Introductory remarks:
Christ returns to Nazareth and immediately enters the synagogue as is His usual style, and begins to teach. Chapter six may be outlined as follows: the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth vv. 1-6; the mission of the twelve vv. 7-13; the death of John the Baptist vv. 14-29; the feeding of the five thousand vv. 30-44; walking on the water vv. 45-52; the healing of the sick in Gennesaret vv. 53-56.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
(Matt. 13:53-58; Luke 4:16-30)
Verse 1, "And went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him."
LGT "And He went out from there and entered into His [own] country, and His disciples follow Him."
It seems that Jesus leaves after healing the young child to the eastern seaboard for rest and relaxation, and possibly to visit His mother and family, to make sure all is well.
Verse 2, "And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?"
LGT "And Sabbath being come, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing were out of their wits, saying, whence to this [Man] these things, and what the wisdom that has been given this One, and the works of such power are done by His hands?"
"He began to teach in the synagogue:"
This is the main reason Jesus came back to Nazareth. When someone attempts to teach in his hometown that is the supreme test; it is like trying to teach those who know you best; it just doesn't work; however these people did not really know Jesus, they only knew of Him; Jesus' own disciples didn't even know Him.
"And many hearing Him were astonished,"
The word 'amazed' is an imperfect passive egzeplessonto meaning to strike out of, hence, to strike out of one's wits. These people were beside themselves at hearing Christ teach; they were beside themselves with astonishment.
"Saying, From whence hath this man these things?"
Here Christ assumed the role of the Teacher, teaching the Scriptures, the people asked where He received His formal education.
"And what wisdom is this given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?"
They were completely confounded at how wise He was and what wonderful miracles He performed; they didn't doubt His teaching, only wondered where He received such magnificent wisdom.
Verse 3, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."
LGT "Is not this One the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were scandalized by Him."
"Is not this the carpenter,"
"Evidently since Joseph's death He carried on the business and was the carpenter of Nazareth. The word tekton comes from tekein, tikto, to beget, create, like techne (craft, art). It is a very old word, from Homer down. It was originally applied to the worker in wood or builder with wood like our carpenter. Then it was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal, or in stone as well as in wood and even of sculpture. It is certain that Jesus worked in wood. Justin Martyr speaks of ploughs, yokes, et cetera, made by Jesus. He may also have worked in stone and may even have helped build some of the stone synagogue in Galilee like that in Capernaum. But in Nazareth the people knew Him, His family (no mention of Joseph), and His trade and discounted all that they now saw with their own eyes and heard with their ears. This word carpenter 'throws the only flash which falls on the continuous tenor of the first thirty years from infancy to manhood, of the life of Christ' (Farrar). That is an exaggeration for we have Luke 2:41-50 and 'as His custom was (Luke 4:16), to go no further. But we are grateful for Mark's realistic use of tekton here" (A.T. Robertson).
"The son Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"
"They said, 'Is not this Mary's son? Do we not know His brothers and sisters?' The fact that they called Jesus Mary's son tells us that Joseph must have been dead. Therein we have the key to one of the enigmas [mystery] of Jesus' life. Jesus was only thirty-three when He died; and yet He did not leave Nazareth until He was thirty (Luke 3:23). Why this long delay? Why this lingering in Nazareth while a world waited to be saved? The most likely reason was that Joseph died young and Jesus took upon Himself the support of His mother and of His brothers and sisters; and only when they were old enough to fend for themselves did He go forth. He was faithful in this small matter, and therefore in the end God gave Him much to do" (William Barclay).
"And they were offended at him."
The Greek word for 'offended' is eskandalizonto an imperfect passive meaning that they kept on stumbling at the thought of someone as insignificant as a product of Nazareth having such wisdom and do such marvelous works.
Verse 4, "But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."
LGT "But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his [own] country [fatherland] and among his [own] kinsmen, and in his [own] house."
The people of Nazareth had grown too familiar with the humanity of Christ to be able to recognize His deity. Familiarity in His younger years bred a contempt among His kinsmen in His later years. A prophet is not without honor except among His own people.
Verse 5, "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them."
LGT "And He was not able to do any work of power there, except on a few infirm, having laid [His] hands, He healed [them]."
The faithlessness of the people made it impossible for Christ to perform any great miracle among these people, which would have authenticated His message.
Verse 6, "And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching."
