Mark 6:34–52

This is very sweet. His object in retiring had been to give His disciples rest — they had not even had time to eat — and the haste of the crowd really was an intrusion. Yet the Lord at once turns to them in love. Here again there is not the slightest expression of disturbed feeling. He showed no coldness to the intruders. He enters on this fresh service with the same eagerness with which He had turned aside with His disciples to give them a little rest.

How forbidding their selfishness looks in the light of His magnificent grace! He had gone to a desert place to give His disciples rest. But the moment human need appeared, the deep flowing tide of compassion rolled out from His tender heart.

Who in all the earth cared for these poor ones of the flock of Israel? A Gentile emperor at Rome ruled them with a rod of iron. An Edomite sat on the throne of David. Were Annas and Caiaphas the high priests the people needed — men who would deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward? The scribes and Pharisees had no compassion in their hearts. They devoured widows' houses and loaded men's shoulders with heavy burdens hard to bear. The grave had only just closed over the body of the last of God's prophets. Truly Israel was without prophet, priest, or king.

It is full of solemn meaning for us today that the Lord in that day looked on Israel as an unkept, unfed flock… And yet there was much religion then. There were many sects. People kept the feast days. There was a great stir in everything that might mark a day of public religious decency and devotion… There were plenty of teachers, and plenty of zeal. Yet under the eye of Him who saw them as God saw them, Israel was without a shepherd, an unkept, unfed flock.

The heart of the great Servant comes out most beautifully in verse 34. There we are told He was "moved with compassion." The sight of them, like sheep without a shepherd, stirred only compassion in Him — not, as so often with us, feelings of annoyance or contempt. And He was moved by the compassion He felt; that is the wonder of it.

His heart went out to them, and flowed out. It was never held back from doing good; it only needed a channel… "He began to teach them many things." They now appeared before His soul in some measure as "the poor of the flock," and He would feed them.

His compassion moved Him in two directions. First, to minister to them in spiritual things. Second, to minister to them in material things. Notice the order: the spiritual came first. "He began to teach them many things," though what He said is not recorded; then when evening came He relieved their hunger. Let us learn from this how to act. If people have bodily needs, it is good that we meet them as far as we are able. But let us always keep the Word of God in the first place.

Jehovah was the true Shepherd of Israel. He was present there in the person of Christ, who was in truth rejected. Still, the people's ingratitude did not weaken His compassion and His love.

No failure on the part of Israel can wither up the kindness and compassion of the heart of Jehovah… He is the same today. Despite all our weaknesses and many failures He cares for our souls and provides for our bodies.

"Late in the day" — that is, between three and six in the afternoon, a time the French still describe as soir, the first of the two Jewish evenings. In verse 47 we have the second evening, from six o'clock to dusk.

The Lord had taken them away for rest, but the people still follow Him. He occupies Himself with them in mercy and grace. The disciples served only as instruments of that grace, and they knew nothing of the resources now about to appear. Those resources answered to another promise made to the Jews: "I will satisfy her poor with bread." "We are here in a desolate place" was their consciousness — that is, we have no resources.

The suggestion of the apostles was wise enough, perhaps, as a piece of purely human policy. Common sense is much praised in the affairs of life. Yet it could invent nothing better than self-help to supply the needed food in these unusual circumstances. The proposed scheme relieved the disciples of any responsibility for the welfare of the people. But it fell far short of the compassionate spirit taught in the law: "You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need" (Deuteronomy 15:7-8).

Oh, do we not see the reflection of ourselves here? "Send them away." Was that all the disciples could think or say? Had they not profited more from their Master's past ways? Had they not profited from the grace the Lord had been showing for so long to poor, shepherdless Israel? "Send them away." Send them away from Jesus! Without refreshment from Jesus! This is what even disciples could propose to the Lord Himself. Is this not what we learn about our own hearts? Do we not keep discovering how little we are able to count on grace? Its resources have no limit, yet we fail to turn them to the difficulty in front of us. Here the lack was in others. But what a lack in themselves, when the unbelief of disciples speaks out to the Lord like this!

When the day was far gone, the disciples came from their rest and said to the Lord, "Send them away." It seems the disciples saw the crowd as intruders on their rest. They wanted to be rid of them. But the Lord will not send them away hungry, for is it not written, "I will satisfy her poor with bread"? No failure on Israel's part can dry up the kindness and compassion in the heart of Jehovah. […] He is the same today. In spite of all our weaknesses and many failures, He cares for our souls and provides for our bodies.

So there was a moral breach between Him and them. Their selfishness, their narrowness of heart, had caused it. He cannot take the course they prescribe. He feeds the crowd instead of dismissing them. […] Their selfishness would have been glad to separate Him from the people. So His discipline must now separate them from the joy and strength of His presence.

"Send them away." Was that all the disciples could think or say? Had they not gained more from their past experience of their Master? Had they not gained from the grace the Lord had been showing for so long to poor Israel, a people with no shepherd? "Send them away." Send them away from Jesus! Without refreshment from Jesus! This was what even disciples could propose to the Lord Himself. Is not this what we learn of our own hearts? Do we not keep discovering how little we can count on grace, and how little we can turn its endless resources to meet the difficulty in front of us? ... Here the lack was in others. But what a lack in themselves, when the unbelief of the disciples pours itself out like this to the Lord!

