What does Mark 6:35 mean?
Jesus and the Twelve are with a group of several thousand people, most likely in a plain outside of Bethsaida on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. "Desolate" is from the Greek root word erēmos and mostly means "uninhabited." Though it's sometimes translated as "desert," the word used to describe this area does not imply that it's harsh or lifeless. Rather, this particular area is covered in green grass (Mark 6:39), and not far from villages (Mark 6:36). It more resembles the green pastures of Psalm 23 than a bleak wasteland.There are several advantages to Jesus meeting the throng in a large, lonely field. There is room for the people to mingle, unlike in Capernaum where they threaten to push Him into the Sea (Mark 4:1). And there are no Pharisees or Herodians to turn the conversation from useful spiritual truths to passive-aggressive debates (Mark 12:13). However, there are also disadvantages. Some of the people are from as far away as Capernaum, and a trek of six miles in the dark can be dangerous. And even though there are villages nearby, it's unlikely they will be able to feed five thousand men plus women and children (Matthew 14:21).
The Twelve want the people's needs met, but they're still thinking in earthly terms. Despite the successes they've seen in their first missions trip, they still don't understand the connection between God's power and earthly needs.