LGT "And He wondered because of their unbelief. And He went around to the villages in a circuit, preaching."
"And he marveled because of their unbelief."
The unbelief of His kinsmen caused Him to wonder; you see, their unbelief did not hamper Christ from performing miracles, in the sense that He was not able; it hindered Him because they were not bringing there sick ones to Him, and this caused a great consternation in Him.
"And he went round about the villages, teaching."
This sentence begins a new paragraph starting with verse seven, and should be included there. Christ left and began an itinerate ministry around Galilee.
The Mission of the Twelve
(Matt. 10:1, 5-15: Luke 9:1-6)
Verse 7, "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits."
LGT "And He calls to [Him] the twelve, and began to send them forth two and two, and gave them authority over the spirits, the unclean ones."
The authority over unclean spirits is not only the power to cast out demons, but also to heal the sick; these powers were given with the apostolic commission in order to give credence to their message. Mark does not mention preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom as part of this commission, but in verse twelve He includes it in the word 'preach.' The fact that they were sent out two and two is for encouragement and completeness of testimony; no one person would be able to build a powerful name for them. If we had these supernatural gifts, authority over unclean spirits etc. we would also be apostles, and we know, we are no apostles.
Verses 8, 9, "And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: but be shod with sandals. And not put on two coats."
LGT "And He commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, except a staff only; no bread, no suitcase, nor anything in their money belt; but be shod with sandals, and put not on two tunics."
In order to understand these two verses better we should look for a moment at a description of the clothing worn in the Middle East at the time of Christ. William Barclay gives a superb description:
"(1) The innermost garment was the chiton, or sindon, or tunic. It was very simply a long piece of cloth folded over and sewn down one side. It was long enough to reach almost to the feet. Holes were cut in the top corners for the arms. Such garments were commonly sold without any hole for the head to go through. That was to prove that the garment was in fact new, and it was to allow the buyer to arrange the neckline as he or she wished. For instance, the neck-line was different for men and women. It had to be lower in the case of women so that a mother could suckle her baby. At its simplest, this inner garment was little more than a sack with holes in the corners. In a more developed form it had long close-fitting sleeves; and sometimes it was opened up so that it was made to button down the front like a cassock.
(2) The outer garment was called the himation. It was used as a cloak by day and as a blanket by night. It was composed of a piece of cloth seven feet from left to right and four and a half feet from top to bottom. One and a half feet at each side was folded in, and in the top corner of the folded part holes were cut for the arms to go through. It was therefore almost square. Usually it was made of two strips of cloth, each seven feet by a little more than two feet, sewn together. The seam came down the back. But a specially carefully made himation might be woven of one piece, as Jesus' robe was (John 19:23). This was the main article of dress.
(3) There was the girdle. It was worn over the two garments we have already described. The shirts of the tunic could be hitched up under the girdle for work or running. Sometimes the tunic was hitched above the girdle, and in the hollow place so made above the girdle a parcel or a package could be carried. The girdle was often double for eighteen inches from each end. The double part formed a pocket in which money was carried.
(4) There was the head-dress. It was a piece of cotton or linen about a yard square. It could be white, or blue, or black. Sometimes it was made of colored silk. It was folded diagonally and then placed on the head so that it protected the back of the neck, the cheekbones and the eyes from the heat and glare of the sun. It was held in place by a circlet of easily stretched, semi-elastic wool round the head.
(5) There were the sandals. They were merely flat soles of leather, wood or matted grass. The soles had thongs at the edges through which a strap passed to hold the sandal on to the foot.
The wallet may be one of two things.
It may be the ordinary traveler's bag. This was made of goat's skin. Often the animal was skinned whole and the skin retained the original shape of the animal, legs, tail, head and all! It had a strap at each side and was slung over the shoulder. In it the shepherd, or pilgrim, or traveler carried bread and raisins, and olives, and cheese enough to last him a day or two.
There is a very interesting suggestion. The Greek word is pera; and it can mean a collecting bag. Very often the priests and devotees went out with these bags to collect contributions for the temple and their god. They have been described as 'pious robbers with their booty growing from village to village.' There is an inscription in which a man who calls himself a salve of the Syrian goddess says that he brought in seventy bags full each journey for his lady.
If the first meaning is taken, Jesus meant that His disciples must take no supplies for the road, but must trust God for everything. If the second meaning is taken, it means that they must not be like the grasping priests. They must go about giving and not getting."
