“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

There are three stages of growing in maturity in a relationship with Christ that we can discover reading the gospels.

The first stage is to be a hearer.

There were a great many occasions in Jesus’ ministry, in Galilee and Judea, when crowds would gather around to hear what he said. People would know of his miracles. They would be amazed by his insights, his parables, his stories, his commands, his authority. But they would gather to hear without a commitment to obey. They were merely observers, merely hearers.

The second stage is to respond to his word, “Follow me.”

Jesus used that statement a number of times when he called on hearers to become his disciples, to come under his instruction and name him Lord and Master.

The third stage in the process is to become an ambassador, a representative of the Lord in the wider world. That’s what we’ve come to in Mark 6:30-46.

We’ve been going through the gospel of Mark, stopping at places where Jesus asked a question. The question before us now was addressed to ambassadors: “How many loaves do you have? What has God given you that he can put into service to himself?”

Mark 6:30-31:

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 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.”

The disciples returned from their mission and reported to Jesus. They reported two things: what they had done and what they had taught.

How they had lived and what they had taught were both of vital interest to Christ. He had given them precise instructions in both areas. This report would reveal their obedience to Him, the degree of commitment and effectiveness of each disciple. Jesus needed to know, for the salvation of the world depended on their lives and teaching. He was soon to leave all in their hands.

Mk 6:32-34 with Lk 9:10-11, Jn 6:2-3 —³²So they went away by themselves in a boat [to the far shore^JN] to a solitary place [to a town called Bethsaida.^LK] ³³But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them [because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick^JN] ³⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, [he welcomed them and^LK] he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he [went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples[, and]^JN] began teaching them many things [about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing^LK].

Jesus sent the 12 Apostles out to minister because He had compassion on the needy multitudes (Matt. 9:36-38). This time, the needy multitudes came to them—and the disciples wanted to send them away! As yet, they had not learned to look at life through the eyes of their Master. To them, the crowds were a problem, perhaps even a nuisance, but to Jesus, they were as sheep without a shepherd.

There were times when Jesus desired to withdraw from the crowds. He was under continuous strain and needed rest. Moreover, it was necessary that sometimes he should get his disciples alone to lead them into a deeper understanding of himself. In addition, he needed time for prayer. On this particular occasion it was wise to go away before a head-on collision with the authorities took place, for the time of the final conflict had not yet come.

From Capernaum to the other side of the Sea of Galilee was a distance of about four miles and Jesus set sail. The people had been watching with astonishment the things he did; it was easy to see the direction the boat was taking; and they hastened round the top of the lake by land. The River Jordan flows into the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Two miles up the river were the fords of Jordan. Near the fords was a village called Bethsaida Julias, to distinguish it from the other Bethsaida in Galilee, and it was for that place that Jesus was making (Luke 9:10). Near Bethsaida Julias, almost on the lakeside, was a little plain where the grass always grew. It was to be the scene of a wondrous happening.

At first Jesus went up into the hill behind the plain and he was sitting there with his disciples. Then the crowd began to appear in droves. It was nine miles round the top of the lake and across the ford, and they had made the journey with all speed. We are told that the Feast of the Passover was near and there would be even bigger crowds on the roads at that time. Possibly many were on the way to Jerusalem by that route. Many Galilaean pilgrims travelled north and crossed the ford and went through Peraea, and then re-crossed the Jordan near Jericho. The way was longer but it avoided the territory of the hated and dangerous Samaritans. It is likely that the great crowd was swelled by detachments of pilgrims on their way to the Passover Feast.

A danger is losing sight of people who are as sheep without a shepherd. Again the scene is descriptive. As the boat approached the shore, Jesus stood in the boat watching the multitude clamoring for space on the seashore. He needed rest, and the disciples needed rest even more. But He was not annoyed or irritated with the people. Contrariwise, He was moved with deep, intense compassion because the people were as sheep without a shepherd. He could not turn from them. He could not send them away despite the need for rest. He could do only one thing. He had to meet their need; He had to teach them, so He began “to teach them many things.”

