Mark 6:36
Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
Send them away
In this phrase, the disciples are urging Jesus to dismiss the crowd. The Greek word used here is "ἀπολύω" (apolyō), which means to release or let go. This reflects the disciples' practical concern for the physical needs of the people, as they were in a remote place without food. Historically, this shows the disciples' limited understanding of Jesus' power and mission at this point. They saw a logistical problem rather than an opportunity for divine intervention. This phrase challenges believers to trust in God's provision even when circumstances seem impossible.

so they can go
The phrase indicates the disciples' desire for the crowd to take action. The Greek word "ἀπελθόντες" (apelthontes) means to depart or go away. This reflects a common human tendency to rely on one's own understanding and solutions. The disciples were suggesting a practical solution based on human reasoning. This phrase encourages Christians to consider how often they might rely on their own plans instead of seeking God's guidance and miraculous provision.

into the surrounding countryside and villages
This part of the verse highlights the geographical context of the event. The area around the Sea of Galilee was dotted with small villages and open countryside. The disciples were suggesting that the people disperse to these nearby locations to find food. This reflects the historical reality of the time, where people often traveled to nearby towns for provisions. Spiritually, it underscores the contrast between human limitations and Jesus' ability to provide abundantly, even in desolate places.

to buy themselves something to eat
Here, the disciples are focused on the practical need for food. The Greek word "ἀγοράσωσιν" (agorasōsin) means to buy or purchase. This reflects the economic reality of the time, where food was not readily available and had to be bought. The disciples' suggestion shows their concern for the crowd's immediate physical needs but also their lack of understanding of Jesus' ability to meet those needs supernaturally. This phrase invites believers to reflect on how God can provide in unexpected ways and challenges them to trust in His provision rather than solely relying on human means.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in the Gospel of Mark, performing miracles and teaching the crowds. In this passage, He is approached by His disciples with a practical concern.

2. The Disciples
Followers of Jesus who are concerned about the physical needs of the crowd. They suggest sending the people away to find food.

3. The Crowd
A large group of people who have gathered to hear Jesus teach. They are in a remote place without immediate access to food.

4. Surrounding Countryside and Villages
The areas mentioned as places where the crowd could potentially find food. This highlights the remote setting of the event.

5. The Event
This passage is part of the larger account of the feeding of the five thousand, a miracle that demonstrates Jesus' compassion and divine provision.
Teaching Points
Compassion in Action
Jesus' response to the crowd's need demonstrates His compassion. As followers of Christ, we are called to be attentive to the needs of others and respond with love and action.

Trust in Divine Provision
The disciples' suggestion to send the crowd away reflects a limited understanding of Jesus' power. We are encouraged to trust in God's ability to provide, even in seemingly impossible situations.

Participation in God's Work
Jesus involves the disciples in the miracle, teaching us that God often invites us to participate in His work, using our resources and efforts to bless others.

Faith Over Fear
The disciples' concern for the crowd's physical needs could have led to fear and anxiety. Instead, Jesus teaches us to have faith in His provision and guidance.

Spiritual Nourishment
Beyond physical sustenance, this passage points to the deeper spiritual nourishment that Jesus offers. We are reminded to seek Him as the source of our spiritual life and strength.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' response to the disciples' suggestion in Mark 6:36 challenge our understanding of His power and provision?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate compassion to those in need, following Jesus' example in this passage?

3. How do the parallel accounts of the feeding of the five thousand in the other Gospels enhance our understanding of this miracle?

4. What are some practical ways we can participate in God's work, using the resources He has given us?

5. How does the concept of Jesus as the Bread of Life, as seen in John 6, deepen our understanding of the spiritual nourishment He provides?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 14:15-21 and Luke 9:12-17
These parallel accounts of the feeding of the five thousand provide additional details and perspectives on the event.

John 6:1-14
Another account of the feeding of the five thousand, emphasizing Jesus as the Bread of Life, which connects to the spiritual nourishment He provides.

Exodus 16
The provision of manna in the wilderness for the Israelites, which prefigures Jesus' miraculous feeding of the crowd.

Psalm 23:1
The Lord as the Shepherd who provides for His flock, reflecting Jesus' role in caring for the needs of the people.
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
Anything, Bread, Buy, Countryside, Eat, Farms, Fields, Loaves, Nothing, Round, Somewhat, Surrounding, Themselves, Towns, Villages
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 6:1-56

     5357   journey

Mark 6:32-44

     4418   bread

Mark 6:34-45

     5279   crowds

Mark 6:35-36

     5341   hunger

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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