In Matthew 14 the suggestion begins with the disciples, but it is to send the crowd away rather than to feed them. This was a wretched suggestion of their heart. It was, as we say, one word for the crowd and two for themselves. They wanted to be left alone, and they felt the people were intruding. (See Mark 6.) There was something both of hypocrisy and coldheartedness in it. It was a wretched sample of the common selfishness.

As a piece of human policy, the suggestion of the apostles was perhaps wise enough. Common sense is praised highly in the affairs of life. Yet here it could think of nothing better than self-help to supply the food needed in such unusual circumstances. The plan freed the disciples of all responsibility for the welfare of the people. But it fell far short of the compassion the law taught: "If there is a poor man among you... you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother" (Deut. 15:7-11).

The Lord, however, corrects everything with grace. He takes them away into a deserted place, and there His love never tires. A hungry crowd was there. Only a little while before, these disciples had been full of what they had taught and what they had done. Was this not a crisis worthy of their labours now? Could they not help in the present distress? They seem not so much as to have thought of it... They were at their wits' end. They did not know what to do. Strange to say, they never thought of the Lord.

It would seem as if the disciples looked upon them as intruders on their rest and would gladly be rid of them. But the Lord will not send them away hungry, for is it not written, "I will satisfy her poor with bread"? No failure on the part of Israel can dry up the kindness and compassion of the heart of Jehovah... Moreover, in carrying out this work of love, He uses others. He can say to the disciples, "Give them something to eat." But their faith was not able to use His power — as is so often true of us.

Then comes the feeding of the crowds, and the way the Lord sends them away. It was very different from what it would have been if the disciples had had their way. They would have sent the people off to buy bread for themselves. Thousands would have gone away hungry, witnesses, as it were, against Christ. He sent those many thousands away happy and satisfied — so many witnesses to the tenderness of His heart and the divine glory of His person.

There was a moral breach between Him and them. Their selfishness, their narrowness of heart, had caused it. He cannot take the course they suggest. He feeds, instead of dismissing, the multitude.

The Lord expects them to recognise the power present with them: "Give them something to eat." They count on the resources they have right now, as unbelief always does. That shows their darkness about who was there. But it did not hinder Jehovah's love, nor Jesus' power as such.

The one who did the sums for the group worked out that two hundred denarii spent on bread would only give a little to each person. That is a penny's worth of bread for every twenty-five men in the crowd, and nothing for the women and children. Besides, where could they find so much bread in a country place with so few people living there? Yet did they not know the Scriptures? Had they forgotten what Jehovah had done in the days of Elisha? He multiplied the loaves of a man from Baal-shalisha, and a hundred men had enough (2 Kings 4:42-44).

In carrying out this work of love, He uses others. He can say to the disciples, "Give them something to eat." But their faith could not use His power. It is so often the same with us. They can only think of how much they would need, forgetting the vast resources they had in Christ.

The Lord works in His own power, yet He loves to use what human wisdom might despise. Moses may plead his inability, but the Lord will use that man of slow speech... So now our Lord draws on the resources already in the hands of the disciples. What they had could never have been enough without Him. But He is always with us, in one way or another, ready to work and bless with His almighty power and goodness.

He does not distribute the bread directly, as if He took no account of His servants. He meant to show His disciples that the love of Christ delights to work through human channels. The same unbelief works two ways. On one side it sees nothing in Jesus. On the other it overlooks and denies the fitting instruments Jesus uses to hand out His blessings in this world. But Jesus alone was the source of it all, so the disciples were to be the channels. They both learned and taught what grace could do to them, and through them.

The apostles could not multiply the five loaves into plenty for five thousand men. But they could carry the supply, as it grew, to the hungry mouths of their brothers in Israel. They did this service under their Master's eye. It matched their later spiritual service as the "fellow workers of God" (1 Cor. 3:9). The apostles, though forming the foundation of the church, were never originators. They acted in the name of the Lord.

Our resources may feel small. Yet in having Christ Himself we have just what everyone needs. Let us not hold back, but give what we are able. Too often we look in the wrong direction, as they did. We act as if some lesser source than Christ Himself might offer hope of meeting the need.

The Lord had now to share His own thoughts and feelings with them. He does it in this way: "You give them something to eat." They do not need to go. They do not need to buy. What Jesus tells them is to give.

But, as so often with ourselves, their faith was not able to use His power. They could only think of how much they would need. They forgot the vast resources they had in Christ. The Lord first makes it plain that their own resources fall far short. Then He brings their little — the five loaves and the two fishes — into touch with heaven's plenty. The result: five thousand men "all ate and were satisfied."

People give three references to prove that Christ's knowledge and understanding were of the ordinary human order. One is Mark 6:38, "How many loaves do you have?" He asked the question, they say, "because He did not know!" He asked for information because He needed it! So we are told that for ordinary knowledge of ordinary things He had to use our ordinary channels of information! But another of the Gospel writers, an eyewitness of the miracle too, has told us: "He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do." Remembering that, this is far too childish to detain us.

