Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Today, let’s look at the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand and learn from our compassionate Shepherd:
“And 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.”
Mark 6:33
After Jesus had instructed the disciples to rest for a while, it wasn’t long before they needed to return to their mission. The people saw them leaving and ran after them on foot, demonstrating their deep desperation after witnessing the miracles performed by the disciples during their brief evangelistic expedition.
The events that followed provide great insight into the character of our Lord. Mark highlights Jesus’ perspective in the exchange that led to the feeding of the five thousand.
The Compassionate Shepherd
The first thing Mark tells us is what Jesus felt when He saw the large crowd approaching:
“And when Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.”
Mark 6:34
Scripture tells us that Jesus felt compassion for the people. They were like sheep without a shepherd—spiritually hungry, weighed down by the legalistic teachings and traditions of the Pharisees. These religious leaders had imposed heavy burdens on the people, leaving them weary and desperate for relief.
This sight grieved our Lord, for He is indeed a compassionate Savior. As He stated:
“But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
Matthew 15:24
The same spiritual hunger persists in our world today. When we look at the news and observe society, it’s evident that people are drifting further from God. Many are searching for truth and salvation.
Sadly, many churches today promote a works-based salvation, burdening people with religious obligations—tithes, church attendance, and acts of righteousness—while failing to preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore, all that they tell you, do and keep, but do not do according to their deeds. For they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.’”
Matthew 23:1-4
The Comforting Shepherd
Jesus clearly saw that the people’s real hunger was spiritual. He understood the consequences of religious leaders failing in their duty:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from ministering as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I Myself also will forget your children.”
Hosea 4:6
Jesus recognized that the people’s greatest need was the true, living Word of God. His response was immediate—He began teaching them many things.
As believers, we must understand that this is still the spiritual condition of our world today. People are not merely hungry for money, entertainment, social interactions, or material things. They are starving for the Word of God.
Paul reminds us:
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
Romans 10:17
This is the antidote to the world’s spiritual hunger—the truth of a Savior who forgives sins and sets people free.
Mark tells us that the people remained with Jesus for a long time, listening intently:
“And when it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, ‘This place is desolate, and it is already quite late.’”
Mark 6:35
Yet, in our churches today, we prioritize shorter services and shorter sermons, arguing that people’s attention spans are shrinking. Sermons once lasting an hour are now reduced to five minutes. Churches introduce entertainment to keep people engaged, fearing they will lose them otherwise.
However, the picture Mark paints is different. The people were hungry for the Word of God and stayed as long as necessary to be fed spiritually.
This should cause us to reflect: Do we hunger for the Word of God in the same way?
We rarely apply the same logic in other areas of life. A soccer match lasts 90 minutes, yet fans don’t complain about its length. Some even watch games at 3 AM without hesitation. The same goes for binge-watching TV shows—people spend hours watching multiple episodes in one sitting without complaint.
This reveals a deeper issue: Have we lost our appetite for God’s Word?
The people in Mark’s account were hungry, and they found comfort in listening to Christ. Their faith was strengthened through His words, fulfilling what Habakkuk said:
“But the righteous will live by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:4
The Catering Shepherd
The disciples, however, took a different approach. Their immediate reaction was to send the people away:
“Send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
Mark 6:36
Jesus had something else in mind. He saw their physical need and was ready to meet it:
“But He answered and said to 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?’”
Mark 6:37
The disciples were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd—over 5,000 men, not counting women and children. Feeding such a crowd would require an enormous sum, roughly 200 days’ wages.
Where human effort fell short, Jesus stepped in:
“And He said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go look!’ And when they found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. And they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.”
Mark 6:38-40
In making them sit on the grass, Jesus—the Good Shepherd—literally led His sheep to green pastures:
“Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”
Psalm 23:1-2
The Creative Shepherd
Jesus then performed a miracle—creating food to satisfy them all:
“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.”
Mark 6:41
This was not the only instance of Jesus displaying divine power in creation. Paul tells us:
“For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Colossians 1:16
Jesus is not only our Shepherd—He is our Creator.
The Shepherd of Contentment
Jesus not only provided, but He provided abundantly:
“And they all ate and were satisfied.”
Mark 6:42
Our Shepherd satisfies both spiritual and physical needs. Yet, many believers today treat Jesus as just one of many sources of fulfillment—church for spirituality, entertainment for happiness, loans for financial security.
True discipleship calls us to place all our trust in Him.
The Complementary Shepherd
Finally, we see that nothing was wasted:
“And they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. And there were five thousand men who ate the loaves.”
Mark 6:43-44
Jesus provides far more than we ask or imagine:
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
Let us run to Him in every need, trusting that He alone can fully satisfy us.
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