Let Nothing Be Wasted
We stood at the front of the church, arms around each other. Other worshipers surrounded us. My tears fell on her tight braids as she hugged me back. My mouth moved, and I continued to pray for God’s healing over her past and that she would use the comfort she receives to comfort others in return. As our tears mingled, I prayed that God would guide her to future spaces and work he had prepared for her. I didn’t know her whole story, just the bits she shared during our encounter. But I could imagine, despite our age difference, what she might be feeling.
Almost like a coincidence, I had studied John 6 with a group of ladies the week before over Zoom. The passage of Jesus feeding the crowd of people with five loaves and two fish was familiar, but something about verse 12 stuck out to me, “When they had all had enough to eat, [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ ”
Only in John is the command to gather up the leftover pieces recorded. Commentaries note that it is not the leftovers or “crumbs” from the people who “had enough to eat” but the original pieces broken from the bread that were collected. The miracle had exceeded the need. Jesus, as he broke the bread and fish for people to eat, made too much food.
Commentary McLaren’s explained it as this, “‘Gather up,’ says our Lord, ‘the pieces which I broke, the large provision which I made for possible wants. My gifts are in excess of the requirements of the moment. Take care of them till you need them.’ “
Perhaps that is why I prayed for my sister-in-Christ’s future in that way. When we go through struggles of all kinds, I don’t think they should be wasted.
What Nature Shows Us about “Let Nothing be Wasted”
C.S. Lewis says that nature can’t show us anything we don’t already know about God, but nature can show us God’s splendor. He wrote, “Nature gave the word glory a meaning for me.” ¹ With that in mind, I tiptoe softly.
I have been fascinated with vultures since my family and I attended a bird show at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. It was a crispy December day, and my husband and I held our toddler between us as owls and hawks flew over our heads in mesmerizing, sometimes frightening, dips. But despite all the majestic birds we saw that day, the awkward vulture captured my fascination.
I had never before paid attention to the vultures who picked at roadkill on the side of the road, but after what the educator shared, I grew an appreciation for carrion birds.
Did you know that vultures urinate around their meal before they eat it? Their urine is a powerful antiseptic that removes any germs, pathogens, and diseases that the dead animal may have transferred to the ground. If left, these organisms could infect other animals or humans.
The job of the vulture is just one example of God’s thoughtful design of our world. The role of leaves is another. Dead vegetation decomposes to bring health to the soil. When we lived in South Carolina, I learned about the magic of rainbow swamps. The leaves from the Cyprus trees fall into the swamp water. As the leaves decompose, they release natural oils, which bring a film to the top of the water. If the winter temperature is cold enough and the sun hits the water at the right angle, the oil produces a rainbow of colors. (Google it. It’s fascinating.)
Through these cycles God placed in nature, the “leftovers” are useful, even creating their own beauty.
Why Does God Care about the Leftovers?
As someone who has moved frequently, I can get behind the idea of “waste not.” Although it rubs against our commercial culture’s bent of “more is more” and “just buy the newer version,” the idea of using what you have been given appeals to me. My family buys less and uses what we have. I compost our vegetable scraps and cut ripped pajamas into dish rags. I make broth from our leftover chicken carcass, and I don’t buy knick-knacks because why pack more boxes if you don’t have to?
But the idea that Jesus, whose miracle fed thousands, wants the leftovers is mindblowing. First, God, who is all-knowing, created more than was needed. He knew there would be leftovers, yet he is a God who provides what is needed. In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about the birds of the air and how he takes care of them. Why wouldn’t he take care of us? (v. 26)
And it’s not just the leftover bread that he cares about. The English word “wasted” is translated from the Greek word apolētai. It implies being lost or perishing. It is used in the celebrated John 3:16, “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” NASB. But the word is also used in Matthew 18 with the story of the lost sheep. Although most sheep are safe in the pen, the shepherd still looks for the lost one. In this story, we realize it’s not enough for God to safely have most of the sheep (or his people) in the pen. He seeks after the lost ones, too.
The Waste of Our Suffering
So if we believe that God created systems in nature where nothing is wasted, and we know he takes care of us and wants the best for us, even giving us more than we need, I wonder about the pain and struggle we are allowed to go through. As God takes us on the journey of “green pastures” and the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23), do we believe that the troubles we go through shouldn’t be wasted?
I don’t want to put a happy bow on every experience saying, “God has a reason.” The reasons why God allows us to go through different situations are a mystery. A quick look in the Bible, and you’ll see very different reasons people of God suffered. (For example, a few that come to mind are Job, King David, Hannah, the prophet Elijah, and the apostle Paul.)
Bible commentator Paul D. Hanson wrote, “Suffering does not necessarily lead to spiritual growth. It can lead to scapegoating the other as the cause, or even to blaming God. Only suffering that leads to repentance of sin and throwing self completely on God’s mercy can redeem suffering by transforming it into an openness to God’s healing power.” ²
Even the apostle Paul admitted to a “thorn in his flesh” that God did not take away from him (see 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10). But in exchange, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (v. 9). Many people believed in Christ through Paul. Paul decided that even in circumstances where he was suffering (jail, shipwrecked, beaten), he could give glory to God and be a witness for Christ.
What if, by sharing our story, we can draw others to the great shepherd? Under Jesus, even the leftovers were many. The very things in our lives that have caused pain and suffering, the things we wish could be thrown away, could God use them for his glory?
How Did Jesus Use the Leftovers?
It never says what happens to the leftovers in John 6. There were twelve baskets of leftovers, which feels symbolic to the twelve disciples or the twelve tribes of Israel. Were they carried to the boy’s home who initially offered his lunch? Were they offered to others who were hungry to hear and benefit from the miracle?
Here is what I take from the story:
- The people had a need. They were hungry. Likewise, If we have a need, we can go to the good shepherd and ask. As Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
- It would have taken time for the disciples to pass out all the food and time to collect the leftovers. Similarly, healing is a process. Cycles in nature also take time. We should seek professionals and godly friends who can walk us through difficult seasons.
- And lastly, those pieces of grief that are left over from our healed heart, perhaps those pieces are meant to be shared. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Paul is specifically talking about his trials while he was in Asia. He wants the Corinthians to know that even as they struggle, he has struggled. Despite the strife, God delivered Paul (v. 10). By verse 11, we see that through sharing Paul’s story of struggle, he hopes that many “will give thanks.” The focus is directed toward God. Similarly, your story could be the balm that helps others get through their trials and draws them to Jesus.
Whatever happened to the leftover food, it became a sign of what Jesus had done. The story of his miraculous multiplication would have been carried from one person to the next. Sometimes the wounds we’ve received, once healed, carry a scar. After reflecting on whether to hide her scar, my friend Ashley said, “My scar tells a story, and that is part of who I am.”
What happens when we tell our story of our scars? We own our narrative and can give God the glory for what he has done in our life. We pass the bread of his abundance and declare that he can provide all our needs, even in our darkest hours.
is a wife, mother, and self-appointed adventure curator. As a lifelong learner, she enjoys exploring the Midwest where she lives and painting her experience of motherhood with words.
Photograph © Priscilla Du Preez, used with permission
[1] Lewis, C.S. The Four Loves: An Exploration of the Nature of Love. NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1988. P. 20.
[2] Hanson, Paul D. Isaiah 40-66: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1995. P. 225.
