They also said to Jesus, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”
In these words the disciples sincerely present their limited means, emphasizing a human way of reckoning, in which what they have is clearly not enough to feed the great crowd. They see the lack rather than the possibility, and their statement expresses the natural limit of human reasoning. Yet this verse is an important preparatory stage for the miracle. Here it is revealed that God’s work begins where human strength comes to an end. The five loaves and the two fish become a sign of obedience and trust, because when a person brings his little before Jesus, God can make it an abundant blessing for many.