The disciples answered Him, “In this wilderness, where can anyone get bread to satisfy them?”
The disciples’ answer shows the limited human outlook, which often, even after seeing miracles, returns again to doubt. They were with the same Lord who had previously fed a great multitude, yet the present difficulty again seemed unsolvable to them. So it is also in the believer’s life: past mercies do not always immediately free us from the anxiety that arises in a new trial. Yet here their question reveals not only a lack of trust, but also how quickly a person, with a natural mind, forgets God’s power when faced with the reality of the wilderness. The phrase “in this wilderness” is significant: where human resources are exhausted, divine resources begin to appear more clearly. Christ often leads people to places where their own strength is not enough, so that they may recognize the necessity of heavenly help. This verse also reminds us that the problem is often not the absence of bread, but the weakness of faith.