In a single line, Jesus revealed His nature toward us. It happened at the end of the feeding of the 5,000. After a long day of teaching, the disciples came to Jesus with the need for food. They would have sent the multitude home, but the Lord intervened. Andrew found a little boy’s lunch. John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Jesus called the people to order, gave thanks, and then multiplied the small lunch with more than enough. It was an explosion of bread and fish. We can only imagine the bounty and wonder in the hearts of the Lord’s disciples. The work of distribution was certainly tiring, but exhilarating at the same time. At the end, Jesus saw the fragments of bread and discarded portions of fish. It was a defining moment for the breadth of humanity.
At our very best, our lives are fragmented. So many of us have come broken and undone. The burdens we carry are often self-imposed and troubling. Church heritage or not, everyone is weighted with something. However, Jesus set the precedent even after the miracle. What He did that day transformed the minds of His disciples. Jesus said, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” Jesus is interested in saving every part of our lives.
Isaiah prophesied about this Jesus of Nazareth. The famed prophet wrote of the Lord’s nature.
Mat 12:20 “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench…”
Reeds were used for many things. Yet if they were bent, they were of no use. A bent reed has lost its strength and its usefulness. Jesus will not break it in two. He is the restorer of lost purpose and failed strength.
A smoking flax is the candle that has been blown out. The flame is gone. All that remains is a small line of smoke rising into the air. There is so little hope for the flame to reemerge, but Jesus will not pinch the wick to snuff it out. He is holding out hope that a fire might light again.
Jonah knew of the Lord’s nature. When Nineveh should have been wiped out and Jonah wallowed in judgment, the Lord was merciful. And Jonah said, “Lord, I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, – I knew you would give the people a second chance.” He is the God of second chances and fragmented lives. “that nothing be lost.”
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole