Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 8

Why did they not ask their Master what he could do in such an emergency as that? After so much experience of his power as they had already had, it is wonderful that they did not refer the matter to him, and say, "Lord, you can feed the multitude; we implore you to do it." But they did not act so wisely; instead, they began questioning about ways and means. "From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?"

And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

Christ is the great Master of the art of multiplication. However small the stock is with which we begin, we have only to dedicate it all to him, and he will multiply and increase it until it will go far beyond our utmost expectations, and there will be more left after the feast is over than there was before it began. Bring your small talents, bring the little grace you have, to Christ, for he can so increase your store that you will never know any lack, but will have all the greater abundance, the greater the demand that is made upon that store.

Had these four thousand people not been miraculously fed by Christ, the seven loaves and the few small fishes would have remained just as they were; but now that the four thousand have to be fed, the loaves and fishes are multiplied by Christ in a very extraordinary manner, so that, in the end, there is far more provision than they had at the beginning. Expect, beloved, to be enriched by your losses, to grow by that which looks as if it would crush you, and to become greater by that which threatens to annihilate you.

Only put yourself into Christ's hands, and he will make good use of you, and leave you better than you were before he used you as the means of helping and blessing others.

Unbelief always pricked him to the heart, and greatly grieved him. When people trusted him, he delighted to exhibit his matchless grace; but when they found fault and questioned, his heart was heavy, and he turned away from them.

But, sadly, even on board that little ship there was unbelief; and from the small and select circle of his own disciples he had fresh reason for sorrow from the same cause.

Can we not learn from past experience? If the Lord has helped us before, is he not equally ready to help us again? What! When there are only a few of you disciples on board ship, do you begin to distrust your Lord because you have only one loaf, when he found enough food for five thousand and for four thousand out of a few scanty loaves?

O you unbelieving children of God, what infinite patience your gracious God has with you, though you so often and so shamefully doubt him! Do ye not remember? How is it that ye do not understand? Can it be that all your Lord's lessons of love and deeds of kindness have taught you nothing?

Do you still doubt him—still distrust him? Has he delivered you in six troubles, and can you not trust him in the seventh? Has he kept you, by his grace, till you are seventy years of age, and can you not trust him for the few remaining years of your earthly pilgrimage? Oh, shame upon us that we are such dull scholars in the school of Christ!