The disciples had come to that day, exhausted.  After being sent away in pairs on mission (Mark 6:7-13), they needed to debrief with Jesus and exchange accounts of their experiences with the others (Mark 6:30).  Jesus took them away from the crowds by sailing to a remote beach on the other side of Lake Galilee (Mark 6:31).  Anticipating a 'day off' with Jesus, they got another day's work as thousands followed on foot!  Jesus taught the crowds, satisfying their hungry souls (Mark 6:32-34).  As the afternoon drew on, the disciples may well have been thinking about their own stomachs or perhaps they had just had enough ministry work: surely it was time to send the people away so that they could buy food and find lodging before darkness fell.  

Jesus came back with a response they could not have anticipated, and clearly did not want to hear: "You give them something to eat"!  They had already reminded Jesus that the location was remote, the time was late and that feeding the people was not their responsibility.  Now, they added, the cost would be prohibitive - a waste of the humanitarian funds for people who could afford to buy their own food.  And the labour involved would be massive … to go to a number of villages and buy enough to feed five thousand family groups (Mark 6:44).  Was Jesus really asking them to exhaust themselves further with the probability that they would be unable to secure adequate supplies so late in the afternoon (bread was baked in the morning and fish were caught at night and sold in the morning)?

The narrative is clear that the disciples were between being reluctant and resistant.  They probably could not see how to cope with Jesus' impossible demands.  Meanwhile, He seemed oblivious to their concern.  It was yet another training session for those who would soon be the leaders of the Early Church which would face almost overwhelming opposition.  They needed to understand that when the Lord commands, He also provides; when the Lord is at work, His team need to be available; when the team are weak, the Lord supplies strength (Philippians 4:19).  The apostolic team would soon learn that to work with the Lord, their comfort must take second place to His compassion for the lost (1 Corinthians 9:22).   

When Jesus calls us to serve - it is to be done in the place He chooses, when He says, and it may seem to be a waste of resources (John 12:1-8).  But we think like that, because we cannot see what He is doing (Proverbs 3:5-6).  It only becomes clear after He has involved our faith and shown His power.  Like Peter's infamous, "Surely not, Lord!" (Acts 10:14), we are inclined to dismiss God's call to service ... if it does not fit our wisdom.  But that is foolish and not wise at all.  Better to follow Mary's instruction (John 2:5), "Do whatever He tells you"!  That is the route of blessing for everybody, and another lesson learned to prepare us for future service with Jesus.