Who Gets The Crumbs?

After any meal, a clean-up must be done.
The dishes are brought over to the counter so they can be loaded in the dishwasher.
The table needs to be wiped.
The floor needs to be cleaned.

Not a “get out the bucket and mop the floor” kind of clean.
Rather a “get out the broom and sweep up the crumbs” kind of clean.
There are always remnants of the meal beneath the table.
Evidence of the fellowship that took place there.

But the question begs to be asked.
Who gets the crumbs?
If you have a dog, the crumbs will more than likely be eaten.
If you have a crawling baby, the lost Cheerio from last week will be found.

Who gets the crumbs?

The poor, the homeless, the orphan would feast on the food we tend to throw away.
Any morsel would be welcome.
The crumbs that we sweep away would be eaten with thanksgiving.
God even talked about crumbs in His Word.

When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a remote place and its already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to Me,” He said. And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:13-21)

Twelve lunch-pail-sized baskets filled with crumbs were leftover.
Five thousand men along with the women and children were fed.
Jesus fed all of those hungry people with just five loaves and two fish.
The people ate the crumbs and were satisfied.

Great crowds of people came to hear Jesus teach along the Sea of Galilee.
They were with Him for three days and had nothing to eat.
Jesus did not want to send them away hungry.
It was a remote area and the disciples wondered how they could feed such a crowd.

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “And a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, when He had given thanks, He broke them, and gave them to His disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. (Matthew 15:34-38)

Seven man-sized baskets filled with crumbs were leftover.
Four thousand men along with the women and children got the crumbs.
The crumbs were more than enough.
The crumbs satisfied the people.

Who gets your crumbs?
Who gets the best of you and who gets the leftovers?
God can use the tiniest amount and feed thousands.
But we are not God.

Our crumbs are often inadequate.
Our crumbs are often selective.
Our crumbs are what remain after the first group of people is fed.
We can be miserly with our crumbs.

In reality, we should give the best of ourselves to others.
No one should get the crumbs when someone else gets the feast.
Only in God’s hands do the leftovers make a full meal.
But we are not God.

We want to give others our best, but we spread ourselves too thin.
We reach out over here and assume that this group over there will understand.
We are kind and courteous here but a bit inconsiderate over there.
We choose, not always wisely, who gets the feast and who gets the crumbs.

But we are not God.
Only God can feed five thousand and have twelve lunches left over.
Only God can feed four thousand and have seven man-sized baskets with abundant food.
Our crumbs are meager; God’s crumbs sustain.

When Jesus went to a wedding banquet in Cana, the wine ran out.
Jesus’ mother told Him about the predicament.
She told the servants to do whatever He told them to do.
Jesus told the servants to fill six stone water jars with water.

Then He told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:8-10)

We give crumbs.
Jesus saves the best till now.
Always the best.
Always now.

And we are satisfied.