Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. (Mark 6: 45-46)

After travel, crowds, teaching, and a miracle Jesus finally has a moment of rest and peace. I wonder about his thoughts.

Many have celebrated the feeding of the 5000 as the greatest of miracles. The Gospels suggest Jesus may not have considered it a success.

Mark comments that the disciples did not understand about the loaves. John provides a whole second act where the crowd that had been fed catches up with Jesus the next day.

In John's gospel Jesus says, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."

Both the disciples and the crowd had missed what Jesus was trying to teach. It is very difficult for God's intention to break through our preexisting expectations.