Verses 10, 11, "And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city."
LGT "And He said to them, Wherever ye enter into a house, there remain until you go out from there. And as many a place will not receive you, nor hear you, departing from there, shake off the dust which [is] under your feet, as a testimony to them."
The disciples were to enter a city and expect to be received gladly. If they are refused hospitality, they were to treat that city as they would a Gentile city. Remember they were to go only to the lost sheep of Israel. William Barclay presents two interesting observations concerning Rabbinic law:
"(1) It was the Rabbinic law that when a man entered the temple courts he must put off his staff and shoes and money girdle. All ordinary things were to be set aside on entering the sacred place. It may well be that Jesus was thinking of this, and that he meant his disciples to see that the humble homes they were to enter were every bit as sacred as the Temple courts.
(2) Hospitality was a sacred duty in the Middle East. When a stranger entered a village, it was not his duty to search for hospitality; it was the duty of the village to offer it. Jesus told his disciples that if hospitality was refused, and if doors and ears were shut, they must shake off the dust of that place from their feet when they left. The Rabbinc law said that the dust of a Gentile country was defiled, and that when a man entered Palestine from another country he must shake off every particle of dust of the unclean land. It was a pictorial formal denial that a Jew could have any fellowship even with the dust of a heathen land. It is as if Jesus said, 'If they refuse to listen to you, the only thing you can do is treat them as a strict Jew would treat a Gentile house. There can be no fellowship between them and you.'"
Verse 12, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent."
LGT "And having gone out, they proclaimed that [men] should repent."
This is the same message as John the Baptist and Jesus preached, that is, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
Verse 13, "And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."
LGT "And they cast out many demons, and anointed many sick ones with oil and healed them."
Regarding the anointing with oil, Robertson writes:
"This is the only example in the N.T. of aleipho elaioi (anointing with oil) used in connection with healing save in James 5:14. In both cases it is possible that the use of oil (olive oil) as a medicine is the basis of the practice. See Luke 10:34 for pouring oil and wine upon the wounds. It was the best medicine of the ancients and was used internally and externally. It was employed often after bathing. The papyri give a number of examples of it. The only problem is whether aleipho in Mark and James is used wholly in a ritualistic and ceremonial sense or partly as medicine and partly as a symbol of divine healing. The very word aleipho can be translated rub or anoint without any ceremony. 'Traces of a ritual use of the unction of the sick appear first among the Gnostic practices of the second century' (Swete). We have today, as in the first century, God and Medicine. God through nature does the real healing when we use medicine and the doctor."
McGee adds:
"They preached a message of repentance (vs. 12), and the miracles authenticated their message. This commission was limited to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is not the pattern for today. Repentance is part of the gospel message, however; it is contained in the command to believe.
The record of this incident is longer in the Gospel of Matthew and we go into more detail in our study of it in that Gospel. The fame of Jesus had spread throughout that area. Not only the common people but even Herod on the throne had heard of Jesus. Now we find this strange reaction on the part of King Herod. The murder of John the Baptist had taken place sometime before. I think it is recorded here to explain Herod's strange and superstitious reaction."
The Death of John the Baptist
(Matt. 14:1-12; Luke 9:7-9)
Verse 14, "And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him."
LGT "And the king Herod heard [of Him]; for His name became public, and he said, John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and because of this, these powers work in Him."
"And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad)"
Herod would not have heard of Him except through rumor; "A Palace is late in hearing spiritual news" (Bengal).
"And he said, that John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him."
This is Herod's religion and philosophy; John the Baptist didn't perform miracles when alive, but if he was raised from the dead, then he might be able to; Dr. Morison observes, "Herod knew that John wrought no miracles when alive, but he thought that death had put him in connection with the unseen world, and enabled him to wield its powers."
Verse 15, "Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets."
LGT "But others said, that it is Elias; and others said that [He is] a prophet, or as one of the prophets."
There were three verdicts on who Jesus might be; one from Herod, and two from the people; William Barclay gives an excellent commentary on these three verdicts:
(1) "There is the verdict of a guilty conscience. Herod had been guilty of allowing the execution of John the Baptizer, and now he was haunted by what he had done. Whenever people commit evil acts, the whole world becomes their enemy. Inwardly, they cannot command their thoughts; and, whenever they allow themselves to think, their thoughts return to the wicked things they have done. We cannot avoid living with ourselves; and when we are filled with self-accusations, life becomes intolerable. Outwardly, we live in the fear that we will be found out and that some day the consequences of our evil deeds will catch up with us.
