Feeding the Five Thousand

By Alexis Lion, Singapore

Mark 6:30-41NIV

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵ By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷ But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages^[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸ “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ 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 his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Compassion or obligation?

Reading this famous passage, we usually focus on Jesus’ miracle of how he multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the 5000 men. Yet to me, the most beautiful part about the Bible is that we can always glean new perspectives each time we revisit the Word.

Foremost, both the disciples and Jesus were physically and mentally exhausted from their full day of ministerial work. In v.31, Jesus calls them to rest as they had not had time to take a break, much less to eat. Jesus is moved with compassion when he sees the people waiting to hear his teachings (v.34) while his disciples probably were feeling mildly annoyed and wanted to send the crowd away (v.36). 

Could you imagine preaching to thousands of people at a convention centre while on an empty stomach? It would take some self-denial! The disciples were probably thinking, “What! More work? I’m so done for the day.” But Jesus ministered to the crowd out of his love and compassion for them, while the disciples likely treated it as “work.” Who can relate? How are we serving God and His kingdom— are we moved by compassion or out of obligation and fear?

Photo credit https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gospel_of_John_Chapter_6-9_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media).jpg