30 And the twelve came together to Jesus; and they gave him an account of all the things they had done, and all they had been teaching. 31 And he said to them, Come away by yourselves to a quiet place, and take a rest for a time. Because there were a great number coming and going, and they had no time even for food. 32 And they went away in the boat to a waste place by themselves. 33 And the people saw them going, and a number of them, having knowledge who they were, went running there together on foot from all the towns, and got there before them. 34 And he got out, and saw a great mass of people, and he had pity on them, because they were like sheep without a keeper: and he gave them teaching about a number of things. 35 And at the end of the day, his disciples came to him and said, This place is waste land, and it is late: 36 Send them away, so that they may go into the country and small towns round about, and get some food for themselves. 37 But he said to them in answer, Give them food yourselves. And they said to him, Are we to go and get bread for two hundred pence, and give it to them? 38 And he said to them, How much bread have you? go and see. And when they had seen, they said, Five cakes of bread and two fishes. 39 And he made them all be seated in groups on the green grass. 40 And they were placed in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And he took the five cakes of bread and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, he said words of blessing over them; and when the cakes were broken, he gave them to the disciples to put before the people; and he made division of the two fishes among them all. 42 And they all took of the food and had enough. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken bits and of the fishes. 44 And those who took of the bread were five thousand men.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 6:30-44
Commentary on Mark 6:30-44
(Read Mark 6:30-44)
Let not ministers do any thing or teach any thing, but what they are willing should be told to their Lord. Christ notices the frights of some, and the toils of others of his disciples, and provides rest for those that are tired, and refuge for those that are terrified. The people sought the spiritual food of Christ's word, and then he took care that they should not want bodily food. If Christ and his disciples put up with mean things, surely we may. And this miracle shows that Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Though Christ had bread enough at command, he teaches us not to waste any of God's bounties, remembering how many are in want. We may, some time, need the fragments that we now throw away.