You Feed Them

Serve your guests on a Fish & Loaves plate.
Jesus gave thanks...do you?

Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat." But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed. Mark 6:35-44

Meditate on food for 5,000.

 

This story is worthy of another day of study and meditation. You feed them. What?! We don’t have enough money to buy food for 5,000 men and their families. How much bread do you have? Bread was a mainstay in the diet of people—so Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread and a couple of fish to feed the crowd, sitting in groups of fifty or a hundred. When was the last time you hosted 50 or 100 people…if ever? When we have fourteen of our family together, we have a full house, even if we are eating outside! The space needed for 5,000 men, plus their wives and children, which could have been about 20,000 people, would be enormous. Those disciples—as well as all of Jesus’ followers at this meal—learned a great lesson in trusting God to provide.

The crowd was probably pretty hungry at this point since it was late in the afternoon. Jesus was concerned about sending them away weak, but He met their need. God supplied it, and they ate as much as they wanted. These were mainly Jewish people who lived in the region of Bethesda at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came to minister first to the Jews…and later Gentiles were added to His outreach ministry, although we know God never had a plan B, so the Gentiles were always to be included. How reassuring for those of us who do not have Jewish heritage. Believing in Jesus as our Savior is what gives us access to being part of God’s family. Would He still feed us today, as He fed those 5,000 men and their families? Actually, He is still feeding us day by day. The Lord provides. As Psalm 146 tell us—He provides everything—food, justice, freedom, and love.

Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The LORD will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the LORD! Psalm 146:1-10

Praise the Lord!

            What understanding of Jesus do you gain from this scripture today?

 

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I praise You—as long as I live here on earth—and forever in Heaven. Just knowing You fills me with overwhelming joy and continuous hope. You are so powerful—and yet so loving and compassionate. Yes, I praise You and thank you, forever.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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