Mark 6:38

Jesus asked them how many loaves of bread they had because He would use what they had to feed the multitude. Normally Jesus uses what His disciples have to meet the needs of others. While the loaves were inadequate, they were still essential elements in this miracle. Likewise disciples need to realize the inadequacy of their resources, but they also need to understand that it is those resources, as inadequate as they are, that Jesus uses. The barley loaves in view were small and flat (cf. John 6:9). One person could eat several of them in one meal. [Note: Wessel, p. 673.] The two small fish (Gr. opsaria) were probably salted and dried, and were commonly eaten, bones and all, with bread as a relish. [Note: Edersheim, 1:682.]