The Lord loves to make use of what human wisdom might look down on as worthless, even while He works in His own power. Moses may plead that he cannot speak, but the Lord will use that man of slow speech... So now our Lord draws on the resources that were already in the hands of the disciples. Not that what they had could have been any use without Him. But He is always with us, in one way or another, ready to work and bless, according to His almighty power and goodness.

"What do you have in the house?" said the prophet to the woman. Jesus later said to His disciples, "How many loaves do you have?" He had said to Moses at the hill, "What is that in your hand?" It is fitting that we use whatever we have. It may be quite unequal to the need, but we should still put it to work. It may be only a shepherd's staff, and Israel has to be redeemed. It may be only a jar of oil, and the creditor has to be paid, who has the right to sell the children and everything else. It may be only five barley loaves, and five thousand hungry people have to be fed.

Of course the bread is a picture of Christ as the bread of life. It is the result of a grain of wheat dying, springing up, being cut down, threshed and ground into flour. Then it is mixed with other ingredients, kneaded and exposed to the heat of the fire. It is Christ passing through suffering and death to be the spiritual food we need. The fishes also picture Christ as the One who has passed through the waters of judgment to bring us eternal blessing. Just present Christ and Him crucified to the world, and the results may make us marvel. For it is God who gives the increase.

The Lord would not allow any such confusion. He was preparing a table in the wilderness for these people of Galilee, and He arranged the guests according to a definite plan. He would have no haste, no disorder. He Himself knew what He would do. He commanded the gathered thousands to sit down as at a table — not where they wanted, but where and how He wanted. He was the Lord of the feast, and He would say to one, Sit here, and to another, Sit there, as it pleased Him.

He commands that they should sit down by companies upon the green grass. They sat down in ranks by hundreds and fifties. The Lord does not ignore outward order and what is fitting in His arrangements. He was about to work a tremendous miracle. So He arranges the people carefully, setting before their eyes what there was in Him to meet the need of man. He was really there, the promised One, who was to feed His poor with bread (Ps. 132:15).

A wonderful generosity is the divine habit. So we read that at this feast in the wilderness, "they all ate and were satisfied." Not one was overlooked. Selfish men did not crowd out the weak women and children. All had plenty, and they could eat it with ease and comfort as they sat upon the green grass. Philip's way would have been to provide just enough bread for the meal, so that each might take "a little." The Lord's way was to provide more than enough, so that everyone might have "as much as they wanted."

Five barley loaves, and two small fish! That was all. Now came the word of command, "Have the people sit down." Nobody objected. No apostle ventured another word. Christ's word was enough… They made the crowd sit down on the green grass, for it was springtime, shortly before the Passover. Mark notes that they sat in companies, in a very orderly and methodical way, just as the Lord had directed (Mark 6:39-40).

What a scene it must have been! Five thousand men, besides women and children, were crowding around Him. At His loving command they lay down upon the grass, and once they had rest He feeds them with His bread. Looking at that blessed picture we think of Him as the Lord, my Shepherd. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." It is fulfilled here… Rest and food in Him and through Him are still His precious gifts to all who put their trust in Him. He Himself is our Rest and our Bread.

The crowd was told to sit down by companies on the green grass. 1 Peter 1:24 tells us that "all flesh is like grass." With the flesh subdued under them, and all its activity stopped, they were ready to receive freely what the Lord alone could freely give. The orderly way in which this was done (in ranks of hundreds and by fifties) is a fitting comment on the wisdom of Him who is a God of order.

Mark 6:40. — The description here is explained by Luke 9:14. The people were arranged as one hundred in front and fifty deep.

On the green grass, as Mark takes care to state, the whole crowd sat down, arranged in perfect order, in rows, by hundreds and by fifties. So we can picture the scene: no disorder, no confusion, but everyone seated... It is remarkable that neither Matthew nor John gives us the least clue about how the huge crowd was arranged. Mark and Luke tell us instead, and Mark's account is the most detailed, like that of an eyewitness.

The Lord would not permit any such confusion. He was preparing a table in the wilderness for these people of Galilee, and He arranged the guests according to a definite plan. He would have no haste, no disorder. He Himself knew what He would do. He told the thousands gathered there to sit down as if at a table — not where they wanted, but where and how He wanted. He was the Lord of the feast, and He would say to one, Sit here, and to another, Sit there, as it pleased Him.

The Lord pays attention to outward order and fitting behaviour in His arrangements. He was about to work an astonishing miracle, and He arranges the people carefully. Their own eyes would convince them of what there was in Him to meet the need of man.

This arrangement prevented confusion. It let the bread and the fish reach everyone with equal fairness, and it made the work of handing them out less heavy for the disciples. Even so, it took real physical effort to handle the amount of food needed to satisfy the hunger of the whole crowd.

The plan made in advance greatly lightened their work. It also let the people eat their meal without being disturbed.

The crowd was told to sit down by companies on the green grass. 1 Peter 1:24 tells us that "all flesh is like grass." So with the flesh put down under them, and all activity of the flesh stopped, they were ready to receive freely what only the Lord could freely give. The orderly way this was done, in rows of hundreds and of fifties, fits the wisdom of Him who is a God of order.

