Mark 6:37
But Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat." They asked Him, "Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?"
But Jesus told them
This phrase marks a pivotal moment where Jesus directly addresses His disciples, challenging their understanding and faith. The Greek word for "told" (λέγει) implies a command or directive, not merely a suggestion. Jesus is asserting His authority and inviting His disciples to participate in the miraculous. Historically, this reflects Jesus' role as a teacher who often used real-life situations to impart spiritual truths.

You give them something to eat
Here, Jesus places the responsibility on the disciples, emphasizing their role in His ministry. The Greek word for "give" (δώτε) is an imperative, indicating an urgent command. This phrase challenges the disciples to look beyond their limited resources and trust in divine provision. It serves as a reminder that God often calls His followers to act in faith, even when the task seems impossible.

They replied
The disciples' response reveals their initial lack of understanding and faith. The Greek word for "replied" (λέγουσιν) suggests a conversational exchange, highlighting the disciples' human tendency to rely on logic and reason. This moment captures the tension between human limitation and divine possibility, a recurring theme in the Gospels.

Should we go and spend two hundred denarii
This phrase reflects the disciples' practical mindset. A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer, so two hundred denarii represented a significant sum, equivalent to about eight months' wages. The disciples' question underscores their focus on earthly resources and their struggle to comprehend Jesus' power. Historically, this amount of money would have been substantial, indicating the magnitude of the crowd and the perceived impossibility of the task.

to give all these people bread
The disciples' focus on "bread" highlights their concern for physical needs. In the biblical context, bread is a staple of life, symbolizing sustenance and provision. The Greek word for "bread" (ἄρτους) is plural, indicating the need for a large quantity to feed the multitude. This phrase sets the stage for the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, illustrating Jesus' ability to provide abundantly for both physical and spiritual needs.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus challenges His disciples to feed the multitude, demonstrating His authority and compassion.

2. The Disciples
They are tasked by Jesus to feed the crowd, highlighting their initial lack of understanding of Jesus' power and provision.

3. The Crowd
A large group of people who have followed Jesus, illustrating the widespread interest in His teachings and miracles.

4. Two Hundred Denarii
A significant amount of money, representing the disciples' practical concern about the cost of feeding such a large crowd.

5. The Setting
This event takes place in a remote area, emphasizing the logistical challenge of providing food for the multitude.
Teaching Points
Divine Provision
Jesus' command to "give them something to eat" challenges us to trust in God's provision, even when resources seem insufficient.

Faith Over Practicality
The disciples' focus on the cost highlights a common human tendency to rely on practical solutions rather than faith in God's power.

Compassion in Action
Jesus' concern for the physical needs of the crowd teaches us the importance of addressing both spiritual and physical needs in ministry.

Participation in Miracles
Jesus involves the disciples in the miracle, showing that God often invites us to participate in His work, even when we feel inadequate.

Stewardship of Resources
The mention of two hundred denarii reminds us to be wise stewards of our resources, trusting God to multiply what we offer in faith.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' command to the disciples challenge our understanding of God's provision in our own lives?

2. In what ways do we, like the disciples, focus on practical limitations rather than trusting in God's power? How can we shift our perspective?

3. How can we apply Jesus' example of compassion in our interactions with others, particularly in meeting both spiritual and physical needs?

4. What are some ways we can actively participate in God's work, even when we feel we have little to offer?

5. How does the concept of stewardship apply to our financial resources, and how can we trust God to multiply what we give in faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
John 6:1-14
This passage provides a parallel account of the feeding of the 5,000, offering additional insights into the miracle and the reactions of those present.

Matthew 14:13-21
Another parallel account that highlights Jesus' compassion and the miraculous provision of food.

2 Kings 4:42-44
The account of Elisha feeding a hundred men with limited resources, prefiguring Jesus' miracle and demonstrating God's provision.