Some time ago, a convict escaped from a Glasgow prison. After forty-eight hours of liberty he was recaptured, cold and hungry and exhausted. He said that it was not worth it. 'I didn't have a minute,' he said. 'Hunted, hunted all the time. You don't have a chance. You can't stop to eat. You can't stop to sleep.'
Hunted - that is the word, which so well describes the lives of those who have done some evil thing. When Herod heard of Jesus, the first thing that flashed into his mind was that this was John the Baptizer whom he had killed, come back to reckon with him. Because the sinning life is the haunted life, sin is never worth the cost.
(2) There is the verdict of the nationalist. Some thought that this was Elijah come again. The Jews waited for the Messiah. There were many ideas about the Messiah, but the commonest of all was that he would be a conquering king who would first give the Jews back their liberty and who would then lead them on a triumphant campaign throughout the world. It was an essential part of that belief that, before the coming Messiah, Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, would come again to be his herald and his forerunner. Even to this day, when Jews celebrate the Passover Feast, they leave at the table an empty chair called Elijah's chair. They place it there with a glass of wine before it, and at one part of their celebration they go to the door and fling it wide open, that Elijah may come in and bring at last the long-awaited news that the messiah has come.
This is the verdict of those who desire to find in Jesus the realization of their own ambitions. They think of Jesus not as someone to whom they must submit and whom they must obey; they think of Jesus as someone they can use. Such people think more of their own ambitions than of the will of God.
(3) There is the verdict of those who are waiting for the voice of God. There were those who saw in Jesus a prophet. In those days, the Jews were only too well aware that for 300 years the voice of prophecy had been silent. They had listened to the arguments and the legal disputations of the Rabbis; they had listened to the moral lectures of the synagogue; but it was three long centuries since they had listened to a voice which proclaimed, 'Thus says the Lord.' People in those days were listening for the authentic voice of God - and in Jesus they heard it. It is true that Jesus was more than a prophet. He did not bring only the Voice of God. He brought the very power and the very life and the very being of God. But those who saw in Jesus a prophet were at least more right than the conscience-stricken Herod and the expectant nationalists. If they had got that far in their thoughts of Jesus, it was not impossible that they might take the further step and see in him the Son of God."
Verse 16, "But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead."
LGT "But having heard, Herod said, Whom I beheaded, John, he himself it is, he is risen."
Herod feared greatly because of his guilt in having John beheaded; Robertson says, "Herod could visualize the head of John the Baptist coming toward him on the platter. Herod's biggest fear is that now John is risen and has come back for vengeance."
Verses 17, 18, "For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife."
LGT "For Herod himself, having sent, seized John, and bound him in the prison, on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. For John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have the wife of your brother."
This whole scene of Herod marrying his brother Philip's wife; and John condemning his actions, caused great strife in his marriage, and Herod eventually had John bound in prison, and then at the request of Salome, Herodias' daughter, had him beheaded. While his brother was still alive it was not lawful to marry his wife; after he died, it sometimes became the brother's duty.
Verse 19, "Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:"
LGT "But Herodias held it against him, and wished to kill him, and was not able:"
Behind every great tyrant is a bull-headed, strong-willed woman. Herodias hated John, for she said that she wished him dead. The phrase 'had a quarrel against him' is literally, had it in for him. "This is modern slang, but is in exact accord with this piece of vernacular [language] of the koine, that is, common Greek. The tense is imperfect and aptly described the feelings of Herodias towards this upstart prophet of the wilderness who had dared to denounce her private relations with Herod Antipas. Gould suggests that she kept her eye on him or Kept up her hostility towards him. She never let up, but bided her time which, she felt sure, would come" (Robertson).
Verse 20, "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly."
LGT "For Herod feared John, knowing him [to be] a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe, and having heard him, was much perplexed, and gladly heard him."
This is a case where the KJV is meaningless. Let us examine the literal translation to see what is really meant by this verse. The phrase "and observed him" is literally, and kept him safe. Herod did not want anything to happen to John. The next phrase "he did many things" is also meaningless; the literal translation is was much perplexed. Herod was torn between having to live with Herodias and keeping her happy, and keeping John safe, whom he knew was a just man, whom he feared; he was hopelessly entangled in his marriage.
