Mark 6:30-44, Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. [They report on their apostolic ministry.] 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. [Their work had created much interest among the people. It appears they were exhausted and hungry. Jesus wants to give them a respite.] 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. [More evidence of why Jesus called fishermen as disciples!] 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. [The people have thwarted Jesus’ plans for his apostles.] 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. [See Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34 for Old Testament passages about the leaders of God’s people being shepherds.] And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” [The exhausted disciples, having not received a respite, try to get Jesus to send the people away because they see a need they cannot meet.] 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” [Jesus lays the task upon his disciples to meet the people’s needs, but they deflect his request. God’s way always seems foolish to human thinking and planning!] 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” [God does not usually have us see a need without giving us resources to meet that need. Jesus tells these men to go and investigate what resources they may have.] And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. [Jesus makes sure everyone else is passive.] 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish [basic food], he looked up to heaven and said a blessing [basic Jewish action before eating] and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. [Jesus makes it look like the disciples are part of the miracle to the crowd while these men get a firsthand view of the miracle.] And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. [There was more left over at the end than there was at the beginning. Each apostle had food for the coming days ahead, giving them, finally, a respite! God meets our needs but not our foolish desires. Interestingly, Mark records no reaction from the crowd regarding the miraculous feeding.] 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. [If only the men were counted, then the overall number may have been closer to ten thousand.]