Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Mark 6:36-44
“How many loaves do you have? Jesus would use whatever was available, while looking up to heaven and giving thanks. While the disciples focused on the problem, our Lord taught them to focus on the heavenly Father. A vital lesson here is to learn to look up to heaven not only when one is without resources, but even when one has them. We should learn to give thanks, whether for little or for much. The result was that all ate and were satisfied. The lesson in faith continued for the disciples as they collected the scraps that remained. They had come to find rest in a solitary place, not knowing that the Good Shepherd was going to be preparing a table on the green grass for a crowd of no less than five thousand who were like sheep without a shepherd.”
Victor Babajide Cole in “Mark” in Africa Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) 1208.
Jesus demonstrates compassion for the needs of the people and gives a commission to the disciples to give the hungry people something to eat. Notice Jesus sees what is “available” and offers it up to God.
We must go and do likewise to address the needs around us. We must not see them as problems to be solved, but people to be shepherded with what God has made available.