1. Sheep without a shepherd are bewildered and wander about, not knowing where they are or where they are going. They get lost ever so easily, and cannot find their way back to the flock. So it is with people. People without the shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, are bewildered. They do not know where they have come from, where they are going, nor why they are where they are. They wander about, getting lost in place after place, never finding the way to true life.
2. Sheep without a shepherd go hungry. They do not have adequate nourishment. They cannot find sufficient food to live. So it is with people. People without the Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, go hungry. They do not have the Shepherd of God to feed and inspire their souls, nor to satisfy their inner longings for peace, love, and joy (Galatians 5:22-23). They have only themselves to depend upon as they seek to meet their craving for life.
3. Sheep without a shepherd cannot find shelter or safety. The sheep are exposed to all the dangers of the wilderness. So it is with people. People without the Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, are exposed to all that is within the world, and they are doomed. They are doomed because the beasts, the temptations and trials of the world, attack at every opportunity and destroy all who wander about.

Everyone can list a few things in their life which might fit into the category of “impossible.” Jesus had already shown His disciples some pretty “impossible” things; and great crowds of people were beginning to also take notice.

Thousands of people have gathered in the area around the Sea of Galilee to celebrate the Passover, and after preaching to them all day, Jesus and the disciples desperately need rest and relaxation.

They had been watching the signs which Jesus had been doing for a long time (2:23), though John does not give them to us in his gospel (Mark 1:29f; 2:1; 3:1; 6:5). The people were eager to hear him again (Luke 9:11) and to get the benefit of his healing power of them that were sick.

Mark (6:46) and Matthew (14:23) tell us that after the miracle Jesus went further up into the mountain (vs. 3) to pray.

There were at least four things which led Jesus to seek retirement:

1. the news of the death of John the Baptist (Matt. 14)
2. the sudden, and probably evil, interest of Herod
3. the return of the 12 from intense evangelistic labors (Matt. 9-10)
4. the great multitude pressing upon Him continually (Mark 6:33)

This was likely the Lord’s Passover (2:13; 5:1; 6:4 and 13:1), but due to the hostility (7:1) He did not attend this one.

The feeding of five thousand is the only miracle recorded by all four gospel writers. The apostles were deeply affected by the miracle. It made a dramatic and lasting impact upon them.

Needs, Attitudes Toward—Stewardship: there are two attitudes toward human need. Christ had been teaching for many hours, and now it was late afternoon, probably after 3 p.m. The disciples were exhausted and still wanted some rest. They came to Jesus and reminded Him of the time because there was little time left in the day for them to rest. They suggested, “Send the multitude away so they can go and buy food for themselves. But Jesus said, “No. You give them food to eat.” In these words are seen the two attitudes toward human need.

1. There is the attitude of individual or personal responsibility. It is true that neither the disciples nor Jesus had invited the crowd. In fact, the crowd was not even wanted. The disciples and Jesus had planned something else. The crowd was interfering; therefore, the disciples sensed no responsibility for the crowd. They wanted to get rid of the people so they could be free to do as they wished. Their attitude was: “They are responsible for themselves, so send them away to fend for themselves.”
2. There is the attitude of corporate responsibility. Jesus said very simply, “You give them food. They are hungry, and they are your neighbors, part of your world. You are responsible for your world and the people in it. If you know of people who have need, then you are the one who is responsible to help them. They may be irresponsible. They may not have been invited, and they may be interfering with your plans; but they have need, and you know about their need. So meet it. Feed them.”

As far as the disciples were concerned, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and nothing could be done! With that kind of approach, they would have made ideal committee members! Someone has defined a committee as a group of people who can turn a donkey into a zebra.

Too many try to escape their responsibility for the world. When looking at or hearing about the poor and hungry, lonely and depressed, problem centered and burdened, too many say: “Send them away. They got themselves into this mess because they were too lazy or irresponsible or sinful. If they wanted to be straight and responsible they could. I’m too busy to become involved with such shiftless and irresponsible people.”

