seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Mark 6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
I thought it was always Judas who complained about the cost of the Mission. Check out verse 37. "They said to him" is how my online Bible says it. It doesn't say Judas or Matthew or Peter complained.... they all complained. They were so excited about the Mission and then they went right into complaining about the expense of holding a Potluck. Jesus knew some of those people had their own food. I'm sure they didn't start out without provisions of some sort. Bread was not as expensive as meat. They had fish and bread, a normal pack lunch for the boys back then.
Jesus could read minds. We saw that in Matthew's Gospel [Chapter 9 verse 4} "Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?"
A quick perusal of the crowd, Jesus could tell who had food and who didn't. He could take a quick appraisal of the situation and use what was there to create a banquet! I can imagine what He was hearing "when are they going to stop for dinner?", or "Man that fish I brought would sure be good right now... but I don't dare take it out here". OR.... "we're out in the middle of nowhere, I'm glad I packed a basket". Jesus could read their thoughts and since His dad created math, He was probably a quick calculator Himself. He knew which groups would need to be supplemented with the fish and loaves He had.
Jesus was the MacGyver of the Holy Lands!
These people were like sheep. He led them to share. The generosity of the new converts was enough to produce twelve baskets of leftovers.
They didn't need to go to town. Jesus taught them to share.
It says 5,000 men were there. That doesn't count the women, children, or slaves.
