In the account of Jesus' feeding of the five thousand in a desert place, as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, we read (6:41, 42), "When he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them. . . . And they did all eat, and were filled." Jesus expressed no fear that the seemingly small amount of food would be insufficient to satisfy the hunger of so many. He blessed what was on hand. He saw the falsity of error's suggestion that there was only a little—not sufficient to meet the human need. Then he began breaking the loaves, passing them to the disciples. They in turn shared them with the multitude who, hungering and thirsting for spiritual food, had followed Jesus into the desert. Jesus' clear knowing of God's power, presence, and willingness to meet the human need enabled him to lift his voice in thanksgiving for God's bounty when the material sense of supply seemed pitifully inadequate.
And what of the boy with the loaves and fishes? He had followed the Master into the desert. He had been fed with the gracious words of Truth and Life. How joyously must he have surrendered the basket's contents—how trustingly—thus giving his all! And how amply divine Love met the human need, for we are told that "they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments."
The disciples had doubted Jesus' ability to feed so many. They had even suggested that he send the people away to buy their own bread. Now they too were to share in the giving, thus losing their own sense of doubt as to God's ability to supply a table in the wilderness.
