Let nothing be wasted (John 6:10-13)
10 - Jesus said to them, “Let these people sit down.” There was a lot of grass there, so people sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 - After Jesus took the bread and gave thanks, he distributed it to those who sat down, and gave the meat as they wished.
12 - After they were satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, "Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing is wasted."
13 - When they gathered, they ate five barley loaves and filled twelve baskets of leftover pieces.
▽ ≪ Sermon ≫
⇒ Goods are new. No matter how good the clothes are, if they get old and worn out, they are useless. When a new one comes out, it becomes fashionable, and the old one loses its value. Old things are not of interest to people unless they are high-tech or unique things. However, people do not set their values based on their appearance or environment. A little baby is a necessary new thing and an old man is not an old thing to be thrown away. Also, he does not set precious and low standards based on his appearance, his wealth, his knowledge, or his family environment. It is not that the rich and the educated are necessary and the poor and the uneducated are useless. All human beings are precious and need each other. In fact, there are more poor people than rich people. There are more uneducated people than well-educated intellectuals. The people of the world are made up of ordinary people living more ordinary lives than those in high positions.
. Jesus came into the world. Everywhere Jesus went, people gathered. Today's message is about what happened in a field called Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. There were 5,000 long-haired men alone, and about 20,000 women, children, and the elderly combined. They had been listening to Jesus in the morning, and now it was evening when the sun went down. People haven't eaten anything until then. However, the story is that a child who came there offered Jesus five barley loaves and two fish that he had brought to eat, and everyone in the group ate it. At the time of Jesus, barley bread was the cheapest food eaten by the poor and poor. When they came to the temple and offered a sin offering, the poor offered flour. But the adulterous woman had barley flour offered as a sin offering. Barley is food for animals. The woman who commits adultery is like a beast.
. Who were the people who came to Jesus? The intellectuals, the rich, and the aristocracy do not come to Jesus. There are people who are discriminated against and abandoned in the world. They were as lowly as barley bread and sinners treated as worthless like animals. Who is Jesus? Jesus is not famous. No aristocrat, no richer, even less. The son of a poor carpenter from Galilee. Jesus also eats and buys barley bread like the people gathered there. But it was the barley loaf that the 20,000 people who had gathered there ate and was satisfied. It is not a luxury food eaten by the king in the palace. It is not expensive food that is lavishly and abundantly served. No one can eat this kind of food, only special people eat it.
. Who is Jesus? In the eyes of people, he is like an ordinary barley rice cake without a name. Rich people don't listen to Jesus. Nobles and high-ranking people are not interested in the words of God. They are interested in expensive food, high positions, a lot of money and knowledge, and gold and silver treasures. But this does not satisfy people. The things of the world are shiny and look good. However, these things are good when they exist, but are useless and miserable without them. The things of the world do not make people happy. Who makes us satisfied? What makes us happy? Jesus is the bread of life. Outwardly, Jesus looks like a loaf of bread. It seems foolishness and nothing to come to Jesus. But Jesus has a way to live. All blessings from God are received through Jesus.
. Even if you drink the water of the world, you will be thirsty again. But the grace given by Jesus never thirsts forever. What the world has to give is not enough even if you have it and have it. But the life Jesus gives and His words satisfy our thirst. Happy to become eternal bread. Where is the church? Like the field of Bethsaida, it is a place where people gather to seek Jesus. The church is a place where people who are exhausted from hardship meet Jesus the Shepherd and rest. It is a place where people hungry for poverty meet Jesus and eat heavenly food and are happy. The church where Jesus is where people who have been discriminated and abandoned in the world come with pain and receive comfort and strength. This church is the place where all my sins are forgiven and I find a new life after sinning and living in shame and fear. Hallelujah!
. The 12 tribes of Jacob's sons entered the land of Canaan and had no king for a while. The people of Israel lived in the land divided by the tribes and set up a leader called Sasa to maintain social order and livelihood. The judges judged the cases brought by the people, and when war broke out, they joined forces with other tribes to fight by commanding the army. When Gideon was a judge, the Israelites had been ruled by the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were a tribe of Amalek. Made military alliances with tribes in the East. Gideon selected 300 special elite soldiers and tried to defeat the Midianites by surprise at night. The night before the war, the Israeli army sent reconnaissance to the enemy camp, and a Midianite soldier had a dream and was talking to a friend. The contents were, 'A loaf of barley loaf was rolling from the side of the Israelite army toward the Midianite army, and the barley loaf eventually destroyed the whole army. The barley bread represents the Israelites who were taken and trampled by the Midianites. However, when God was among the barley-like Israelites, the Midianite army collapsed (Judges 7:13-14).
