Don't waste the abundance...the broken pieces...the crumbs...

Don't waste the abundance ....the broken pieces...the crumbs...

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Mark 6:39-44

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Mark 7:24-30

Reading the first passage, the collection of the broken pieces of bread and fish left from feeding the five thousand, I was struck with the thought of not even wasting the abundance...or the broken pieces...they were important...
These scraps started out as five whole loaves and two fish, fed so many, and still there were leftovers...but, then the disciples collected the broken pieces....no waste...

But, then the narrative of the Grecian woman followed in Mark shortly after...she was not part of the nation of Isreal, the chosen people...but she believed that Jesus could heal her daughter...she wanted those "crumbs or leftovers" from the "table" of Jesus' healing presence...she had the faith....how she must have praised him when she went home to find her daughter well...I imagine that someday we will see her...

Jesus came to the Jews, but he also came for the world  that all might be saved...he fed them, came to them first, they were his chosen people from Abraham on...nations were to be blessed from him...the sands of the sea, uncountable blessed...he came for the broken, the sin filled, mankind as well...His abundance is our gift...

Thank YOU for your abundance that was not wasted ....the broken is important to You...the crumbs fed the world ...and we have been blessed...


(I wonder what happened to those baskets of leftovers, one for each disciple, tribe....hummmm)