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The gathering of the leftovers - Matthew 14.13-21

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Matthew 14:13-21 Over the last few weeks we’ve been looking at Jesus as the Messiah, God’s King who has come to bring in God’s kingdom. And Jesus the Messiah does Messiah, Kingdom of God stuff.  And the people of Jesus’ time would remember the old stories that they had been told, about how – when their ancestors were in the wilderness, in the desert, 2000 years earlier – God healed them and he miraculously provided food for them. And here they are in the desert; and Jesus heals them and miraculously provides bread for them. But there is a verse that puzzles me in this story v20: They took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. Why? Why did they do it? Is it because Jesus was being environmentally friendly, and he did not want waste left lying around? But this was bio-degradable waste, and the only consequence would have been some overfed pigeons (if they had pigeons in those days there) and sea gulls. Or did they gather up the leftovers to show us