. The army was formed one by one. One is important. Don't ignore this one. Miracles are amazing and do not happen in great places. It happens in an ordinary place where there is only one person. Twenty thousand people are starving all day in the fields of Bethsaida. They are hungry and have no energy. They have to solve their hunger problem. Jesus said to his disciples, 'Give them something to eat'. The disciples were in great trouble. How will you make these many people eat? If you estimate it, 20,000 people will need 200 denarii, or about 10 million won in Korean money. So, what I came up with was to send each one of us to buy food and come to us. But it is a wilderness, and there is nowhere to buy and eat. no money to buy It's sending them home under the pretext of having a meal, but once they go, they don't come back to Jesus. This is a human calculation that cannot think of anything else.
. But a child, through Andrew, offered to Jesus what he was about to eat. It was five little barley loaves and two small salted fish. This food from the child is offered in the hands of Jesus as a thank you to Heavenly Father. And it was distributed to the people through the hands of the disciples. The food that comes out of Jesus' hand appears as a miracle. Everyone gathered there ate as much as they wanted and had a lot left. It was not the 200 denarii of the disciples that this miracle occurred. It started with a poor and needy person like barley bread. It also happened through the child. Can anyone even imagine this miracle? none.
. God works these amazing miracles through the unmatched faith of one man. It is a small thing, but when we love the Lord and give it with all our heart, God does great things with it. Who is doing the work of the Church of God? not a great person an ordinary person God values the little gift they give. In the church, the elderly Kwon's allowance is given to God, the housekeeper is also paid for their side dishes, and the money buried in the children's noses is donated to accomplish God's great work. God's great miracle of saving all mankind and caring for those in need takes place from each and every member of the church. Hallelujah!
. Work is a blessing God has given to people. Those who do the work are rewarded for what they did. So, those who work have hope. God gives abundant blessings to those who work. But work is going out and collecting the blessings that God has already given us. It's not the profit I made. God gave me health to work. So my body is precious. Because it is a precious body given by God, do not use it carelessly. Anyone who thinks this body is mine will sin and get sick with it. Wealth is also given by God. Whoever I think I've saved wastes money. If you think it's from God, you spend it on good things, but if you think it's my money, you spend it on bad things. And people are deceived and deceived.
. In today's sermon, about 20,000 people ate the barley bread that the child gave to Jesus. It is a precious gift given to God by a child. It is food that God has given as a blessing to those gathered together. When people are hungry, they ask for food. That's the most important thing and I can't live without it. Whenever I pray to God, I ask for it because I need it. However, if you use it enough for God to give it to you, it becomes like a cumbersome thing. I need it later, so I pray again, but I do not collect and manage what I have now. Why? This is because they do not have a heart to value the blessings God has given them. Jesus speaks to his disciples. 'Gather the leftover pieces after you're full, so that nothing is thrown away'.
. People don't care about the leftovers and the leftovers from eating. If you throw it away, it becomes a huge waste. The 12 disciples gathered the remaining barley loaves and fish that the people had eaten. At that time, when Jews left their homes, they carried a large basket that looked like a water bottle. When the disciples went and gathered what was left after eating, the baskets were filled with 12 baskets. The disciples sat people on the lawn and distributed bread, and Hanani blessed them with a bountiful harvest in every basket. Those who believe in Jesus are blessed because they give their things to Jesus like the children of today's Word. But the greater blessing is that you will reap abundant blessings while doing God's work. Don't throw it away that looks like crumbs. Throwing away the crumbs becomes useless garbage. But if you collect these crumbs that God has given you, it will be a great blessing to you.
. A wealthy family works hard, but does household chores so that the leftovers of the household are not thrown away. How do God's saints and church officers receive blessings? You will receive blessings by doing well in God's house and church life. We spend our finances so that our offerings to God are put to good use. Clean and repair church items that the members have put their heart into, and take good care of them. Giving to God requires money. So people who have a difficult life can't. However, the church items in the house of God can be used well without throwing them away if anyone is interested.
. God blesses those who collect what is scattered around the church so that there is nothing to be thrown away, repair and clean things, and use them. God also takes care of the person's house and gives blessings to the family and overflowing blessings so that nothing is wasted in business. What God sees for us today is what happens to a soul sent by God, a precious person bought with the blood of Jesus. It is how the holy things in the house of God are maintained. Today the Lord speaks 'Gather the leftover pieces and let nothing go to waste' Amen.