full.
The time has come to continue this story in your own walk with Christ and in our church. There are people out there that need to be fed. There are challenges that need to be overcome. And there is work that Christ needs us to do. What are you going to do with your “leftovers”? What is our church going to do to create more “leftovers”?
As we close this message, I invite you to hear these words spoken by John Wesley as a prayer. Hopefully, these words will not only warm your heart but will inspire you to really consider what God is calling you to do as a disciple and as a church. John Wesley called this prayer The Covenant Prayer: “I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”[18]
Let it be so…
Closing Prayer:
Let us Pray… Dear Jesus, thank you for the miracle that took place on the Shores of Galilee. From the miracle, we are fed more than bread and fish: we are fed your word, your instruction, and your love. Help us each day to live out this miracle in our own life as we find ways to provide for those in our life through the leftovers you give us. In your name we pray, Amen.
Benediction:
Do you have leftovers? Are you producing leftovers? What are you doing to fill twelve baskets? Jesus has give you what you need to do his work, now the time has come to give the people something to eat. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth finding ways to feed the people. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 225-226.
[2] According to John 1:44, Bethsaida was the hometown of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. In the Gospel of Mark (Mark 8:22–26), Jesus reportedly restored a blind man’s sight at a place just outside the ancient village of Bethsaida. In Luke 9:10–11, Jesus miraculously feeds five thousand near Bethsaida.
[3] Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; and John 6:5-14
[4] That would explain why John records the Disciples asking Jesus after seeing what the boy had to offer, “But what are they among so many people?” (John 6:9). According to Mark and John, the Disciples also considered what it would cost to feed all those present. They said in Mark, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” (Mark 6:37); and one of the Disciples, Philip, said in John, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little” (John 6:7). Keep in mind that a single denarii during the time of Jesus—worth about 4 to 15 cents in today’s money—was a single day’s worth of wages during the time of Jesus. In order to feed 5,000 people, it would cost 200 days’ worth of wages. And according to Matthew’s account, there were more than 5,000 people: “And those who ate were five thousand men, besides (or in addition to) women and children” (Matthew 14:21). That would equate, notes Swindoll, “to as many as 12,000 to 15,000 people.”
[5] Have you ever asked yourself why Jesus wanted the people to sit down? They had been following him all day, and just like the Disciples, maybe the people needed an opportunity to rest. Perhaps, having the people sit prevented the people from having to stand in long lines for an extended period of time waiting for food. Maybe, having the people sit down was Jesus’ way to bring order to a chaotic situation. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Maybe Jesus was trying to bring calmness and peace to a situation that was on the verge of becoming out of hand.
[6]The more I read this miracle, the more I begin to see what Jesus was doing at this point. The crowd is sitting in groups much like what would have happened during any gathering in those days. The Disciples are given the food to set before the people. The head of the table would take the food and pass it to the next person, who would pass it to the next person, who would pass it to the next person, and so-on and so-forth until everyone had food to eat. Jesus, whether his Disciples realize it or not, is preparing them to feed the people when he is gone; and the Disciples are preparing the people sitting down to feed the people when they are gone. In groups of fifty people each, the good news—the message of Jesus Christ—is being shared from person to person to person, allowing each person to do the work of Christ. What is happening is what we are called to do as disciples and as a church: feed the people of today so that they can feed the people of tomorrow.
[7] Fellowship in the Bible is God’s people working and experiencing life together, building each other up to greater works of love. Fellowship on the shore of Galilee is God’s people taking a moment to sit down and rest. Fellowship during the ministry of Jesus is God’s people, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be able to share the good news with those around the table and beyond. Fellowship in the church is the church’s chance to do something outside of its normal time of worship—the church’s chance to revitalize the life of the church. And fellowship in your life is an opportunity to gather with others to have a good time and catch up.
[8] How long did it take to feed the people? – According to reddit.com, “Let’s say it takes the average person 10 seconds to grab enough bread and fish to feed himself and his family and another 4 seconds to pass the basket. 14 seconds per person multiplied by 5000 people is over 19 hours to pass out the food.” Other resources have said 4-6 hours. If others besides the disciples helped pass out the food, then the time would decrease.
[9] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 227.
[10] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/12-interesting-facts-about-number-12-in-the-bible.html: Jesus spoke at 12 in the temple, 12 cakes were placed in the Tabernacle, 12 princes, 12 spies scouted the Promised Land, Nebuchandezzar’s dream was fulfilled after 12 months, 12 tribes came to battle, Solomon appointed 12 governors, Elisha worked with 12 oxen, 12 priests were chosen, 12 stones placed on the breast piece of Arron…
[11] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 227.
[12] https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-is-aldersgate-day
[13] In many ways, love of God was John Wesley’s keynote theme for the rest of his life and ministry. We see it continuing in his sermon “Scriptural Christianity” (1744) where he lays the foundation of the love of God in ways that are remarkably similar to what he said in The Character of a Methodist. While looking at the first Christians on the Day of Pentecost, Wesley noted, “This then was the very essence of his faith…the love of God the Father.” There is no greater day in the Christian life than when we discover that salvation means wholeness. It doesn’t merely mean going to heaven when we die; it means living abundantly while we are here on this earth. “But for this to happen,” states Harper, “we must love God.” Having received God’s love first (1 John 4:19), we love God in return with everything we are and have. We do it in relation to every aspect of our life. We do it every day and to everyone. This is the first and foremost mark of a disciple. We must love God.
[14] Wesley offers us four things to consider when thinking about giving thanks to God. First, Wesley notes that gratitude is the Christian’s response to God. Gratitude is the response to grace. Second, gratitude is grounded in the nature of God, in the works of God, in the ways of God, and in the teachings of God. Gratitude guides us towards goodness and avoiding harm. Third, gratitude is a means of leading us out of anxiety. Because God is good, we can cast all our anxiety on God (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6). And fourth, gratitude leads to prayer and realizing that we are never a bother to God; and no matter whether we understand what is happening or not, we can always “take it to the Lord in prayer.”
[15] And this love leads us to pray these words from Frank Laubach, “Lord, what are you doing in the world today that I can help you with?”
[16] https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america, accessed May 21, 2025.
[17] https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america, accessed May 21, 2025.
[18] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/blog/the-wesley-covenant-prayer-and-the-baptismal-covenant, accessed May 21, 2025.