Mark 6:30-44 is almost always titled for the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000, but why should that matter to you? Here’s one plausible explanation…

Ever feel overwhelmed? Stressed out? Harassed by the demands of school, work, family, friends and life in general? First, Jesus can relate. After reaching a point in his ministry where he and his disciples were so harried by others that they literally didn’t have time to eat, Jesus grabs the reins and says, “Hey, let’s take a break.” Then he loads his posse into a boat and heads out across the lake for a little rest and relaxation. What does he find when he gets to beach on the other side? A crowd of thousands, waiting for him, wanting his time, attention and anything else they can get. So yes, Jesus understands stress.

Second, Jesus can cope. They came for rest and found a mess. What does Jesus do? He gets to work. He was tired, he was hungry, but he was up to the challenge. He looked on the massive crowd, saw their needs and started meeting them. They hear him teach and eventually see him perform a miracle when he feeds the entire crowd with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. He doesn’t just cope with the situation, Jesus conquers it! It’s his way of saying, “Relax, I got this.”

Relax, he’s got this. You might feel overwhelmed because of your schedule or expectations that you or others put on you, but in the end you can always trust that Jesus is on the throne, looking down, ready to meet whatever need you might have.

“Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” Matthew 6:26