4. RETURN OF THE , AND FEEDING OF THE FIVE Mark 6:30-44 (Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14) 30 And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus; --[The death of John the Baptist seems to have been the occasion of their coming together to Jesus. The greater portion, if not all of them, had been disciples of John. They regarded John as sent of God, and only second in importance, as a teacher sent from God, to himself.] and they told him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught.-- [The twelve had made a tour among the Jews working miracles and preaching the gospel of the coming kingdom, and now returned to where Jesus was, and told him all things. He sent them out to teach and to work in his name and by his authority. It was proper they should give account of their works to him.] 31 And he saith unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.--Our Lord had sought retirement and rest before (Matthew 12:15; Mark 4:35; Luke 5:16); now he seeks it for his disciples, having returned weary from their mission. It is proper for Christians to take brief periods of rest from hard and incessant toil. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.--[All that was said is not reported. It would make the account too cumbersome. Jesus approved their work and teaching, and no doubt they had been necessarily engaged in travel and labor as he had been. The death of John was a matter of sorrow to him and to them. He wished to be alone with his disciples, that he might have a season of prayerful communion with the Father and with them as a means of giving them spiritual strength and preparing them for labors and sufferings and disappointments yet before them. Jesus loved seasons of private prayer and communion with God.] 32 And they went away in the boat to a desert place apart. --[They were in Capernaum, and then went to Bethsaida. A boat seems to have always been at the service of Jesus. It was probably owned by Peter or some of his disciples, and they held it for his use when needed. They went across the Sea of Galilee to a point that would answer the demands. Those familiar with the country say it was twenty miles by land. They rowed across the sea;the people went around.] 33 And the people saw them going, and many knew them, and they ran together there on foot from all the cities, and outwent them.--They could probably watch the boat Jesus was in the whole way and knew how fast to travel to meet him when he landed. Some of them reached the place before Jesus did. They were attracted by what Jesus had already done. 34 And he came forth and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd:--They had no spiritual teacher to guide, warn and instruct them, and hence were exposed to all kinds of spiritual danger and destruction from false teachers. and he began to teach them many things.--[When he came out of the boat he saw the multitude assembled to meet him. Their condition, without a teacher or guide, caused him to think of them as scattered, wandering sheep without a shepherd. Sheep, when scattered from the flock without a shepherd, seem to be the most aimless and helpless of creatures. Thus these children of Abraham now seem to be to Jesus. Because he pitied their scattered and lost condition he began to teach them many things concerning his mission and the coming kingdom of God.] 35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent;--[This people had come hurriedly without preparation, were without food, and as the day waned they became hungry, and the disciples came to him and said, This is a desert place, no food can be obtained, the time for eating has passed. Their intense interest held them all day.] 36 send them away, that they may go into the country and villages round about, and buy themselves somewhat to eat.--[Their suggestion was to dismiss them--we would say that they may scatter among the people living in the country around and in the neighboring villages, and lodge for the night and buy bread, for they have none.] 37 But he answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread, and give them to eat?--[He told the disciples he could not send them away without food, as they had walked twenty miles in the morning, remained till it is now late. The evening had come, and they have had no food. "Give them to eat"--that is, he told the disciples to furnish the food for them. And they say unto him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread, and give them to eat?" They estimated it would take this amount to buy bread enough for them to eat, and, although the disciples knew the country, they did not know where to find the food. The quantity of food a given sum of money will buy varies so greatly at different periods of the world, it is needless to speculate as to the amount. It was a large amount. They thought the proposition unreasonable.] 38 And he saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. --All they could find. [He seems to have known there was some food in reach. Then they examine and report they find a lad with five barley loaves and two fishes. (John 6:9.) We have no intimation as to the size of the loaf. They likely intended returning in the afternoon. If not, they would fast. John (John 6:5-6) says Jesus asked Philip, "Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him." Philip was of Bethsaida, and knew the country and its resources.] 39 And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green grass.--Jesus had a clear conception of what he would do, and so he tells the apostles to make the people sit upon the green grass, which seems to be abundant in this place and at this season. 40 And thy sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. --[They were separated into companies of fifties and hundreds, and so seated that one could pass between the ranks and wait upon all in order.] 41 And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.-- [He took these in hand, now before him, looked up to heaven, and blessed. He gave thanks for them--bestowed such a divine blessing upon them that they grew as he brake from them, so they did not grow less. John (John 6:9) tells us they were barley loaves--not so palatable or nutritious as those of wheat. Revelation (Revelation 6:6) says: "A measure of wheat for a shilling and three measures of barley for a shilling." The barley was the food for the poor. But to a multitude hungry as these were the coarsest food is delicious. Jesus took the loaves, and as he brake they grew in his hands. We cannot conceive of the work. Miracles are above human conception. It was as though something was created of nothing. He broke the loaves and gave to his disciples, and they handed them to the multitudes. The two fishes were divided among the thousands. They also grew as they were divided. This is a miracle that excited wonder, yet there was no more wisdom or power required to do this than was required to put in operation the provisions of nature by which the multiplied millions of earth are year by year supplied with the food needed. In this latter case wisdom and power are manifested to provide for the necessary wants of all the animal creation. Because it is done through fixed laws, we are unable to say who is the mover and giver of these things. When Christ or an apostle did such works, we could identify such person as speaking by the authority and in the name of the creator and ruler of all' things.] 42 And they all ate, and were filled.--[All ate of the five loaves and the two little fishes; all were filled; their hunger was satisfied. They were strengthened, and more remained than they had to begin with.] 43 And they took up broken pieces, twelve basketfuls, and also of the fishes.--[The number of baskets were twelve; thus each apostle filled his basket. We have no means of knowing the size of the baskets, but much more was taken after all were satisfied than Jesus took and blessed. John (John 6:12) says, "He [Jesus] saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost." The economy of God is seen in the workings of the natural world. The decay of one thing is taken up in the growth of others, and here, although Jesus created this seemingly without labor or loss of time, he was careful that nothing of it should be lost. This is a lesson regarding wastefulness that he intended for his children in the world. The difference between the conditions of the people of poverty and plenty depends more upon their carefulness in saving or their wastefulness than upon any other cause. Many families, although poor, waste more than would support them if they were saving. They remain poor because they waste. The careful, saving person, as a rule, lives much better than the wasteful and profligate. The wasteful never are able to give to those in need. A painstaking care of the fragments ought to be taught as a Christian virtue.] 44 And they that ate the loaves were five thousand men.--Matthew (Matthew 14:21) adds, "Besides women and children." Jesus not only gave here an object lesson in economy, but by the amount left he showed that this was a miracle beyond all doubt.