Our God loves regularity. Unpunctuality and disorderly ways do not please Him. When the Lord fed five thousand men besides women and children, He commanded them to sit down "in groups, by hundreds and by fifties" (Mark 6:40). Any reader who tends to be unpunctual and careless should remember these facts.

To make the five loaves meet the need of all was wonderful. But to make two little fish enough for all, with pieces of them left over too, seems more wonderful still. Jehovah was there.

He is the Son, but always seen in the place He had taken as Man. So He stands on earth and looks up to heaven, as fits the dependent Man. All through His perfect path He proved by many a word and deed that He was a Divine Person — the Son. Yet as the perfect servant in Manhood, heaven was always His resource. When meeting the needs of the five thousand, "He looked up to heaven" (Mark 6:41). When healing the man who was deaf and could not speak, and relieving our sicknesses, He did so "looking up to heaven" (Mark 7:34). When meeting our sorrows He "lifted up His eyes" to the Father (John 11:41).

He was dispensing the bounty of heaven, and so He looked up to heaven as He blessed.

To bless here is to bless God, or to give thanks to Him. (See Mark 8:6; Luke 22:17-19; John 6:11.) Inserting the word "it" after "bless" has hidden this meaning. It has also opened the way to the practice among priests of consecrating the bread and the cup before handing them out.

They could only think of how much they would need, forgetting the vast resources they had in Christ. The Lord first made plain how far short their own resources fell. Then He brings their little — the five loaves and the two fish — into touch with heaven's plenty, and five thousand men "all ate and were satisfied."

He does not hand out the bread directly, as if He took no account of His servants. He meant to show His disciples that the love of Christ delights to work through human channels. The same unbelief works two ways. On one side it sees nothing in Jesus. On the other it tends to overlook and deny the use Jesus makes of fitting instruments to give out His blessings in this world. Jesus alone was the source of it all, so the disciples were to be the channels. They would both learn and teach what grace could do to them and through them.

The apostles could not multiply the five loaves into a feast for five thousand men. But they could carry the supply, as it grew, to the hungry mouths of their brothers in Israel... The apostles, though forming the foundation of the church, were never originators. They acted in the name of the Lord. As with the physical food, so with the spiritual: what they received of the Lord, they delivered to others.

He was really there — the promised One who was to feed His poor with bread (Psalm 132:15). Where were they? They had never thought of Him. They did not count on love like this for a need far greater than the bread that perishes for the body.

The rejected One spreads a table in the wilderness, abundantly blesses Zion's provision, and satisfies her poor with bread. The miracle may not be the fulfilment of Psalm 132, but it is the witness that He was there who could, and yet will, fulfil it.

Extraordinary generosity is God's habit. So we read that at this feast in the wilderness, "they all ate and were satisfied." Not one was overlooked. Selfish men did not push the weak women and children aside. Everyone was given plenty… Philip's way would have been to provide just enough bread for the meal, so that each might take "a little." The Lord's way was to provide far more than enough, so that everyone might have "as much as they wanted."

He does not hand out the bread Himself, as if His servants counted for nothing. He meant to show His disciples that the love of Christ delights to work through human channels… But Jesus alone was the source of it all. The disciples were to be the channels. They were to learn, and to teach, what grace could do to them and through them.

The Lord had made plain that their own resources were nowhere near enough. Then He brings their little — the five loaves and the two fish — into touch with heaven's plenty. The result: five thousand men all ate and were satisfied.

Fed to the full — and twelve baskets of fragments left! This tells the wealth of the Lord of the feast, as well as His kindness. And what deep satisfaction this gives! Suppose we draw on someone else's generosity, and we have reason to fear that we have taken what he needed himself. Our enjoyment fades… But when we know that behind the table spread for us there are stores in the house, such fears are ruled out.

John alone of the four Gospel writers tells us that Jesus said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost" (John 6:12). That nothing be lost! The Lord does not want us to lose His gifts through waste or neglect just because we have more than enough for the moment… It does not please God when we neglect or squander what He gives. To waste His gifts is to despise them and to lose them. Being careful with them is not the opposite of true generosity. The two belong together.

The very fragments far exceeded the provision they had at first, but even the fragments were not to be forgotten or despised. What simple care He took! And at the same time He made sure the proof was there before their eyes that the whole thing was a miracle.

Here is the miracle. The little was not only enough for all, but more was left over at the end than they had in the beginning. His blessing was not only upon the little for all, but He blessed it in such a way that from it came an abundant increase. It is not different now in the ministry of spiritual things. The more we give out, having received from Him, the greater the increase and possession for us in the end.

All the accounts speak of the gathering up of the fragments. John's Gospel adds our Lord's words: "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost." God's great giving must never be confused with the waste so common among people. It suggests that even in the miracles, while there is nothing stingy, there is no needless excess.

He who held almighty power allowed no waste. Here He sets before His people an example of thrift. The people were satisfied first, and the twelve baskets of fragments prove it. In those baskets the disciples gathered up enough for their own next meal.