Verse 21, "And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee."
LGT "And being come an opportune day, that Herod on his birthday, made a supper to his great men, and to the chief-captains, and to the first [men] of Galilee."
Herodias waits for the perfect opportune time to begin her devious plans to have John the Baptist killed. Both civil and military dignitaries were invited to Herod's birthday party; "Opportune for the insidious [subtle] woman, who hoped, through wine, lust, and the concurrence [agreement] of sycophants [flatterers], to be able to overcome the wavering mind of her husband" (Grotius).
Verse 22, "And the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."
LGT "And having come in, the daughter of Herodias herself, and having danced, pleased Herod and the ones reclining [at table] with [him]. The king said to the maid, Ask me whatever you will, and I will give to you."
"And the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced,"
"The KJV misses the point of autes (herself) by the translation the said: the object being not to particularize the Herodias just referred to, but to emphasize the fact that Herodias' own daughter was put forward instead of a professional dancer. Hence Rev., correctly, the daughter of Herodias herself."
"And pleased Herod and them that sat with him,"
"Such dancing was an almost unprecedented thing for women of rank, or even respectability. It was mimetic [to express by gesture] and licentious [immoral], and performed by professionals" (Gould). "Herodias stooped thus low to degrade her own daughter like a common hetaira [common prostitute] in order to carry out her set purpose against John" (Robertson).
"And pleased Herod and them that sat with him,"
Salome danced at the end of the banquet, when all the fat lechers, reclining at the table with Herod, were full of food and wine. "The maudlin [sappy] group lounging on the divans were thrilled by the licentious dance of the half-naked princess" (Robertson).
"The king said to the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."
The drunken king fell into the trap of Herodias, and publicly made a stupid promise.
Verse 23, "And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou ask of me, I will give it thee, unto half of my kingdom."
LGT "And he swore to her [much], Whatever you may ask of me, I will give to you, to half of my kingdom.
This is proof that the fat lecherous king was drunk. He would have never made such an outrageous promise, sober; or Herodias would not have had to make such a devious plan.
Verse 24, "And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist."
LGT "And having gone out, [she] said to her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, the head of John the Baptist."
The phrase 'what shall I ask' is in the middle voice so her reply meant, What shall I ask for myself. Salome was not prepared for her mother's ghastly reply, but this was the plan of Herodias all along.
Verse 25, "And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist."
LGT "And having entered immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying, I desire that you give to me at once, upon a dish, the head of John the Baptist."
"And she came in straightway with haste unto the king,"
Salome was rushed in while the king was still drunk, and as Robertson states, "Before the king's rash mood passed and while he was still under the spell of the dancing princess; Herodias knew her game well."
"And asked, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist."
The phrase 'by and by' is old English, and has lost it's meaning to our modern thinking; the phrase is literally give to me at once.
Verse 26, "And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her."
LGT "And made the king very sorrowful on account of the oaths and the ones who reclined [at table] with [him], would not reject her."
Herod had a decision to make: either do what he knew was the right thing, and refuse the oath, and look bad to his drunken bums at his birthday party, or to have John beheaded and save face among his friends; of course, being the despot he was, he gave in to Herodias' demands.
Shepherd writes:
"The drunken tetrarch saw that he had been tricked and was grieved. He must have shrunk with disgust from so horrible murder. He might well have repudiated so foolish an oath, which would have been honored in the breaking. But his pride and his fear of the criticism of his drunken guests prevailed over any prompting of conscience or sense of justice."
Verses 27, 28, "And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother."
LGT "And immediately the king, having sent a guardsmen, ordered his head to be brought. And having gone, beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a dish, and gave it to the maiden, and she gave it to her mother."
What a disgusting horrible scene we have here; any sane person would be repulsed at seeing the head of any man sitting on a dish, but not this sweet mother and daughter; after it was presented to her, having taken it, this coarse baggage, gave it to her mother.
Verse 29, "And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb."
LGT "And having heard [it], his disciples came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb."
The disciples of John came and took his body and properly laid it in a tomb, and according to Matthew, went and told Jesus what had happened.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matt. 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14)
Verses 30, 31, "And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
LGT "And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus, and they announce to Him all things how much they had done, and how much they had taught. And He said to them, Come ye yourselves apart unto a desert place, and rest a little: for those coming and those going were many, and they had no leisure, even to eat."