Such an attitude misses the whole point of Christ. Man is responsible for his world, no matter the condition. We are responsible for our neighbors. In fact, the worse off a neighbor is, the more we are responsible to help. The cause of his condition does not matter: whether sin and shame, or clear and understandable circumstances.

If his condition is sin and shame, then we are to share the gospel and teach him how to live and work responsibly.

If his condition is due to clear and understandable circumstances, then we are to help restore and replace him to a position of responsibility and self-worth.

Jesus looked at the situation, not as a problem, but as an opportunity to trust the Father and glorify His

name. An effective leader is someone who sees potential in problems and is willing to act by faith. Acting on the basis of human wisdom, His disciples saw the problem but not the potential. How many times God’s people have complained, “If we only had enough money, we could do something!” Two hundred pence (denarii) would be the equivalent of a year’s wages for the average laborer! The first step is not to measure our resources, but to determine God’s will and trust Him to meet the need.

Great opportunities are often disguised as unsolvable problems. Let’s watch as a humanly unsolvable problem becomes a great opportunity when seen from a divine viewpoint:

 – From a Human Perspective.

With their limited, human understanding, these weary fishermen can see only a swelling sea of humanity threatening to wash over them. In verse 10 we’re told that this great multitude numbered 5,000 men. Including women and children, this figure could easily have been 8,000-10,000.

– From a Divine Perspective.

From Jesus’ point of view, the crowds weren’t an infringement but an opportunity–a chance to reveal His glory and, at the same time, stretch his disciple’s faith.

Here are lessons for ambassadors. We can identify two very important ones that I hope to explain. One is the ministry Jesus wants to have to those who have gone out to represent him in the world. It is his ministry of rest and reflection and camaraderie and concern. The other lesson is that there is a need to be more generous than we want to be, to allow God-given interruptions, to offer for the Lord’s use what little we have so he can make more of it.

(Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:35-44; Lk 9:12-17; Jn 6:4-13)

 ^{[JN 6:]4}The Jewish Passover Feast was near. ⁵When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. ⁷Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages^-7-1 would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Mk 6:35-38 with Lk 9:12 — ³⁵By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples [the Twelve^LK] came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages [and find food and lodging^LK] and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages^-7-2! 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.”

Jn 6:8-11 with Mt 14:18-19, Mk 6:41, Lk 9:16 — ⁸Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many [unless we go and buy food for all this crowd^LK]?”

¹⁰Jesus said, “[Bring them here to me.^MT] Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down [in groups of hundreds and fifties^MK], about five thousand of them. ¹¹Jesus then took the [five^MT,MK,LK] loaves [and looking up to heaven, He^MT,MK,LK], gave thanks [and broke the loaves,^MT,MK,LK] and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the [two^MT,MK,LK] fish.

Jn 6:12-13-¹²When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Mt 14:21–²¹The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

It was Andrew who found the lad with the lunch (John 6:8-9). The Lord had the people sit down in organized groups on the green grass (see Pss. 23:2; 78:19), quite a contrast to Herod’s glittering sensual feast. Jesus took the little lunch, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to distribute to the hungry people. The miracle took place in His hands, not in theirs; for whatever we give to Him, He can bless and multiply. We are not manufacturers; we are only distributors.

John tells us that Jesus used this miracle as the basis for a sermon on “the bread of life” (John 6:22ff). After all, He did not perform miracles just to meet human needs, though that was important. He wanted each miracle to be a revelation of Himself, a sermon in action. For the most part, the people were amazed at the miracles, appreciated the help He gave them, but failed to get the spiritual message (John 12:37). They wanted the gift but not the Giver, the enjoyment of physical blessings but not the enrichment of spiritual blessings.

COMPASSION FOR THE SEEKING CROWDS

We can’t demand such experiences, however. They are the Lord’s to initiate for us. In this case, although Jesus invited the twelve to come away to a quiet place for rest, the rest wasn’t allowed.

His heavenly Father had something else in mind, and a crowd of people rushed around the lake to the place where he and the disciples were going for their retreat. Thousands of them eventually showed up, and Jesus, not under compulsion, with other people dictating his schedule-Jesus never lived that way-but because of compassion, seeing that these were sheep without a shepherd, needy people, lonely, uncertain, foolish, and lost, he began ministering to them, rather than pushing them away so that the retreat could go on uninterrupted.

