Motherhood & Ministry

Empty Baskets

Last week in Motherhood & Ministry we considered our time in the wilderness and our time in the boat with Jesus. In Mark 6, Jesus was on his way to spend time alone with the disciples to rest and reconnect in the wilderness. Instead we see one of Jesus’ greatest miracles, and his only miracle (outside of His resurrection) that is included in all 4 Gospels – the feeding of the 5,000.

The whole point of this passage is that Jesus does things that only God can do. He is the Son of God and He is the Savior. The disciples, of course, could never solve the problem of thousands of hungry people because the disciples are mere humans. Jesus, I think, wanted to highlight their limitations and in contrast with His holy solution.

When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten. – John 6:12-13

Here’s a question that I had never thought about before – where did those 12 empty baskets come from?

Did the disciples have them in the boat? Some of the people who rushed off on foot to meet Jesus – did they not even turn around to put their basket away before leaving? Who carries around empty baskets?

Have you ever gone somewhere and you bring an umbrella because it might rain, and then you end up carrying it around all day, and you’re like, “Ugh, why did I bring this?” I wonder if an owner of an empty basket spent most of her day in the wilderness wondering why they didn’t just go home and put the basket down?

But God orchestrated not only one boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish, but also 12 empty baskets to all be present that day to take part in a miracle that pointed to the truth about Jesus.

God does the same thing today. In our lives, and in our churches, He pulls together seemingly separate people, life experiences, and circumstances to all work together in unity to point a lost and dying world to Jesus. God works out His will on earth through things like empty baskets being in the right place, at the right time.

We just have to trust in that, even in seasons when we’re carrying around an empty basket “for no reason,” God has a purpose and a plan to fill it for His Kingdom and His glory.

Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.