Mark 8:8-21 - Why did Jesus like leftovers?

 

We like to order carryout pizza now and then. Since we rarely finish a large pizza, my wife gets a second night in a row without having to cook. Whether it's leftovers of a meal she or I cooked, or something from a restaurant, the flavors meld together after a day in the frig.

For forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel ate miraculous food called manna. But they were strictly instructed by God to not keep any leftovers or the manna would spoil and get wormy. But things seem to change in the New Testament.

On at least two occasions that are recorded in the Gospels, Jesus multiplied a few little loaves of bread and some fish to feed thousands of people. Both times, the disciples picked up several baskets of leftovers--maybe to give to the poor, but there was no rule about, "You have to eat this today."

After miraculously feeding 5,000 (John 6:5ff), the Pharisees--Jesus' nemesis--challenged Him to show some "sign from heaven." Could He produce manna on the spot? (John 6:30-31) Jesus always refused to do such magic tricks to impress people. His basic response was, "God sent manna from heaven. I am the Bread of Life who came from heaven." (John 6:32-35, KJC summary)

The second time, Jesus fed 4,000 and again the Pharisees demanded: "Give us a sign." (Mark 8:11) They didn't want to believe, they wanted to test Him. Jesus denied their demand and then got into a boat with the disciples to cross the sea of Galilee.

Mark tells us,
14 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. {Again, probably because they gave away the leftovers.}  15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” {I.e., the sin of unbelief and testing Jesus.} 16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said {probably in a sheepish tone}. 20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said. 21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them. (Mark 8:14-21, New Living Translation, 2015)

What was it that they didn't understand?
Perhaps two things:
One, they should trust Him without falling prey to the unbelief of the Pharisees.
Second, they could trust Jesus to meet their most basic needs.

Lord, we again ask for daily bread. We don't demand it as proof that you are strong and kind, but we come in faith, trusting You to meet our basic needs... as You, the Bread of Life, see fit to do. Amen.