Mark 6:31  “…Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest…”
Common problem among ministries is the idea someone has to give everything 24/7.  Jesus Himself didn’t do that nor did He require it of His disciples.  I guess we think because God doesn’t sleep, we shouldn’t either.  That’s a setup for pride and arrogance.  We get to thinking things won’t get done without us.  If the ministry is really God’s, which it is, He’ll not only take care of us when we need to rest, He’ll also take care of problems another way when we can’t.  We say it’s His ministry, but we act like He doesn’t participate.

33  “…multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there…”
Had seen Him enough to know where He was going to get away from it all.

34  “…was moved with compassion for them…”
He understands our temptation to burn the candle at both ends.

37  “…Shall we go and buy…”
They thought the answer was outside them and what they had.  But they had Jesus.  He used what they had to provide.  Goes toward my idea that God chooses to do things through His creation rather than start from scratch.  He makes that connection to us each time.  He parted the Red Sea instead of transporting the Israelites over it.  He provided Manna, but they had to gather and prepare it for food.  Jesus turned water to wine instead of just creating wine.  And He multiplied food twice rather than just creating food or transporting the people to a town.  When we see this, there is the danger of thinking these aren’t miracles because He chooses to use the natural.  But the natural is His.  We try to give nature power and authority when it is a created thing as everything else.  He created it, why shouldn’t He use it as He pleases.

38  “…Five, and two fish”
Purely speculation, but maybe they caught on a little.  Jesus asked about the loaves, but they included the fish as well.  Perhaps in seeking the loaves they had a spark of a thought that He was going to do something and gathered all the food they had.  Just a thought.

46  “…He departed to the mountain…”
Still needed to rest and refresh.  Sent the disciples out in the boat and went to the mountain to pray.

52  “…they had not understood about the loaves…”
Even after seeing Him multiply the loaves and fish, they still didn’t realize who He was or the power He had.  Never considered that someone who could do what He did would have no problem walking on water.  Mark doesn’t record that Peter walked out to Jesus here although Matthew does.  He probably didn’t want to embarrass Peter or perhaps Peter didn’t mention it.  But other instances are included that show Peter in a bad light so the narrative isn’t one sided.

55  “ran through that whole surrounding region…”
These people are completely different from the ones He encountered in Nazareth.  He could do no great miracles there due to their unbelief.  Here, the people hurried to bring every sick person they could find.  And they believed to the point they knew they only needed to touch the hem of His garment to receive healing.  Just like salvation.  Some only need hear the good news.  Some will never believe regardless of their knowledge.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.