When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat." He said to them in reply, "Give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Are we to buy two hundred days' wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out they said, "Five loaves and two fish." So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to (his) disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate (of the loaves) were five thousand men. (Mk 6: 34-44)
Jesus was moved with pity. The people were waiting for his arrival. They might have heard about him. In Mark’s gospel, so far what has gone before this incident were his healing of people from their illnesses and his teaching of the kingdom of God. People were aware of his ministry and people wanted to listen to him and be healed by him. People waited with expectation and hence Jesus had pit on them.
He began to teach them for they were sheep without a shepherd. Jesus knew that there were teachers of the law and there were models of life for the people (Pharisees) yet people were not moved by these. People would not listen to them or follow them. They longed for teachers who were trustworthy and true. Jesus also knew that they were not guided properly by these lawyers; that is why he felt that they were sheep without shepherd and he began to teach.
His teachings were accompanied by mighty deeds (miracles). The authors present these stories to show that Jesus not only preached the kingdom and the values of the kingdom by the also made visible the kingdom values through actions. His life was one of preaching and doing the kingdom. Kingdom was a reality in him not just mere words.