In the New Testament there are three Greek words used for baskets. One is spuris, which means 'a hamper.' That is the word for the seven baskets of fragments left after the four thousand were fed. When the five thousand were fed there were twelve baskets of fragments, but the word then is kophinos, 'a hand basket.' The two perfect numbers seven and twelve show the endless supply the Lord gives when His purpose is to bless His own.

The extra broken pieces were the ones the Lord had broken off to hand out. Each apostle had a basketful of them, over and above what the people needed. The whole scene speaks of the rich goodness of God. The Servant of Jehovah provided it, and the twelve apostles handed it out.

However slight the hint may be, I have no doubt that the number of the baskets of fragments refers to the full blessing of the latter days in the reign. It is the number sacred to that — twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve thrones for them judging the twelve tribes, twelve stars on the woman. It is the idea of the perfection of the government of God in man.

If we draw on the generosity of another, and have reason to fear that we have taken what he needed himself, our enjoyment fades… But when we know that there are stores in the house behind the table spread for us, such fears are forbidden. The thought of the wealth of the host, as well as of his love, sets all at ease. And it is to be like this with us in our enjoyment of Christ.

The leftover pieces were far more than the food they had at first, but even those pieces were not to be forgotten or treated as worthless. What simple care He showed — and at the same time He made sure they had proof before their own eyes that the whole thing was a miracle!

The Lord will not send them away hungry, for is it not written, "I will satisfy her poor with bread"? No failure on Israel's part can dry up the kindness and compassion in the heart of Jehovah… He first made plain that their own resources were completely inadequate. Then the Lord brings their little — the five loaves and the two fish — into contact with heaven's plenty, and the result is that five thousand men "all ate and were satisfied."

What a wonderful combination of human dependence and divine almighty power in one Person! In His hands the five loaves were enough for five thousand men, besides women and children, with twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. No wonder the people burst out with enthusiasm and wanted to make Him king right there (John 6:15). A ruler who gives would be a real blessing to men worn down by taxes.

He does not hand out the bread Himself, as if His servants did not matter. He meant to show His disciples that the love of Christ delights to work in human channels. The same unbelief, which on one side sees nothing in Jesus, on the other easily overlooks and denies the way Jesus uses fitting servants to hand out His blessings in this world.

Here is the miracle. The little was not only enough for all; more was left over at the end than they had at the start. His blessing rested on the little so that all were fed, and He blessed it in such a way that it produced a great increase. It is not different now in the ministry of spiritual things. The more we give out, having received from Him, the greater the increase and possession for us in the end.

All of them speak of gathering up the fragments, and John's Gospel adds our Lord's words: "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost." This is because God's great generosity must never be confused with the waste that is so common among men.

The twelve baskets may point to the note of rule and government in this scene, which all four Gospel writers record. It is the Lord feeding His beloved people Israel, fulfilling the prophecy: "I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (Ps. 132:15). Matthew, the Gospel of the kingdom, adds that besides the five thousand men, the women and children were not forgotten. The King does not overlook the least of His subjects.

The way the account is worded seems to imply that the disciples were unwilling to obey. Their unwillingness "demanded a certain loving violence on His part to overcome." John 6 most likely gives the reason the apostles had to be "constrained," or forced, to put to sea. The miracle of the loaves had stirred up great excitement in that lonely place. The crowd wanted to take Him by force and proclaim Him the Prophet and King of the Jews. The disciples had not taken in enough of their Master's spirit to judge this sudden impulse well. They would probably have sided with the mob to place Him on the throne of David.

With these men the loaves and fishes had taken on too much importance. They wanted a steady supply, so easily obtained, so they plotted to force kingship on this Prophet. We have just heard Him say, "I do not receive testimony from man," and again, "I do not receive glory from people." So it is no surprise that He will not receive a kingdom from the hands of men. The glory of the greatest earthly kingdom that man can build is only tinsel before Him.

I can see the Lord's beautiful wisdom in sending His disciples away at that moment, out of the way of something that could have harmed them. John 6:14-15 tells us that the crowds would have taken Him by force to make Him king, and the disciples too were intent on the kingdom. But the Lord could take no kingdom, and could not reign, while sin was still here and not yet put away from God's sight. He knew He must die and make atonement before the day of the kingdom. So now He sends His disciples away out of temptation. The Lord is always so wise; we may well trust Him — trust His love and His wisdom in all His ways with us.

The discipline, then, comes at the right time. After feeding the people, the Lord tells the disciples to go aboard and cross the Sea of Galilee. Their selfishness would gladly have separated Him from the people, so His discipline must now separate them from the joy and strength of His presence. They launch out on the sea, and He continues His perfect path. He takes leave of the poor shepherdless flock and withdraws to the mountain to pray.

It was one of the great signs of the Messiah that He would satisfy His poor with bread, as you may remember in Psalm 132. The Lord should have been recognised in this way, but He was not. So He sent them away. Instead of gathering to the Lord as their King, the people have been set aside, at least for a time. He has dismissed the crowd because of their unbelief; He has left Israel for a while and gone on high to take the place of intercession. And while the Lord is there, the disciples are exposed to all the storms and changes of this lower scene.