This was an important lesson for the disciples, too. He invited them to rest; he also indicated that God sometimes interrupts the plan. And he most often interrupts it for compassion’s sake.

What are sheep without a shepherd like? Perhaps you have friends who drift through life for reasons they don’t understand, pushed back and forth by each “latest thing,” who are forever looking for answers without being able to find them. We don’t have to look very far to see people like that. This world is filled with them. They go from one seminar to another, one guru to another, one fad to another. Sheep without a shepherd are difficult people. They show up when we don’t expect them. They bleat and complain and demand. It’s easier to avoid them. But Jesus’ compassion wouldn’t let him avoid them, and he won’t let us let us avoid them either, if we’re his ambassadors.

Jesus had compassion on such people. He directed his ambassadors, his representatives, to have compassion as well. He made a place for the seeking crowds. They were invited. Where he was, they belonged.

But what Jesus didn’t do was encourage them to spend the time articulating their longings. He didn’t focus on the fact of their search. He didn’t speak to them of their felt needs. He didn’t encourage them to know better how desperate and unsure and sheeplike and lost they were. What he did was teach them. The sheep without a shepherd were welcome, but he was going to tell them the great themes of the gospel. He was going to teach them how to have security of heart and purpose. He was going to offer them truth in place of the endless insecurities they came with. It says that he taught them “many things.” He gave them truth that began with him and made sense of everything else in life. And he expected his ambassadors to learn from him, to have compassion and to offer truth in the place of lostness.

Resources: there are six attitudes toward resources. It takes resources to meet human need. In consideration of this, there is a fact that needs to be acknowledged. Every person has something he can give. Every person can help and do something to meet a need when a need confronts him. The problem is not lack of resources nor a lack of ability or money or time. The problem is attitude—attitude toward the resources which one has.

1. There is the attitude of questioning one’s ability to give (Mark 6:37). Jesus had just said, “Give them food.” The disciples were shocked and even disturbed with the instructions, for the crowd was enormous and the task impossible. They were already upset over the presence and burden of the crowd. Irritated, the disciples fired back at Jesus, “Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?” This amounted to about six months’ labor for the disciples. They did not have the money, so the request by Jesus was ridiculous to them. There was no way they could give food to meet the need of the crowd. But note something: the disciples forgot two things.
2. They forgot that they did have something. The need of the crowd in this instance was for food, and the disciples had food for themselves (or at least enough money to buy food for themselves). Yet, they did not think to mention this fact. They were thinking only of what excess, what above their own needs they had to give.
3. They forgot the power of God. They forgot that God loved and cared for these people as well as for them. They forgot that God would meet the needs of any and all, if only they would put what they had at His disposal. They forgot that God’s power could take little and multiply it.
4. There is the attitude of checking to see what one can give (Mark 6:38). In response to the disciples’ impatience, Jesus remained cool, asking rather forcefully, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” The disciples checked and reported that they had five loaves of bread and two fish. Note two facts.
5. They had resources that were overlooked. Why were they overlooked? Because the resources were so little. There was no possibility the resources could ever meet the need. In fact, two fish and five loaves of bread could not even make a dent in the hunger of five thousand men. In the eyes of the disciples it was impossible for the resources to do any good whatsoever.
6. Jesus did not ask the disciples to check on how to feed all five thousand men. He asked them to check on what resources they had to give. They were to look at what they themselves could give, not at how the whole task could be done. Their eyes and perspective were to be on using what they had, not on the mammoth impossibility of the task. This is a critical point and it should be carefully noted when looking at the vast needs of the world.
7. There is the attitude of organizing what resources one has so that they might be used (Mark 6:39-40). This is an important step Christ takes and it should be well noted. The hour was late. Darkness was rapidly approaching. Distribution could have easily become a problem. The people had to be organized into small circles or rows which left room for the disciples to walk between them and distribute the food.
8. There is the attitude of being thankful for what one has and can give (Mark 6:41). What Jesus did was impressive. He took into His hands what they had, and He looked up to heaven and gave thanks for it. It was small; it was insignificant. It looked like it would do little, like it would be insignificant; but He took it anyway and looked up to heaven, and blessed it.
9. There is the attitude of giving what one has (Mark 6:41-42). After giving thanks, Jesus took the food and gave it to the disciples to set before the people. And a miracle happened! The resource multiplied: all the people were fed and were filled (Mark 6:42).
10. There is the attitude of being careful in the handling of resources (Mark 6:43-44). Very simply, Christ teaches that resources are not to be wasted. They are to be used day after day. When there is more than enough to meet one need, what is left over is to be gathered up to use elsewhere.

