What does Mark 6:41 mean?

The wording here is reminiscent of the Last Supper wherein Jesus "took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them…" (Mark 14:22). The Last Supper was a celebration of the Passover, a remembrance of when God struck down the firstborn in Egypt except for the Israelites. God commanded the people to eat the meal in haste, dressed for travel (Exodus 12:11). The unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and roasted lamb gave the Israelites energy for their flight from Egypt, across the Red Sea. Similarly, the Last Supper provided for the long night and horrible day after, when the Twelve witnessed Jesus betrayed, beaten, and crucified.

In the field outside Bethsaida, Jesus provides a more leisurely meal to satisfy the people on their trek home. He uses the lunch of a poor boy (John 6:9) and fulfills the needs of thousands. The bread is made of barley, a grain usually only fed to horses, not fine flour. The fish is mostly likely dried and bony, a far cry from hot, roasted lamb. But it is enough.

A short time before, Herod Antipas had hosted a different kind of supper. Although we aren't told what was served, the text infers that Antipas and his guests drank too much wine and ogled his young, dancing step-daughter. Antipas designed the banquet to impress and win the favor of the local nobility and military commanders. His carelessness revealed that his wife was the true drive behind the throne, and his weakness cost the life of John the Baptist. A humble meal provided by God is far better than a feast with earthly kings.