The disciples obeyed their Master's directions. They were to go on ahead to Bethsaida, as Mark plainly states. This was a town on the west side of the lake, quite distinct from Bethsaida Julias, near which the Lord had fed the crowd. We say this because it is an open question whether there were two Bethsaidas or only one... But they never reached Bethsaida on the west. They landed in the plain of Gennesaret. So Matthew and Mark write. Then John tells us they were going to Capernaum. The wind may have pushed them off course, for they came to Capernaum.

The loaves and fishes had become too important to these men. They wanted more of this food that came so easily, so they planned to force kingship on this Prophet... We are not surprised that He will not receive a kingdom from human hands. The glory of the greatest earthly kingdom that man can build is only tinsel to Him. So He went off alone to a mountain, while His disciples set out to cross the lake... They would gladly and eagerly have joined the people's plan, so He wisely took them away from the temptation.

Critics here indulge in poor criticism of the use of the definite article, as if Mark, knowing the land only vaguely, thought there was just one mountain in the district. In ordinary speech the definite article marks mountainous country, highlands. It is the same in more or less classical Hebrew, as in Genesis 12:8, Genesis 14:10, Deuteronomy 1:24... So in Mark 6:46, Matthew 5:1, and elsewhere.

He would now dismiss the huge crowd and withdraw to speak that night to His Father in prayer. He had just shown His divine power by feeding the crowd with five loaves and two small fish. Now, as a dependent man, He would bow low before His Father in prayer. So none of His disciples should ever be ashamed to admit their dependence on the God of all grace and the Father of mercies.

In view of this decisive rejection by His beloved people, Jesus took up the burden of it on His spirit before His Father. In the silent midnight He most surely felt the sharp pain of despised love. And may we not believe that the lonely mountain altar also sent up the fragrant incense of a submissive will: "Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will"? There on the mountainside we see Him learning obedience to the written will of Jehovah by the things He was suffering in His spirit.

The Lord had just fed the crowd, His compassion drawn out to them as sheep without a shepherd. Sadly, they had no one to lead them into green pastures and care for their souls. And when the Good Shepherd came among them, they had no eyes to see His glory and no heart to receive Him. So the Lord sent the people away and "went up on the mountain to pray." In this picture He dismisses the nation. He takes a new place on high to intercede for His own, who stay to witness for Him in a world that has rejected Him.

We may be sure that those disciples had their place in His prayer that night. He was an intercessor for them. They seemed to be alone, alone with rough seas and strong winds, yet He had not forgotten them. He was praying for them, and praying for them because He loved them. And has He stopped caring about His tried and troubled disciples who seem to be left to face seas of sorrow alone? No, He is what He always was, and on the mountain of glory — the right hand of God — He prays for His own, for Romans 8 says, "who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."

An unwillingness on the part of the disciples to obey seems implied in the terms of the narrative. From John 6 we learn the probable reason why the apostles needed to be "constrained," or forced, to put to sea. The miracle of the loaves had stirred great excitement in that lonely place. The crowd wanted to take Him by force and proclaim Him the Prophet and King of the Jews. The disciples had not taken in enough of their Master's spirit to judge this impulse rightly. They would probably have sided with the mob to place Him on the throne of David.

The Lord would not take the kingdom from zeal like this. This could not be the source of the kingdom of the Son of Man... This would have put Him on the throne of Israel on little better terms than Saul long before. His kingdom would have been the fruit of the people's heated desire, as Saul's had been the fruit of their rebellious heart. But this could not be.

The people, instead of being gathered to the Lord as their King, have been for a season at least set aside. He dismissed the crowd because of their unbelief. He has left Israel for a time and gone on high to take the place of intercession. And while the Lord is there, the disciples are exposed to all the storms and changes of this lower scene... They have their work to do, but apparently they make no progress. Yet in the middle of everything running against them, He comes again.

All of this pictures the marvellous grace He shows in this present age. It also pictures His present work of intercession in the presence of God above. He remained alone there until the fourth watch of the night, which is the break of day. This matches the end of the tribulation period, after Israel has endured the contrary winds of that dreadful time.

He does send them away. So the Jewish nation was dismissed, after Christ had done everything possible in compassion. And Christ takes up His work of intercession on high. And when it was late, "the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land." So He is that land of rest, and yet His eye was not off them. He sees them worn out with rowing.

Note, the intercession of Christ does not necessarily give peace to the Church while He is absent. The wind remains contrary, and they were toiling at the oars, though going and working according to the Lord's will. In fact, being in the place the Lord sets us in, and working by virtue of His intercession, often brings on the opposition of the enemy. This lasts until He steps into the boat in present power, and the enemy himself is silenced and bound... I repeat, a contrary wind and Christ's intercession go together.

He Himself went up into a mountain to pray. That is where He is now, on the mountain, so to speak, in intercession. Scripture says, "He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25)... The distance they had to go was only about ten miles. But in nine hours they had covered "five-and-twenty or thirty furlongs" — a little over three miles. We make little progress if we have not the Lord with us.