The disciples come back from their first mission apart from Christ for refreshment, and to relate to Him all that they had experienced, and the things, which they had taught. The term apostle here is not used in the formal sense as after Pentecost, but just as men sent out by Christ unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They all gather back at Capernaum for some R and R, for they were continually teaching and healing the sick, that they caught a glimpse of what stress Christ was under.
Verse 32, "And they departed into a desert place by ship privately."
LGT "And they went away in the boat into a desert place apart."
The disciples eagerly accepted Christ's invitation and sailed away with Him.
Verse 33, "And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him."
LGT "And [the people] saw them going, and many recognized [them], and all the cities on foot ran together there, and went before them."
The people recognized Jesus and ran ahead around the lake and were there to meet them when the boat arrived.
Verse 34, "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things."
LGT "And having gone out, He saw a great crowd, and was moved with compassion towards them, because the were as sheep not having a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things."
The reason Jesus had compassion for these people is that they had only the Rabbis to teach them, and in spiritual matters, that was the same as the blind leading the blind (Robertson); so you see, Jesus saw these people as sheep without a shepherd, spiritually starved, and hungry for the truth. Matthew mentions that Jesus did some healing, but there would not be many, because they came in such a hurry.
Verses 35-37, "And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, this is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"
LGT "And already [it] being a late hour, His disciples coming to Him, said, This is a desert place, and already [it is] a late hour: dismiss them, in order that, having gone into the country and villages round about, that they may buy for themselves what to eat. But He answering, said to them, You give them to eat. And they said to Him, Having gone, shall we buy two hundred denarii of bread, and give them to eat?"
It was getting late very close to sunset. His disciples wanted Christ to send the people out to the small farms and villages that surround the desert area where they were, and buy themselves something to eat. The disciples ask Christ if they should do the impossible with two hundred denarii, "About twenty-eight dollars. As the disciples had a common purse in which they carried their little property, consisting of the donations of their friends and money to be given to the poor, it is not improbable that they had at this time about this sum of money in their possession. Philip - for it was he who asked the question (John 6:7) - asked, with a mixture of wonder and agitation, whether they should take all their little property and spend it on a single meal? And even if we should, said he, it would not be sufficient to satisfy such a multitude. It was implied in this that, in his view, they could not provide for them if they wished to, and that it would be better to send them away then to attempt it" (Barnes).
Verse 38, "He said unto them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes."
LGT "And He says to them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. And having known they say, Five, and two fishes."
John's Gospel is the only Gospel that records the Lad whose mother had prepared his lunch with five Barley loaves and two fishes; John also records that Jesus told Philip to go and see how many loaves the crown brought with them.
Verse 39, "And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass."
LGT "And He ordered them to make all recline in ranks upon the green grass."
The Greek word for 'companies' is sumposia, that is, sun = together and pino = to drink; we get our English word symposium, a conference or a seminar. In Jesus' day the word meant a festive occasion, or a drinking party; of course Jesus uses the word for a type of feast.
Verse 40, "And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and fifties."
LGT "And they reclined like beds in a garden, by hundreds and by fifties."
"The former adverb, by companies (vs. 39), describes the arrangement; this gr. prasai prasai describes the color. The red, blue, and yellow clothing of the poorest Orientals makes an Eastern crowd full of color; a fact which would appeal to Peter's eye, suggesting the appearance of flower-beds in a garden" (Vincent).
Verse 41, "And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."
LGT "And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up into the heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves, and gave to [His] disciples, that they might set before them, and the two fishes He divided among all."
What a picture this presented as the multitudes sat in ranks of a hundred and of fifties; to Peter it looked like a gigantic flower bed; the verb 'gave' is in the imperfect tense, implying that He kept giving out the food.
Verse 42, "And they did all eat, and were filled."
LGT "And all ate, and were satisfied."
No one at this banquet went away hungry.
Verse 43, "And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes."
LGT "And they took up, of fragments, the fillings of twelve baskets, and of the fishes."
Mark alone adds and of the fishes. Everyone ate to their fill, and there was left over more than enough for the disciples and the Lord.
Verse 44, "And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men."
LGT "And were those who ate [the loaves] five thousand men."
The Greek word for 'men' is Andres, and is not generic, anthropos, meaning men and women, but exclusively men; the women and children if counted, would bring the total well over ten thousand. All four Gospels record this miracle.
