Mark 6:30, commentary and pictures

The apostles had just returned from their first missionary tour and gathered around Jesus to tell Him everything they had done and taught and how it had gone. Their closeness to Him led them to lay everything openly before Him for inspection, sharing successes and failures alike, including their mistakes, faults, and weaknesses. He received each one with the tenderness of the good Shepherd, comforting and encouraging them and inviting them to withdraw with Him into a desert place to rest awhile. Their gathering opens the account of the feeding of five thousand men besides women and children in the wilderness, when He took five barley loaves and a few small fishes, blessed and broke them, and multiplied them through the disciples until all were filled and twelve baskets of fragments remained. The miracle teaches lasting dependence on God in strait places and the duty to pass on to the needy what is received from Him, for what is given unselfishly increases in distribution and nothing entrusted by Christ is to be lost.

Return and Rest

The verse reports the apostles returning from their first missionary tour, journey, and effort and gathering together to Jesus to tell Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught, and how it had gone. It was their close relationship with Him that led them to lay everything before Him for inspection without hiding anything, sharing both successes and failures, including mistakes, faults, and weaknesses. They came joyful over success as heralds of the gospel, yet made weary by work and grieving the death of John the Baptist, showing they needed further instruction. Though weary, they were glad to be with Him and forgot their weariness in His presence.

He welcomed each disciple with tenderness as the good Shepherd and comforted and encouraged them. He invited them to withdraw and rest awhile, proposing that they go with Him into a desert place for a little season of repose for their benefit. Bringing troubles to Him strengthens followers, who can trust He is at their side and will not be moved.

There were suitable places for such retirement beyond the sea from Capernaum, and they entered a boat to make their way thither. The plan for privacy was interrupted because some searching for Him saw the departure from the shore, and the news spread from city to city. Many flocked on foot to the place where the boat would land and others followed over the water in boats, so that when He and His disciples landed they found themselves in the midst of a multitude pressing forward on all sides to meet them.

Their gathering with Jesus in Galilee recalled His words and deeds, with thoughts filled with memories of His miracles there. Those memories included calming the storm, walking on the sea, and feeding a great crowd.

Feeding the Multitude

Mark 6:30 begins and belongs to the account of feeding five thousand men besides women and children in the wilderness, which was part of His mission of miracles. The multitude came without invitation or command, following Him from place to place away from the cities to retired places wherever He went. They listened to His teaching all day until evening, remaining with Him for as long as three days until they grew weary and hungry with their food used up, some fainting and falling.

With feeding so many looking impossible, He cared for their weariness and need for rest and food. He had the people seated in companies on a grassy plot or ground, with five thousand besides women and children set in order to be served. He asked what food was at hand, and five barley loaves and two or a few small fishes were found, which were as nothing among so many. He took the food, asked the blessing so that it increased, broke it in small pieces, and gave it through the disciples to the multitude. The supply was still present every time the distributors returned for more and increased in their hands, with as much left as they kept imparting, until all were filled and satisfied.

He then directed that the fragments be gathered so nothing would be lost. Twelve baskets remained on this occasion, with seven baskets on another occasion. His supplying of bread while preaching the gospel was like the provision of food for one hundred men in Elisha's time, God's power making a small supply sufficient for the people. What seemed meager became a rich feast, satisfying those who received it and leaving them something to give others.

His command to feed the people with very little food was a promise backed by the same divine power that multiplied the food. The disciples served as channels through whom He supplied the multitude, the food not diminishing as they distributed it. This proves what He can do as sanctuary and helper and the great leading Physician in the world, granting in Himself what the needy required. It shows Him as the world's Redeemer, possessing omnipotent power and beneficence, and calls for more faith in Him.

Lessons for Service

The feeding that follows is a lesson for all time about dependence on God, for though bearing human nature He constantly taught dependence by precept and example, and when He fed five thousand men besides women and children in the wilderness the food was not nigh at hand and He had no apparent means at His command. He had not invited the multitude to follow Him, for they came without invitation or command, yet He knew that after listening so long they would feel hungry and faint, being one with them in their need of food, and where the providence of God had placed Him He depended on His heavenly Father for means to relieve the necessity. So believers, after using wisdom and judgment and following the best knowledge they have, when brought into strait places and compassed with difficulties are to depend wholly on God and not give up in discouragement, but seek wisdom from Him who has infinite resources, and He will deliver them and keep every perplexed soul trying to keep the way of the Lord. What looked impossible with only a few loaves and fishes proves what He can do and calls for more faith, for He can make a small supply more than enough, making even a seemingly inadequate offering sufficient, until what seems meager becomes a rich feast satisfying those who receive it and leaving something to give others, with twelve baskets remaining on this occasion and seven on another. He gives tact, skill, and understanding to those who come into line with Him.

His followers are to pass on to those in need what they receive from Him, for the disciples received food from Jesus and distributed it to the crowd, and it increased in their hands as they shared in the provision afterward. God can thus multiply and bless what is given to meet needs and support the work entrusted to servants, and those who give unselfishly can trust Him to provide what is needed. His command to feed the people with very little food was a promise backed by the same divine power that multiplied the food, with the disciples serving as channels through whom He supplied the multitude, and those who work with God likewise receive divine grace to impart to people in need. As the world's Redeemer possessing omnipotent power and beneficence, He teaches compassionate care that those who come to hear the Word of life are not neglected when weary or hungry, but are helped without making the way burdensome or obstructed.

The command to gather the fragments so nothing would be lost teaches an economy to be woven into experience, for every present work manifested by message or by any helpfulness is to be kept and credited with nothing lost. Industry and economy are binding duties: to owe no one anything, to receive only a start from brethren when changing location if able to labor, to agree to live within means, to labor for small wages as well as for large, and to be a faithful steward of strength to keep family above want and dependence. Standing in right relation to God brings standing in right relation to principles of economy, knowing by experience what self-denial means and being willing to sacrifice to supply the wants and necessities of the needy and suffering. Those who receive from God must impart what He has given and must not gamble or get means by conniving to rob another, for His gifts are meant to bless and not to be turned to selfish use or made a curse.

The same power that multiplied the loaves works continually in the growth of seed and in feeding people from the earth's harvest, supplying life even in the ordinary growth of crops and preparation of food. Human work in caring for grain and making bread cooperates with God, but can hide His agency when people credit only natural causes or human effort instead of glorifying the Creator. The simple food distributed taught that God's natural provisions are good, though appetite and selfishness can pervert them. Its practical methods are to be studied in carrying forward food work, to provide simple, inexpensive food economically without selfish private interests obstructing the work.

The report after the first missionary effort teaches that new workers should meet with more experienced workers and tell what they had done and how it had gone, including failures and successes, so they can receive correction or encouragement and learn to serve more effectively. Bringing troubles to Him in this way strengthens followers, who can trust He is at their side and will not be moved.