Completed in Leipzig in 1723, this cantata for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity draws on a shorter 1716 work, now lost, composed by Bach in Weimar. The Gospel is Mark 8:1-9, the story of the loaves and fishes. Adapted from a text by Salomon Franck, it addresses the issue of Christ's divinity at greater length than the miracle described in Mark. Divided into two parts, Cantata No. 186 ("Trouble thyself not, O spirit") calls for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, as well as the customary SATB chorus. The accompanying instrumental ensemble includes strings, two oboes (one of them an oboe da caccia, forerunner of the English horn), a fagotto (bassoon), and continuo. Different here is the placement of solo moments; the tenor and bass complete their recitatives and arias before the soprano and alto soloists make their first appearances. A traditional performance will run approximately 28 minutes; a reading based on later scholarship may run less. The opening chorus begins and closes with the same line, "Trouble thyself not, O spirit," enfolding between appearances of the promise that God's brilliance is beheld in servant's form. The ensuing solo bass recitative, voiced over continuo alone, expands on this thought and notes that Christ himself seeks poverty, for great wealth is Satan's province. The bass aria following, ("Bist du, der mir helfen soll"), posits the question of faith versus reason ("let reason alone not confuse you"). A tenor recitative describes the insufficiency of caring for the body when spiritual salvation lies in Jesus. The tenor's following aria, accompanied by oboe and continuo, assures that in the savior's blessings are found nourishment for the both body and soul. The first part ends with a choral fantasia, "O sichs anliess, als wollt er nicht" ("Though it might appear that he was opposed"). The second part begins with a solo bass recitative comparing the world to an immense wilderness. A soprano aria promises God's bounty, the word of life. The alto soloist, heard in recitative, urges the dissolution of the world, leading to the soprano/alto duet "Lass, Seele, kein Leiden" (Allow, my soul, no sorrow"), an exquisite interlude sung with oboes, strings, and continuo. The concluding choral fantasia urges the supplicant to patiently await God's promise.

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