Mar 18 – FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN!

“He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost” (John 6:12).

God provided the hunger stricken people with wonderful food. When he took the five loaves of bread and two fish and blessed the same, five thousand people were fed. That too, do you know to what extent, God gave the food? The Scripture says, “….as much as they wanted” (John 6:11).

Jesus Christ did not throw away the fragments that remained. He asked the disciples to gather the fragments which remained so that nothing is lost. He is concerned over the remains too. The disciples filled twelve baskets with the fragments that remained. It could have been ten baskets or fifteen baskets, but what happened is that twelve baskets were full. Why were the baskets twelve in number? It is only to match the number of disciples. 

In villages when they convene convention meetings, food will be provided to all. Preparing food and serving it to a big gathering is a big task, and so, the volunteers would share the entire labour among themselves. Among all the responsibilities, the job of serving will be the toughest one. Bending and serving to many will cause severe back pain to those who serve. After serving food to a few rows, the volunteers involved in serving will begin to suffer from back pain. 

That day, when Jesus Christ fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, the disciples were entrusted with the job of serving. The Scripture says, “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted” (John 6:11).

Since five thousand is too big a number, the disciples might have felt very tired. So, to appreciate their hard work in the ministry, Jesus might have liked to give each of them a basket of fragments. Each of them might have taken home a basket, served the fragments to the relatives and friends and might have shared the miracles performed by Jesus Christ with them happily. Plenty of blessings are there for all those who work for Him. 

God has done many wonderful things, and these fragments remind them. They reminded the promise “If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.” There were five loaves on that day, and in the same way, there are five wounds in the body of Jesus. Salvation is the blessing, which these wounds provide, and He gives the same to the people of the world as much as they want.    To meditate: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).