07 Mar 2026
"After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves."
~ John 6.12-13 NLT
The large crowd was sitting on grassy slopes. How did they go about "gathering the leftovers"? That would have been rather challenging.
Some scholars proposed that the leftovers were to feed the disciples. But Jesus could have made enough for all of them. And besides, they need to feed more than twelve people in their group. Jesus did not say "gather the leftovers to feed yourselves".
The leftovers were just "barley loaves", but he said "so that nothing is wasted".
Lesson learned: Be mindful of how I spend and consume. Everything is from God. Waste not.