30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus ; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught . 31 And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves e to a secluded place and rest a while ." (For there were many people coming and going , and they did not even have time to eat .) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves . 33 The people saw them going , and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities , and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went ashore , He saw a large crowd , and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without e a shepherd ; and He began to teach them many things . 35 When it was already quite late e , His disciples came to Him and said , "This place is desolate and it is already quite late e ; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat ." 37 But He answered them, "You give them something to eat !" And they said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat ?" 38 And He said to them, "How many loaves do you have ? Go look !" And when they found out, they said , "Five , and two fish ." 39 And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass . 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties . 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish , and looking up toward heaven , He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all . 42 They all ate and were satisfied , 43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces , and also of the fish . 44 There were five thousand men who ate the loaves .
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.