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.

Apri commento del capitolo

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.

Passi chiave

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.

Domande per questo capitolo

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.

Aggiungi alle note

1 And he departed thence and cam into his awne countre and his disciples folowed him. 2 And when the saboth daye was come he beganne to teache in the synagoge. And many that hearde him were astonyed and sayde: From whens hath he these thinges? and what wysdo is this that is geve vnto him? and suche vertues that are wrought by his hondes? 3 Is not this that carpeter Maryes sonne the brother of Iames and Ioses and of Iuda and Simon? and are not his systers here with vs? And they were offended by him. 4 And Iesus sayde vnto the: a prophet is not despysed but in his awne countre and amonge his awne kynne and amonge the that are of the same housholde. 5 And he coulde there shewe no miracles but leyd his hondes apon a feawe sicke foolke and healed them. 6 And he merveyled at their vnbelefe. And he went aboute by the tounes that laye on every syde teachynge. 7 And he called the twelve and beganne to sende them two and two and gave them power over vnclene spretes. 8 And commaunded the that they shuld take nothinge vnto their Iorney save a rodde only: Nether scrippe nether breed nether mony in their pourses: 9 but shuld be shood with sandals. And that they shuld not put on two coottes. 10 And he sayd vnto them: whersoever ye entre in to an house there abyde tyll ye departe thence 11 And whosoever shall not receave you nor heare you when ye departe thence shake of the duste that is vnder youre fete for a witnesse vnto them. I saye verely vnto you it shalbe easyer for zodom and Gomor at the daye of iudgement then for that cite. 12 And they went out and preached that they shuld repent: 13 and they caste out many devylles. And they annoynted many that were sicke with oyle and healed them. 14 And kynge Herode herde of him (for his name was spreed abroade) and sayd: Iohn Baptiste is rysen agayne from deeth and therfore miracles are wrought by him. 15 Wother sayd it is Helyas: and some sayde: it is a Prophet or as one of the Prophetes. 16 But when Herode hearde of him he sayd: it is Iohn whom I beheded he is rysen from deeth agayne. 17 For Herode him sylfe, had sent forth and had taken Iohn, and bounde him and cast him into preson for Herodias sake which was his brother Philippes wyfe. For he had maried her. 18 Iohn sayd vnto Herode: It is not laufull for the to have thy brothers wyfe. 19 Herodias layd wayte for him and wolde have killed him but she coulde not. 20 For Herode feared Iohn knowynge that he was a iuste man and an holy: and gave him reverence: and when he hearde him he dyd many thinges and hearde him gladly. 21 But when a conuenient daye was come: Herode on his birth daye made a supper to the lordes captayns and chefe estates of Galile. 22 And the doughter of the sayde Herodias came in and daused and pleased Herode and them that sate at bourde also. Then the kynge sayd vnto the mayden: axe of me what thou wilt and I will geve it the. 23 And he sware vnto hyr whatsoever thou shalt axe of me I will geve it the even vnto the one halfe of my kyngdome. 24 And she wet forth and sayde to her mother: what shall I axe? And she sayde: Iohn Baptistes heed. 25 And she cam in streygth waye with haste vnto the kynge and axed sayinge: I will that thou geve me by and by in a charger the heed of Iohn Baptist. 26 And the kynge was sory: howbe it for his othes sake and for their sakes which sate at supper also he wolde not put her besyde her purpose. 27 And immediatly the kynge sent the hangma and commaunded his heed to be brought in. And he went and beheeded him in the preson, 28 and brought his heed in a charger and gave it to the mayden and the mayden gave it to her mother. 29 And when his disciples hearde of it they came and toke vp his body and put it in a toumbe. 30 And the apostels gaddered them selves to ggedre to Iesus and tolde him all thinges booth what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And he sayd vnto them: come ye aparte into the wyldernes and rest awhyle. For there were many comers and goers that they had no leasure so moche as to eate. 32 And he went by ship out of the waye into a deserte place. 33 But the people spyed them when they departed: and many knewe him and ranne afote thyther out of all cities and cam thyther before them and came togedder vnto him. 34 And Iesus went out and sawe moche people and had compassion on them because they were lyke shepe which had no shepeherde. And he beganne to teache them many thinges. 35 And when the daye was nowe farre spet his disciples came vnto him sayinge: this is a desert place and now the daye is farre passed 36 let the departe that they maye goo into the countrey rounde about and into the tounes and bye the breed: for they have nothinge to eate. 37 He answered and sayde vnto them: geve ye them to eate. And they sayde vnto him: shall we goo and bye ii.C. penyworth of breed and geve them to eate? 38 He sayde vnto them: how many loves have ye? Goo and loke. And when they had serched they sayde: v. and .ii. fysshes. 39 And he commaunded them to make them all syt doune by companyes apon the grene grasse. 40 And they sate doune here a rowe and there arowe by houndredes and by fyfties. 41 And he toke the .v. loves and the ii. fysshes and loked vp to heven and blessed and brake the loves and gave them to his disciples to put before the: and the .ii. fysshes he devyded amonge them all. 42 And they all dyd eate and were satisfied. 43 And they toke vp twelve baskettes full of the gobbettes and of the fysshes. 44 And they that ate were about fyve thousand men. 45 And streyght waye he caused his disciples to goo into the shipe and to goo over the water before vnto Bethsaida whyll he sent awaye the people. 46 And assone as he had sent them away he departed into a moutayne to praye. 47 And when even was come the ship was in the middes of the see and he alone on the londe, 48 and he sawe the troubled in rowynge for the wynde was cotrary vnto them. And aboute the fourth quartre of the nyght he came vnto the walkinge apon the see and wolde have passed by them. 49 When they sawe him walkinge apon the see they supposed it had bene a sprete and cryed oute: 50 For they all sawe him and were afrayed. And anon he talked with them and sayde vnto them: be of good chere it is I be not a frayed. 51 And he went vp vnto them into the shippe and the wynde ceased and they were sore amased in them selves beyonde measure and marveyled. 52 For they remembred not of the loves because their hertes were blynded. 53 And they came over and went into the londe of Genezareth and drue vp into the haven. 54 And assone as they were come out of the shippe streyght they knewe him 55 and ran forth throughout all the region rounde about and began to cary aboute in beeddes all that were sicke to the place where they heard tell that he was. 56 And whyther soever he entred into tounes cities or villages they layde their sicke in the stretes and prayed him that they myght touche and it were but the edge of his vesture. And as many as touched him were safe.

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