Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Mark 6: 30-44  August 17, 2025

Message: “Hungry Crowds!”

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. As most of you know, we are studying the Gospel according to Mark. Today we are considering two different stories about large crowds that Jesus fed.

2. While most of you know these stories, there are still new lessons that we can learn. The first story concerns a large group of people including 5,000 men plus women and children. That means the total number was probably over 15,000.

A. Consider why and how they gathered together.

1. We have already learned how Jesus could no longer go home because too many people were following Him. Now in Mark 6:14-29, we are also told how John the Baptist was beheaded.  That was another good reason to stay out of town.

a. Because Jesus healed people wherever He went, we are told in Mark 6:31 that people had been coming and going most of the day while they themselves had not even had a chance to eat. 

b. So Jesus suggested they move on to another place where they could get some rest. So they traveled by boat to a solitary place. 

2. But many saw then leaving and chose to follow them. “They ran by foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them” (Vs. 33). That is how this large crowd got together! 

a. If this happened to you or me, we would have grumbled and complained. 

b. But in vs. 34, when Jesus landed and saw the large crowd, “He had compassion on them.” And He began to teach them many things. 

B. Consider what happened next.

1. By this time, “it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him” and said: “This is a remote place. It is already very late. Send the people away so they can…buy themselves some food” (Vs. 35-36). 

a. They came to this remote place so they might be alone! And I doubt they had eaten yet. If they themselves were hungry, surely the people were hungry too!

b. Here is a good lesson for all of us. Many times when people tell us about others, they are probably hinting about a problem they are actually having themselves!

2. When they asked Jesus to send them away to get food, they probably had already seen enough people for one day and really wanted some privacy. After all, that is why Jesus Himself had suggested they come here.

a. While the disciples were thinking more about themselves, Jesus was thinking more about the crowds. He had compassion on them. That included their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. 

b. That is another good lesson for us to remember that we will rarely get people to listen to us tell them about Jesus unless we also show concern for all their other needs too. 

C. Consider how Jesus handled it.

1. Instead of agreeing with the disciples, Jesus surprised them and said: “You give them something to eat!” 

a. They replied: “That would take 8 months wages! Do you really want us to go and spend that much money so we can feed them?” 

b. Jesus replied: “How much bread do you have?”  After searching around, they found 5 loaves and a couple of small fish.

2. You know the rest of the story. Jesus amazed them by feeding the whole crowd. In fact, they all ate till they were satisfied and still had 12 baskets left over! The moral of the story is that Jesus can take the little we have and multiply it to meet the needs of those around us. It just takes faith!

D. “Immediately” Jesus told them to get into a boat and go ahead of Him while He dismissed the crowd. 

1. So they did as they were told. When evening came, Jesus saw them struggling against a stiff wind. He decided to come to them, walking on the water! This terrified them.

2.  So Jesus spoke to them and said: “Don’t be afraid!” And the winds died down. He joined them in the boat.

3. Then listen to Mark 6:31 32: “They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened.” 

a. Jesus wanted them to realize no problem was too big for Him. They still did not understand.

b. When Jesus answers one of our prayers, don’t you understand that He can help you with the next problem too? Sadly, we are a lot like the disciples. 

c. It is so easy to grumble and complain about our problems instead of trusting in the Lord to use our problem for His glory.

E. That naturally prepares us for Mark 8 where Jesus does something similar, except this time He feeds 4,000 men plus women and children. 

1. This group also came to hear His preaching and to see His miracles. But this time, they had already been with Him for three days! Any food they might have brought with them was gone. 

a. In Mark 8:2, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said: “I have compassion on these people… for they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry they will collapse on the way for some of them have come a long way.”

b. So again everyone was told to sit in groups. This time the disciples found seven loaves and a few fish. After blessing the food and giving it to the people, this time they had seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 

2. Days later, while traveling across the lake, they forgot to take enough food for all of them. This implies the other food had already been eaten or given away.

a. While they were still at sea, Jesus said to them: “Be careful. Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod.” They talked among themselves and said: “It is because we didn’t bring enough bread.”

b. Jesus became frustrated with them. He said in vs.17, “Why are you talking about having enough bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? … Don’t you remember?”

3. And Jesus asked them how many loaves were left over when He fed the 5,000 and how many loaves were left over after He fed the 4,000? After they told Him about the basketfuls that were left over, He said to them: “Do you still not understand?”

a. Jesus was warning them about the false teachings of the Pharisees. If they feed on those false ideas, they would be lead astray.  The same is true for us.

b. The world is all concerned about material things. Sadly, Christians often do the same things and feed their souls on the world’s ideas instead of God’s Word.

In conclusion:  In Matt. 6:30-31, Jesus said God knows about your physical needs. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other things you need will be given to you as well.” Don’t ever forget that feeding your soul is far more important than feeding your body. Otherwise, you too will be led astray. Amen!