Mark 6

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Mark 6 is a chapter of rejections and abundance. Jesus is dismissed in his hometown, where they know his family and take offense. He sends the Twelve out two by two with nothing but a staff, and they preach, heal, and drive out demons. Meanwhile Herod, hearing of Jesus, thinks John the Baptist has come back, and Mark tells how John died: Herodias's grudge, a birthday banquet, a dancing daughter, a rash oath, and a head on a platter. The apostles return exhausted; Jesus takes them away to rest, the crowds follow, and he feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fish. That night he walks to the disciples across the sea, and the sick of Gennesaret are healed by touching his cloak.

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Mark 6 packs more into fifty-six verses than most books, and it is held together by a question: who is this? In Nazareth the answer is easy and wrong. He is the carpenter, Mary's son, we know his brothers and sisters, and they are offended that he presumes to teach them; Mark says he could do almost nothing there and was amazed at their unbelief. Jesus sends the Twelve out with a staff and sandals and nothing else, and they come back with stories. In between, Mark tells the story of how John the Baptist died, because Herod Antipas has heard of Jesus and is sure it is John come back to haunt him. The tale is told slowly: the grudge of a queen, a birthday party, a girl dancing, a king who promises half his kingdom and cannot back down in front of his generals, and a prophet's head brought in on a dish. It is a preview of another execution by a reluctant ruler under pressure from a crowd. Then the chapter opens out. Jesus tries to take his exhausted men to a quiet place, five thousand people get there first, and instead of resenting them he sees sheep without a shepherd, teaches them, and feeds them with a boy's lunch until twelve baskets are left over. That night he walks across the water to the disciples, says the words God says, it is I, do not be afraid, and climbs into the boat. They are astonished, Mark says, because they had not understood about the loaves. The chapter ends with the sick lining the marketplaces of Gennesaret, reaching for the edge of his cloak.

Key passages

Mark 6:1-6 Mark 6:7-13 Mark 6:14-29 Mark 6:30-44 Mark 6:45-52 Exodus 33:19-22

Historical and literary context

Nazareth was a village of a few hundred people where everyone knew the carpenter's family; the brothers named here appear elsewhere in the New Testament, and James led the Jerusalem church. Herod here is Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, who had married Herodias, the wife of his half-brother. The Jewish historian Josephus records that Antipas executed John at the fortress of Machaerus and gives the daughter's name as Salome. The disciples' travelling kit matches what a Jewish teacher might allow for a short mission, and shaking off dust was what Jews did when leaving pagan territory. The green grass places the feeding in spring, near Passover, and the groups of hundreds and fifties recall Israel organized in the wilderness. "Passing by" and "It is I" echo God's appearances to Moses and Elijah.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 to 6: rejection at Nazareth and the saying about a prophet without honor. Verses 7 to 13: the sending of the Twelve. Verses 14 to 29: Herod's guilt and the flashback to John's execution, inserted between the sending and the return. Verses 30 to 44: the return of the apostles, the attempt to rest, the compassion on sheep without a shepherd, and the feeding of the five thousand. Verses 45 to 52: the walk on the sea, the disciples' terror, and their hardened hearts. Verses 53 to 56: healings at Gennesaret as the sick reach for the fringe of his cloak.

Why this chapter matters

The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels and became, for the early church, a picture of the Eucharist and of Christ as the shepherd who feeds Israel in the wilderness. "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown" passed into proverb. The death of John the Baptist is the Gospel's rehearsal for the death of Jesus, a righteous man killed by a weak ruler under pressure from a banquet crowd. "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid" on the water has been heard as the voice of God himself. Mark's note that Jesus "was amazed at their unbelief" is one of the rare places where the Gospels show Jesus surprised.

Interpretive tension to watch

Mark says Jesus "could not" perform miracles in Nazareth, a statement Matthew softens to "did not," and readers have to decide what unbelief can and cannot limit. Mark calls Herodias's first husband Philip, while Josephus names him Herod, a discrepancy explained in several ways. The disciples' hardened hearts in verse 52, blamed on their failure to understand the loaves, shows Mark's characteristic severity toward the Twelve. Why Jesus "intended to pass by them" on the water is debated: an echo of God passing by in Exodus 33, or a test, or simply the way it looked from the boat.

Questions for this chapter

  • The people of Nazareth could not believe because they knew Jesus' family. How does familiarity get in the way of faith?
  • Herod was sorry, but kept his oath because of his guests. When have you seen a bad decision made to save face?
  • Jesus took the tired disciples away to rest, and the crowd arrived first. How does he respond, and what does that ask of us?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Add to Notes
1 Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people. 7 Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic. 10 And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. 11 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.” 12 So they set out and preached that the people should repent. 13 They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil. 14 Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly. 21 On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” 24 Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. 28 The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb. 30 Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place. 33 But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them. 34 When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things. 35 By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. 36 Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?” 38 “Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves. 45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. 46 After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, 49 but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost— 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus 55 and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. 56 And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

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