Today we have the second of two multiplication stories found in Mark. The people have nothing to eat and are hungry. The meaning is both physical and spiritual. Jesus is filled with compassion for the people in their need. They will collapse "on the way", on the road. Jesus is the Way, the Road. To walk the road of Jesus, we need a certain kind of nourishment. This is what Jesus came to give. The disciples are asked what they can supply. Seven loaves and a few fish is all they have. But, for Jesus, that was enough. After blessing and breaking, he handed them to his disciples to distribute. And they distributed them among the crowd.

Again we note that Jesus himself does not give out the food the people need. It comes from him but is distributed by His disciples. The same is true today. It is the task of each one of us to feed the hungry - both physically and spiritually. All were filled - 4,000 people altogether - and even so there were seven (a perfect number) baskets left over. A sign of God's abundance shared with his people. Then, immediately after, Jesus sent them away. The disciples are quickly removed from the scene. There was to be no self-congratulation or glorying in their connections with Jesus the wonder worker. Through the miracle a teaching had been given to the people - and to them. In future, they were to continue feeding the hungry - of all kinds.