"He saw them toiling at the oars." You are labouring, it may be in some kind of service or work. It is uphill, very hard, it takes a great deal out of you, and you are often depressed. Now think of this. The darkness of night did not hide them. Nor did the earnest watch He kept in prayer on the mountain-top. Nor did the storm-lashed lake they were crossing. None of these had hidden His poor servants from the Master's eyes.

Now think of this, "He saw them toiling in rowing." The darkness of night had not hidden them. Nor had the hours He spent in prayer on the mountain-top. Nor had the storm-lashed lake they were crossing. None of these things had hidden His poor servants from the Master's eyes: "He saw them." What a comfort that is! What a comfort for us all, whatever kind of "rowing" it is, whatever kind of work or danger we meet as we sail over the sea of life.

They had been pulling at the oars with all their might without making any headway. This was weary work, and dispiriting too. And yet had not the Lord Himself made them get into the boat that evening? They might have reflected that it was, in effect, He who had set them to this work of rowing straight into a strong gale. Such a reflection would give rise to unworthy thoughts of Him.

He has dismissed the crowd because of their unbelief; He has departed from Israel for a time, and gone on high to take the place of intercession. And while the Lord is there, the disciples face all the storms and changes of this lower scene… The Lord has gone on high now. He is not with the crowd, and He is not present in person with the disciples either. They have their work to do, but apparently they make no progress. Yet in the middle of everything being against them, He comes again.

Surely they must have had some expectation that He would come to their relief. They would be blessed servants if their Lord came and found them watching, counting on Him in faith that He would not abandon them. But He came to them not in the second watch, nor in the third watch. Nor was it until the dark hour before the dawn that the bright and morning Star appeared.

They were troubled on seeing Him like this, for as yet they had not understood who Jesus was. They did not realise that the sea was His; He had made it. Truly, His way was in the sanctuary, but equally His way was in the sea and His paths in the great waters (Ps. 77:13, 19).

He tests their faith, just as He often tests believers today. We read that He "would have passed them by." His power, His intercession, His loving care are all at their disposal. But have they the faith to make use of His fulness? In their trouble they cry out, and "immediately He spoke to them," saying, "It is I. Do not be afraid." He may come to them in the glory of His power, above all storms, but He assures them that it is Himself — Jesus, their Saviour, Shepherd, Friend.

Why did He act as though He would pass them by? To call out from them the faintest cry of want and need of Him. That is what it is. It was not that He was indifferent, that He did not feel; no, it certainly was not that!

He came within their sight, and He would have passed them by. He looked for His appearance to awaken some impulse of appeal to Him, for they all saw Him, as Mark tells us. There was, however, no intelligent recognition of their Master on the part of the apostles. We read that they cried out in fear, because they supposed they saw a phantom. The vision on the waves, they thought, was not real — an apparition — the creation of their own imagination.

This miracle is meant to impress us with the greatness of His power over the Gentile sea of nations. He is in sovereign control even while they are still raging, and in the end He will bring them all under Him, as Son of Man. For He is Man, not a spirit, and His voice calms their troubled hearts.

They were troubled at seeing Him like this, because they had not yet understood who Jesus was. They did not realise that the sea was His; He had made it. Truly, His way was in the sanctuary, but equally His way was in the sea and His paths in the great waters (Ps. 77:13, 19).

Believed in, that same sight would be the spring of the deepest comfort. Left as a matter of sight only — even if it is Jesus — it turns into an occasion of fear! So little can we trust ourselves, and so endlessly are we indebted to God and His word. I say that the word revealing Jesus is a totally different thing from our own thoughts, our own sight, even if it were so.

The little group was deluded, despite the power they had lately received and used over evil spirits. The appearance of their Master filled them with more alarm than the fury of the storm seems to have done. That fear — the fear of the unknown — took hold of them.

Still, He tests their faith, as believers are often tested today. We read that He "meant to pass by them." His power, His intercession, His loving care are all at their disposal. But do they have the faith to make use of His fullness? In their trouble they cry out, and immediately He spoke to them: "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." He may come to them in the glory of His power, above all storms. But He assures them that it is Himself — Jesus, their Saviour, Shepherd, Friend.

Sadly, like ourselves too often, the disciples had not "considered" the greatness of His power and grace shown on an earlier occasion. They were taken up with themselves and their difficulties. So their hearts had grown hard, and they could hardly draw on their resources in Christ.

The Lord has gone on high now; He is not with the multitude, nor is He bodily present with the disciples. He has left the Jews for the time; He is also away from the disciples. They have their work to do, but apparently they make no progress. But in the middle of everything being against them He comes again.

When we believe it, that very thing is the spring of the deepest comfort. When it is only a question of sight, it turns into an occasion of fear — even if it were Jesus! So little can we trust ourselves, and we owe everything to God and His word. The word that reveals Jesus is something entirely different from our own thoughts or our own sight, even when what we see is really Him.

They thought it was a ghost, and they cried out in fear. His cheerful call soon calmed them: "It is I" (or, "I am"), "be not afraid." He has never failed to draw near to His own in their hours of distress and need. He is the "I am" of Exodus 3:14. The possibilities involved in such a name forbid the smallest questioning of unbelief.

