Man on a Mission: A 5-Day Journey With Jesus Through Mark 5–7Sýnishorn

Jesus Feeds a Hungry Crowd

The disciples are just back from their exciting ministry tour, during which they preached, exorcised evil spirits, and healed great numbers of people (6:12–13). Jesus tries to whisk them off to a quiet place to rest and regroup, but once again, plans go awry. Their retreat is intercepted and interrupted by the clamoring crowd. This sets the stage for a dramatic ministry scene, so important that it is recorded in all four of the Gospels.

In Mark’s telling of this story, the episode is framed by Jesus’ attentiveness to the CROWD—his compassion for them (vv. 34–36) and his abundant provision for them (vv. 42–44). But the heart of Mark’s version of this miracle is Jesus’ missional conversation with his DISCIPLES, which centers on a command and a question.

Jesus’ compassion for the crowd leads him to give the weary disciples a COMMAND: “You feed them” (v. 37). Jesus places the expression of his compassion directly into the hands of his disciples. There’s no question about whether they can do this; he assumes it is their responsibility. “You feed them”—body, mind, soul, and spirit—this is an incisive summary of the work of Jesus’ disciples in response to multitudes who are crying out for salvation, hungry for the Bread of Life, and thirsty for Living Water.

Despite the exciting and miraculous experiences of their recent ministry tour, the disciples are reluctant to embrace this radical command, offering logical reasons why Jesus’ plan won’t work. With gentle insistence, Jesus follows up his command with a question to them: “How much do you have?” (v. 38). “Go and find out,” he says. “Take a look!” Jesus knows they have enough because “enough” is not a number or a quantity. Five loaves and two fishes are not “enough” in and of themselves. “Enough” is 100% of anything that is placed in Jesus’ hands for Jesus’ purposes. Notice the movement of the loaves and fishes—from their hands into Jesus’ hands and back again, from their hands into the hands and mouths of the waiting crowd. And a multitude is fed!

Jesus, our “man on a mission,” is not a solo act. He invites, welcomes, and commands his followers to join him in the mission, and he supplies all that we need for the journey and the challenges that arise along the way. Whatever we place into his hands for his purposes will be “enough.”