Mark 6:36
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The suggestion to 'buy themselves bread' assumed several things: the crowds had money, nearby villages had sufficient food supplies for thousands, and dispersing was more appropriate than Jesus providing. Ancient village economies couldn't suddenly accommodate thousands of buyers—most families produced their own bread daily, with minimal surplus. The disciples' plan, while superficially reasonable, would have created chaos: thousands descending on small villages, competing for limited food, traveling in darkness. Their failure to consider asking Jesus for provision reveals how quickly even devoted disciples forget divine power when facing practical crises. Matthew's account specifies the crowd numbered 5000 men, besides women and children (Matthew 14:21)—possibly 15,000-20,000 people total. No village economy could feed such numbers. Early church fathers noted the disciples' pattern: repeatedly witnessing miracles yet doubting when new challenges arose. This mirrors Christian experience: past testimonies of God's faithfulness often forgotten when present crisis arrives. The cure is remembering God's character and past provision when facing new impossibilities.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the disciples' plan to 'send them away' to buy their own food reflect our tendency to default to self-provision rather than depending on God's miraculous supply?
- What does this episode teach about how quickly we forget God's past faithfulness when facing new challenges?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. The disciples propose human solution to the crisis: dismiss the crowds. 'Send them away' (ἀπόλυσον αὐτούς, apolyson autous) suggests dispersing the multitude. Their plan: 'that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages' (ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τοὺς κύκλῳ ἀγροὺς καὶ κώμας, hina apelthontes eis tous kyklō agrous kai kōmas)—people would find their own food in surrounding farmsteads and villages. 'Buy themselves bread' (ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς ἄρτους, agorasōsin heautois artous) assumes they had money for purchases. The rationale: 'they have nothing to eat' (οὐκ ἔχουσιν τί φάγωσιν, ouk echousin ti phagōsin)—recognizing real need but proposing self-provision as solution. The disciples' suggestion was logical but faithless. They failed to consider that Jesus, who had just taught thousands and performed countless miracles, could provide. This illustrates how even Christ's closest followers can default to natural thinking despite supernatural power's presence. Reformed theology teaches that faith must constantly battle natural reason's tendency to exclude divine possibility.