26. Feeding the Five Thousand (Mark 6:30-44)

The mission of the Twelve seems to have sparked a new interest among the masses, as crowds thronged to Jesus, at times so demanding that he and his disciples could not even find time to eat. More crowds met the little band as they put ashore at Bethsaida, and Jesus, moved with compassion, taught and fed them, bringing order to chaos, and nourishment to need. Jesus' compelling words to his disciples, 'You give them something to eat,' has reverberated through the ages of Christian history, as the Christian movement has repeatedly answered the call in practical service for its king.