Bishop’s Devotional
Volume 1, Number 9
John 6:12-14 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples,
“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they
gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five
barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign
that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into
the world!”
John The Beloved, writing from his own witness to the life and ministry of
Jesus, takes particular note of certain details in the Feeding Of The Five
Thousand. While some take Biblical numerology to fanatical extremes,
causing much modern scholarship to avoid dealing with the symbolism
behind numbers altogether, there are indeed times when there is
theological significance to the numbers in a text.
In this case, John sees significance in the number 7 as it relates to 5 loaves
and 2 fish, as well as in the number 12, as it relates to the gathering up of
all the leftover fragments into 12 baskets that are completely filled with
those leftovers.
John wants you to be aware of a number of things in this chapter. It begins
with the challenge of having to feed five thousand men plus women and
children and the hopelessness of the disciples in trying to figure it out. The
notion of being able to feed them all with 5 loaves and 2 fish was in the
realm of the impossible.
Then we have Jesus instructing the disciples to have the people sit in
manageable groups, whereupon, He then introduces an important aspect
of the Gospel, which we have come to know as “The Eucharist” (which
means “to give thanks”).
Jesus takes the loaves and the fish, lifts them to Heaven, gives His Father
thanks for them (essentially blessing the elements), then breaking them He
distributes them to the disciples, and then the miracle of multiplication
happens.
Then Jesus gives instruction and command to gather up all the leftovers
that nothing be lost (literally the word means “to perish” or “to wholly
destroy”. They disciples gather up what amounts to 12 baskets full.
The story then moves to the people calling Him, “The Prophet” (in
fulfillment of the promise of Moses), and then they also intend to make
Him “King” (indicating they see some dimension of a Messianic fulfillment
in the miracle Jesus has performed, that combines the prophetic role with
the kingly role).
Jesus then dismisses the crowd, sends the disciples ahead of Him across the
lake, and ascends the mountain alone to pray all night. Strong contrary
winds are stirred up and slow the disciples down in their progress
considerably.
After a long period of time, He comes walking on water past their ship, and
they are terribly frightened by what they see. He reveals Himself as “I Am”,
and they receive Him into the boat, and they then find themselves on the
other side.
Once they arrive at the other side, the multitude is there to meet Him
having followed in other boats and on foot.
Jesus admonishes the multitudes not to work for the food that is “perishing”
or “lost”, and is referring back to something connected to the leftover
fragments in the 12 baskets that were collected by the disciples.
The issue of what cannot afford to be lost or perishing is laced throughout
the entire story. This is an unveiling of the nature of The Prophet-King
whose Kingdom is coming, and who in building His Kingdom is
determined that nothing be “lost”, and none be in a state of perishing and
destruction.
Therefore when you look at the twelve baskets full, you are looking at a
revelation of the Kingdom, in terms of God’s governmental order as
revealed in that which can “contain” the leftovers that nothing be lost,
nothing be in a state of perishing and destruction.
There was one basket for each of the disciples, who were charged with
gathering up the fragments, so nothing is lost and perishing. It is a picture
of the Church being preserved and not perishing. John is concerned about
this because he is writing this account in a day of decline, 3 generations
after the resurrection. The Church is already in danger of losing its
testimony.
For John, this miracle 3 generations earlier has more significance now than
it probably did the day he participated in working that miracle on the
shores of Galilee as a young apprentice of Jesus.
This aged and beloved patriarch is telling this story and seeking to remind
the followers of Jesus as to how He intends to preserve everything He takes,
blesses, breaks (and multiplies thereby), and gives to feed the nations with
His Body because of His precious Blood.
May God enlighten you further in terms of His eternal purpose and how
the Church, the visible expression of the Kingdom, is to be preserved
throughout all generations that nothing be destroyed.
The One who began this good and amazing work in us as a people and as
individuals, will be faithful to complete what He started.