Philippians 4:19
This verse speaks to God's ability to meet all our needs, reinforcing the theme of divine provision.
Miraculous ProvisionJ.J. Given Mark 6:30-44
The Miracle of the LoavesR. Green Mark 6:30-44
A Parable in a MiracleA. F. Muir, M. A.Mark 6:35-44
Carefulness Even in Small ThingsR. Glover.Mark 6:35-44
Christ the Sustainer of LifeVernon W. Hutton, B. A.Mark 6:35-44
Christ's Ability to Do Much with LittleArchdeacon Farrar.Mark 6:35-44
Christ's Feast FreeC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 6:35-44
Feeding of Five ThousandJ. H. Godwin.Mark 6:35-44
Feeding the Five Thousand: a MiracleA. F. Muir, M. A.Mark 6:35-44
Feeding the Five Thousand: a MiracleA.F. Muir Mark 6:35-44
Feeding the Five Thousand: a ParableA.F. Muir Mark 6:35-44
Food for the MillionCongregational PulpitMark 6:35-44
Four Thousand Men to be Fed in the WildernessC. J. Vaughan, D. D.Mark 6:35-44
Important Lessons from ChristJ. Stewart.Mark 6:35-44
In RanksH. M. Luckock, D. D.Mark 6:35-44
Looked Up to Heaven and BlessedMark 6:35-44
Miracle of the LoavesC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 6:35-44
Miraculous Feeding of Five ThousandExpository OutlinesMark 6:35-44
Order Out of DisorderC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 6:35-44
Our Duty to the MultitudeW. Harrison, M. A.Mark 6:35-44
Providential Supply of FoodS. S. Teacher.Mark 6:35-44
Salvation for UsC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 6:35-44
The Lad's Loaves and FishesC. S. Robinson, D. D.Mark 6:35-44
The Miracle of the LoavesR. Green.Mark 6:35-44
The Multitude FedE. Johnson, M. A.Mark 6:35-44
The Multitude FedE. Johnson Mark 6:35-44
The Multitude Fed in the WildernessC. Bradley, M. A.Mark 6:35-44
People
Elias, Elijah, Herod, Herodias, James, Jesus, John, Joseph, Joses, Judas, Jude, Mary, Philip, Simon
Places
Bethsaida, Galilee, Genneseret, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Answering, Bread, Buy, Denaries, Denarii, Eat, Eight, Hundred, Loaves, Man's, Months, Pence, Pennyworth, Replied, Shillings, Spend, Wages, Worth, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 6:37

     2015   Christ, compassion
     5603   wages
     5962   surprises
     8726   doubters
     8837   unbelief, and life of faith

Mark 6:1-56

     5357   journey

Mark 6:32-44

     4418   bread

Mark 6:34-45

     5279   crowds

Mark 6:35-44

     1330   God, the provider
     5939   satisfaction

Library
January 6 Evening
The apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things they had done.--MARK 6:30. There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.--The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.--Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. When ye shall have done
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 4. "Come Ye Yourselves Apart" (Mark vi. 31).
"Come ye yourselves apart" (Mark vi. 31). One of the greatest hindrances to spirituality is the lack of waiting upon God. You cannot go through twenty-four hours with two or three breaths of air, in the morning, as you sip your coffee. But you must live in the atmosphere, and you must breathe it all day long. Christians do not wait upon God enough. It needs hours and hours daily of spiritual communion with the Holy Spirit to keep your vitality healthful and full. Every moment should find you breathing
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

January 8. "It is I, be not Afraid" (Mark vi. 50).
"It is I, be not afraid" (Mark vi. 50). Someone tells of a little child with some big story of sorrow upon its little heart, flying to its mother's arms for comfort, and intending to tell her the story of its trouble; but as that mother presses it to her bosom and pours out her love, it soon becomes so occupied with her and the sweetness of her affection that it forgets to tell its story, and in a little while even the memory of the trouble is forgotten. It has just been loved away, and she has taken
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Herod --A Startled Conscience
'But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.'--Mark vi. 16. The character of this Herod, surnamed Antipas, is a sufficiently common and a sufficiently despicable one. He was the very type of an Eastern despot, exactly like some of those half-independent Rajahs, whose dominions march with ours in India; capricious, crafty, as the epithet which Christ applied to him, 'That fox!' shows; cruel, as the story of the murder of John the Baptist proves; sensuous
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Master Rejected: the Servants Sent Forth
'And He went out from thence, and came into His own country; and His disciples follow Him. 2. And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? 3. Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the Brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon! and are not His sisters here with us? And they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Martyrdom of John
'For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 21. And when
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The World's Bread
'And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31. And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33. And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ Thwarted
'And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief.'--Mark vi. 5,6. It is possible to live too near a man to see him. Familiarity with the small details blinds most people to the essential greatness of any life. So these fellow-villagers of Jesus in Nazareth knew Him too well to know Him rightly as they talked Him over; they recognised His wisdom and His mighty works; but all the impression that these
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On Attending the Church Service
"The sin of the young men was very great." 1 Sam. 2:17. 1. The corruption, not only of the heathen world, but likewise of them that were called Christians, has been matter of sorrow and lamentation to pious men, almost from the time of the apostles. And hence, as early as the second century, within a hundred years of St. John's removal from the earth, men who were afraid of being partakers of other men's sins, thought it their duty to separate from them. Hence, in every age many have retired from
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Epistle of Saint Jude.
V. 1, 2. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James, to those that are called to be holy in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. This Epistle is ascribed to the holy Apostle, St. Jude, brother of the two Apostles, James the Less and Simon, by the sister of the mother of Christ, who is called Mary (wife) of James or Cleopas, as we read in Mark vi. But this Epistle cannot be looked upon as being that of one who was truly an Apostle,
Martin Luther—The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained

