When the Details Don't Really Matter

Photo: Markus Winkler (pexels.com)

“Now gather the scraps,” Jesus told His disciples, “so that nothing is wasted.” And 12 baskets were filled with leftovers.”—John 6:14, Living Bible

While reading this story, for the gazillionth time, of the multitudes being fed with a few fishes and loaves of bread, I remembered watching the ‘90s movie “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves,” and instead of focusing on the plot got tripped up wondering where all those fancy ropes came from that suddenly appeared in the forest outpost of Robin and his merry men....

Wait, so where did those 12 baskets come from?

Did 12 kind ladies (or gentlemen) provide them, or did the disciples go up to the crowd and ask “Hey, who has some baskets we can use to pick up these crumbs?”

And when they were filled, then what?

Were they left there? 

Did people in the crowd of 5,000 each take some of it for the journey home?

Did the disciples “get it” in real-time?

Did they look at each other, shrug their shoulders, and wonder what was going on?

Did they take the leftovers and chow down, because they were hungry, too?

Did they take them with them when on their ensuing journey across the lake?

(Maybe that helps explain why their boat was so difficult to maneuver on the wind-driven waters?)

For centuries, Bible scholars have offered helpful theories and tons of possible explanations for it all.

The fact is,

No one really knows.

And ultimately, just as with the awesome ropes that appeared out of nowhere in that movie, the props of 12 baskets are simply a means of telling a larger, more important story.

It doesn’t mean that wanting to know doesn’t matter because we are told time and again to search the scriptures for ourselves, and to seek diligently and inquire of the Lord on every step of the journey.

Seeking wisdom is good. Asking questions is really good.

But demanding answers for every single detail and basket and move of God is eliminating the most important thing of all:

Trust.

God is God and I am not.

His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are way higher.

No one has ever known the mind of the Lord, and no one has ever been His advisor.

No one has entirely figured Him out or known His every move.

And if I could and if I did, then He wouldn’t be any different than any other.

But He is altogether lovely and altogether worthy.

He is Lord of heaven and earth.

In the beginning, God. Period.

And so maybe 12 baskets of leftovers are simply supposed to represent an everlasting monument and reminder to our weary souls and weak-kneed faith that God’s provision in our time of need or when the task seems overwhelming—His promises, His answers to feeble, desperate prayers—can always be trusted and are always more than enough.

Just like all those ropes in the movie.

And not just a general provision, either, one that we can nod our head at as being true for maybe everyone else;

But personal—“one basket each, guys, just for you, with your name on it.”

With my name on it?

“Trust Me. I have never lied and I never will."

“Blessed with spiritual security is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord

And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.

“For he will be nourished like a tree planted by the waters,

That spreads out its roots by the river;

And will not fear the heat when it comes;

But its leaves will be green and moist.

And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought

Nor stop bearing fruit.”

—Jeremiah 17:7-8 Amplified