Note three.

1) There is no room in Christ’s economy for extravagance. When there is more than what is needed, the excess is to be saved for another need.

2) There is no room for wasting. No resource is to be wasted; it is to be used elsewhere.

3) There is no room for resources to be stored and banked; there is not any excuse for allowing resources to lie around unused. All resources—abilities or money—are to be used to meet needs as long as needs exist.

THE MIRACLES GOD WANTS TO DO THROUGH US

Jesus taught lessons these men two lessons by calling on them to feed the people. Jesus says, “You feed them,” to people like us as well.

Our tendency is to look at what is humanly possible: the money, the conditions, whether we have the right computers and the right building, whether we’re set up for this, whether we can make it happen, and so on-and we conclude that it’s impossible. We don’t have what it takes. The human players in this drama can’t do what God says they should do.

The tendency, further, is to leave people to their own devices. They had been listening to teaching, but now they needed to go solve their own problems. They were going to get hungry and they needed to go do something about it. There was nothing miraculous or heavenly about the thinking of these ambassadors. That is probably why Jesus had the crowd broken up into circles of fifty and one hundred, just to make the point that five thousand people, when looked at only as a whole, is overwhelming to consider; but if it’s a hundred groups of fifty, you can begin caring for them.

Jesus was trying to help the disciples not to reflexively be overwhelmed by the huge difficulty. “Evangelize all the world” sounds impossible. But instead of seeing that as the assignment, we can see “Share Christ with the folks in front of you” as an assignment that is possible. It’s still risky and difficult. It still requires the power of God. But it’s not impossible.

The second lesson here is that Jesus didn’t do the miracle without their cooperation. He could have. Previously, he had done miracles without assistance. He had cast out demons, healed the sick, given a lame man the strength to walk, brought back a little child from the dead. But now he was training those who would serve him, and he called on them to offer what they had. And what little they had became that which he used to bless the crowd, and by extension, as we learn from him, to bless the world.

How many loaves do you have? What do you have to offer? What house do you live in? What bank account do you own? What place do you work? What friendship network do you have? What has God given you that he can expand in his service, that he could turn around and use, through you, to bless and challenge and change and give life where there is no life? When we become his representatives in the world, he intends to use us just as we are. There’s no difficulty in qualifying for this responsibility. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need the approval of your organization. You don’t need a title. To become an ambassador is to become willing to offer him what you have for him to use to change the world.

There is joy in Christian service. Becoming an ambassador is the most marvelous thing in the world. Our God has, in a peculiar way, limited himself to using people like us. We are the body of Christ, God’s incarnation, now. He needs our willingness to offer the loaves we have. He needs us to take up the gifts that we’ve been given, to walk through the open door set before us, to buy up the opportunities we have. The cause of Christ needs our contribution. But even more, we need what we receive by acting in faith. We were made to serve. It’s what God intended for us, and resistance to the opportunities depletes us. We’re not what we were made for if we don’t learn the lessons that Jesus was teaching these folks.

So I urge ambassadorship on you. There’s nothing you’ll enjoy more in life. There is no greater way to live. Mt 14:22-23; Mk 6:45-46; Jn 6:14-15– ^{[JN 6:]14}After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ^{[MT 14:]22}Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side [to Bethsaida^MK] [Capernaum^JN], while he dismissed the crowd. ^{[JN 6:]15}Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself [to pray^MT,MK].