The First Sayings of Jesus --His Ideas of a Divine Father and of a Pure Religion --First Disciples.
Joseph died before his son had taken any public part. Mary remained, in a manner, the head of the family, and this explains why her son, when it was wished to distinguish him from others of the same name, was most frequently called the "son of Mary."[1] It seems that having, by the death of her husband, been left friendless at Nazareth, she withdrew to Cana,[2] from which she may have come originally. Cana[3] was a little town at from two to two and a half hours' journey from Nazareth, at the foot
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem,
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

The Friend of Men 223 in Nothing Does the Contrast Between Jesus and John the Baptist Appear More Clearly than in their Attitude Towards Common Social
I The Friend of Men 223. In nothing does the contrast between Jesus and John the Baptist appear more clearly than in their attitude towards common social life. John had his training and did his work apart from the homes of men. The wilderness was his chosen and fit scene of labor. From this solitude he sent forth his summons and warning to his people. They who sought him for fuller teaching went after him and found him where he was. They then returned to their homes and their work, leaving the prophet
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

Twelve Baskets Full of Fragments Gathered from the Miracle of Christ Feeding the Multitude.
1.--MAN NEEDS HELP. "They have nothing to eat." (Mark vi. 36.) 2.--GOD IS BETTER THAN GOOD MEN. "Send them away," said the disciples. (Mark vi. 36.) "They need not depart," the Lord replied. (Matt. xiv. 16.) 3.--MINISTERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR THE CHILDREN, THEY GIVE HELP AS WELL AS TROUBLE. Andrew said, "There is a lad here." (John vi. 9.) 4.--YOUTH CAN GIVE TO JESUS WHAT NO ONE ELSE POSSESSES. "There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves." (John vi. 9.) 5.--UNBELIEF
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

The Historical Books. 1 the New Testament...
CHAPTER XXIX. THE HISTORICAL BOOKS. 1. The New Testament, like the Old, is not an abstract system of doctrines and duties, but a record of facts involving doctrines and duties of the highest import. This record does not constitute an independent history, complete in itself, and to be explained in its own light. It is rather the necessary sequel to the record of the Old Testament. It interprets the Old Testament, and is itself interpreted by it. The two constitute together an organic whole, and can
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Right to Privacy
"There were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."--Mark 6:31 "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them."--Matthew 9:36 I had just come back from a strenuous month in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Sprightly, the young married couple who were in charge of the mission station, and I were relaxing around the tea table. I told about the work I had been doing, and answered interested questions. Finally the talk drifted into lighter channels, and
Mabel Williamson—Have We No Rights?

Set at Liberty.
(MARK VI. 27.) "Hush my soul, and vain regrets be stilled; Now rest in Him who is the complement Of whatsoe'er transcends our mortal doom, Of baffled hope and unfulfilled intent; In the clear vision and aspect of whom All longings and all hopes shall be fulfilled." ARCHBISHOP TRENCH. The Genesis of a Great Crime--The Strength of Evil Influences--An Accomplice of Satan--The Triumph of Hate--The Baptist Beheaded--A Place of Repentance The evangelist Mark tells us, in the twenty-first verse of this
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

The King's Courts
(MARK VI.) "The number of thine own complete, Sum up and make an end; Sift clean the chaff, and house the wheat; And then, O Lord, descend. "Descend, and solve by that descent This mystery of life; Where good and ill, together blent, Wage an undying strife." J. H. N. Under Royal Surveillance--"It is not Lawful."--The Revenge of Herodias--The Upbraidings of Conscience--Devotion to Truth--"A Sin unto Death." Our story brings us next to speak of the Baptist's relations with Herod Antipas, son of the
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

Rejected in his Own Country
"And He went out from thence; and He cometh into His own country; and His disciples follow Him." MARK 6:1-6 (R.V.) WE have seen how St. Mark, to bring out more vividly the connection between four mighty signs, their ideal completeness as a whole, and that mastery over nature and the spiritual world which they reveal, grouped them resolutely together, excluding even significant incidents which would break in upon their sequence. Bearing this in mind, how profoundly instructive it is that our Evangelist
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

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