Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Recently I asked my accountability partner why 12 baskets were left over after feeding the five thousand. He replied “Only you would ask a question like that.” It occurs to me that there are many questions that are not asked by believers but scoffers might.

If I am going to ask the question then I better have an answer for if someone who is weak in the faith should ask. So I will answer my own question.

The simple answer for twelve baskets is twelve disciples went into the crowd that had been divided up into smaller groups so that no one should be left out in the blessing.

The larger answer is ceremonial tradition. Twelve appears throughout history by tradition and the ceremonial beginnings of the number might have been lost to history but the tradition continues.

When Israel was freed from Egypt twelve tribes were numbered in the division of the promised land. Jacob had twelve sons but Joseph and Levi were not named in the inheritance. Levi’s portion was the Lord, they did not participate in the inheritance but rather the sons of Joseph, Manassas and Ephrim were included in the tribes of inheritance.

When Jesus ministry with twelve disciples was disrupted by Judas committing suicide the eleven were compelled by tradition to select a replacement and keep their numbers at twelve. They cast lots and added Matthias to return their numbers to twelve. Since Jesus promised them 12 thrones to sit in judgment over Israel in Matthew 19:28. Traditions hold meaning in this world and numbers throughout the history of Israel and the bible. Some are at the direction of God while others are created by man.

Jesus received only thirty-nine stripes and I have been taught that forty was a number of blessing and the unbelieving thought enough about traditions of others not to grant a blessing in His torture and death. Three crosses at His crucifixion. Three is the number of man by tradition. Traditions hold meaning even if only symbolic.

• Matthew 15:2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”
• Matthew 15:3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
• Matthew 15:6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.

Joel 2:1

The Day of the Lord

Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

There was a time when sandwich boards advertising was popular. It began with stationary signs outside shops and restaurants advertising specials. The idea was to peak interest and increase sales. Then the sandwich boards went mobile and men were hired to walk nearby trying to draw in customers that were not at the shop or restaurant door.

Then there was a trend to advertise the end of the world and a call to repent seen. As I recall, that method didn’t work. Those men were thought of as being a little unhinged. As it turns out they were wrong, at least in the short term.

People do not respond kindly to threats. They have immediate needs that prey upon their minds and a doom and gloom message does nothing to ease the troubled mind that is already in crisis.

Ask a man with a wife and children who has been out of work long enough that his savings have been depleted and his house is in foreclosure if he is concerned with the end of the world. No, don’t do that, his response will be unpredictable, maybe even violent. People don’t worry about the end times when their children are hungry and homeless.

I look back to the ministry of Jesus and saw compassion for the plight of the people. He was able to take away their pain, anxiety, and frustration by looking to their needs that were immediate and then and only then He delivered the message of hope. His method was befriending those in need and listening to them, no judgment, just compassion.

He is God and changed lives for the better. He is still God, He is still on the throne and He is still at work. Our message will not work if we are alarmist, no matter how soon the day of the Lord is coming. The lost sinner will not even know what that means, only that his belly is empty.

We are the sandwich board for today. What message of hope can we deliver that the needy will stop and listen? He is abiding in us so maybe it is best if we let Him do the talking.

If we say we can’t He won’t. Faith is about showing up. That is the first step.