The Jesus who as the lowly One had slept on the sea is the same Jesus who, as the mighty One, can walk upon the sea. So He can say to His disciples, "It is I; be not afraid."

The Lord never failed to supply His gracious help in the measure needed and at the moment needed. The disciples said no direct prayer to Him for help. But their cry of fear and distress stopped Him. At once He worked for their relief, calming their fears with His word.

This time the Lord's first word went to the apostles. In the earlier storm His first word went to the waves and the sea. So He stepped in for a different reason in the two cases. The first time, danger had to be turned aside at once. The second time, a storm of fear was sweeping over the men's hearts. Their courage, nerve and confidence seemed to be gone... He said to them: (1) Be of good cheer; (2) It is I; (3) Be not afraid.

He came in a way that showed He was above every circumstance they were in, for He came "walking on the water"... Still, He tests their faith, as believers are often tested in our day. We read that He "would have passed them by." His power, His intercession, His loving care are all at their disposal. But do they have the faith to draw on His fullness? In their trouble they cry out, "and immediately He talked with them," saying, "It is I; be not afraid." He may come to them in the glory of His power, above all storms. Yet He assures them that it is Himself.

On this occasion the Lord's first word went to the apostles. In the previous storm His first word went to the waves and the sea. In the first case there was immediate danger to turn aside. In the second, a storm of fear was sweeping over the men's hearts. Their courage, nerve and confidence seemed to be spent. It seems that in the one case the chief trouble was outside and around them. In the other, the more pressing need was inside the troubled hearts of the disciples.

After He had spoken these words to them, He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. His word of comfort came first, and His act of deliverance followed.

The crossing of the lake showed the disciples once more who their Master was. The headwind held them back, and they struggled forward. He proved again that He was far above both wind and wave: He walked on the water, and He could have passed them by. His word calmed their fears, and His presence in their boat ended the storm. Even so, they still missed what it all meant.

The Lord showed them His personal control of the wild elements, and they were filled with wonder — the same wonder the crowds often showed in their thoughtless ignorance. Israel long ago tended to forget the LORD and their rescue from Egypt. In the same way, the worries of the moment wiped the wonderful mercies of the past from the minds of the disciples. They even forgot the miracle of the previous afternoon, when they had the honour of handing out the food He provided. That is the natural bent of our hearts, for they were men with the same nature as we have.

"And He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased." Again, this passage does not speak of the judgment of His enemies. It speaks of what will happen to His people among the Jews when He returns. Then the world will be full of joy again. The land of Gennesaret once sent the Saviour away, after He had healed the man with demons. Now it receives Him and owns Him, and everywhere the people enjoy His presence with delight.

He got into the boat, and the wind ceased. The Lord had rejoined them, and the elements were still. So it will be in the future, when He appears to His earthly people and for them. In the fullest sense He will turn the storm into a calm, so that its waves are still (Psalm 107:29).

While our Lord is away, it is good for our souls to know that difficulties should not discourage us. We need not be cast down when the wind is against us and we ourselves are toiling in vain — yet not in vain.

As they entered the boat, they recognised Him as the Son of God. Mark records their amazement, but he also reminds us that our Lord's work was not yet done. They did not consider the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened.

The apostles failed for two reasons: (1) they did not understand the loaves, and (2) their heart was hardened. Translators have rendered the verb for "understanding" in different ways. On the whole it seems to mean putting things together in the mind and heart, so as to work out by spiritual reflection what they truly mean.

They saw in the miracle the work of His almighty hand. But they failed to see in it the intense love of His heart for needy men. They had watched the feeding of the five thousand and had shared in the work. That act of mercy was meant to satisfy hungry mouths and to wake up lazy hearts as well. It was one more proof that Jehovah Himself was present in Israel, giving His people bread. But the hearts of the disciples were so dull that they missed the meaning of His presence. So they lacked that source of comfort in the hour of their trial.

The Lord came over the waves looking for faithfulness and confidence in the hearts of the disciples. Instead He found deadly dullness and a heart that could not feel. There was hardness or blindness of heart in them, as well as in the Pharisees (Mark 3:5), in Israel (Rom. 11:7, 25; 2 Cor. 3:14), and in the Gentiles (Eph. 4:18). So Jesus found no answer in the apostles to the work of His love. When He rescued them from the fury of the storm they had been fighting in vain, they were completely astonished. If they expected rescue at all, they did not expect it like that. Yet their hard hearts were melted, and "those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'" (Matt. 14:33).

Sadly, like ourselves too often, the disciples had not "considered" the greatness of His power and grace shown on an earlier occasion. Occupied with themselves and their difficulties, their hearts were hardened and little able to make use of their resources in Christ.

As to themselves, despite all His miracles, their hearts at that time were still hard, and they forgot the miracles, one after the other. The Lord goes on with His work of blessing. People had only to touch Him and be healed.

It was to such disciples, in such a poor condition, that the Lord said, "You give them something to eat." It is very important that we understand this, because the Lord is asking us to serve Him. Does He ask us to work for Him because we are skilled workers? Because we have great gift? Because we are clever, sophisticated people? Not at all!