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Jesus had "appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons" (Mark 3:14-15). They had been busy sharing in Jesus’ ministry, preaching repentance and even healing the sick (6:12-13), and now they had returned, eager to tell Jesus all they had done. Tired from the continual press and clamor of the crowds, Jesus sought a place of rest for himself and the twelve (6:30-32). It was futile, however. When Jesus was recognized, the people hurried after him (6:33).
Rather than become aggravated at the vast company who were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34), Jesus once again showed great compassion. “In his own body God has felt the hunger of the poor, their thirst, their exhaustion,” wrote François Mauriac in his renowned Life of Jesus. “He has had a part in their sweat, their tears, their blood.” First Jesus taught the crowd in order to satisfy their spiritual hunger (6:34). Then, recognizing how late it had become and how long it must have been since they had last eaten, Jesus fed their physical hunger too.
Trying to feed so many people didn’t make sense to the apostles (Mark 6:37). As they logically pointed out, not even two hundred days’ wages could have bought enough food for such a crowd! They focused on what was lacking, and the…
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