Walking on the Water
(Matt. 14:22-33; John 6:15-21)
Verses 45, 46, "And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray."
LGT "And immediately He compelled His disciples to enter into the boat, and go before to the other side to Bethsaida, until He should dismiss the crowd. And having taken leave of them, He departed into the mountain to pray."
"Christ sent His disciples across the lake to Bethsaida. He remained behind in order to dismiss the crowd. Before rejoining the men, He went into the surrounding hills to pray. The multitude, however, would not remain dispersed. They sought Jesus out because of the evidence they had seen in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. They did so because they were convinced that Jesus was the Prophet of whom Moses had spoken (cf. Deut. 18:15). Jesus knew that the crowd searching for Him was intent on making Him a King. It was no doubt distressing for the multitude to have learned that John, the very popular prophet figure, had been put to death. They realized that Herod by John's death was opposing the enthronement of Jesus as the Messiah-King. The crowds following Jesus were eager for a King who would deliver them from Rome and for a kingdom of peace and righteousness to supplant the cruelty of Rome. Therefore, they desired to enthrone Christ. Even though Christ had offered Himself as a King. He withdrew further into the recesses of the hills so that He could not be found. Since the leaders of the nation had rejected Him, His kingdom had to be postponed until the nation would turn in faith to Him. The desire of the people could not be realized even though they recognized that Jesus was offering Himself as a King" (Pentecost).
Verse 47, "And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land."
LGT "And evening having come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He alone upon the land."
Jesus had come down from the mountain where He had been praying to His Father, and He was standing on the seashore; sometime had gone by, and it became dark, and Jesus was finally alone.
Verse 48, "And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them."
LGT "And having seen them laboring in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them; about [the] fourth watch of the night He comes to them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed them."
It was late evening, and Jesus having seen them laboring in their rowing the boat because of the contrary winds, He went to them, walking on the water.
McGee writes:
"Those men were in the boat that night and they were mingling their sweat with the waves whose salt water was breaking over their little boat. They were straining at the oars and they actually thought they were going down. But He saw them toiling and rowing. I love that! I don't know where you are today or what position you are in. You may be in a hard spot right now; you may be sitting alone in a corner of darkness. You may be facing temptations and problems that are too great to bear. You may find yourself out on a stormy sea and you feel as if your little boat is going down.
I have some good news for you, Christian friend. He saw you toiling and rowing. He sees you. He knows your problems. You don't have to send up a flare to let Him know. He already knows. Oh, that today you might commit your way to Him in a very definite way. That is something that so many of us need to do in times of darkness - just commit our way unto Him. He saw them toiling and rowing. Only Mark, by the way, records that."
Verses 49, 50, "But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."
LGT "But they seeing Him walking upon the sea, thought [it] is an apparition, and cried out: for all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He spoke with them, and said, Be of good courage, it is I: do not fear."
The men were tired of rowing, and they thought they were goners when Christ walked out to them, they thought He was a ghost, possibly a spirit coming to take them away; but when He spoke those words, It is I, the familiar sound of His voice helped calm their fears; Mark doesn't record Peter getting out of the boat and walking to Jesus, and then beginning to sink; I have no idea why, unless it is because "Peter was not fond of telling that story" (Robertson).
Verse 51, "And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered."
LGT "And He went up to them into the boat and the wind stilled, and they were exceedingly amazed beyond measure in themselves:"
These disciples were, in themselves, amazed beyond measure; first because they saw Christ walking on the water, and then because the wind ceased immediately.
Verse 52, "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."
LGT "For they understood not in the matter of the loaves, but their heart was hardened."
They all had witnessed Christ feeding the five thousand, but they did not grasp the full import of the miracle, and they were hardened not to see another miracle of Christ walking on the water; it will take a Resurrection for them to come to grips with the reality that they are in the presence of God.
The Healing of the Sick in Gennesaret
(Matt. 14:34-36)
Verse 53, "And when they had passed over, they came in to the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore."
LGT "And having passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and moored to shore."
They came into the land of Genesaret, and they moored [tied up] to the shore.
Verses 54, 55, "And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, and ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about those that were sick, where they heard he was."
LGT "And on their coming out of the boat, immediately they knew Him, running through the whole country around, they began to carry about those that were ill on couches, where they were hearing that there He was."
Recognizing Jesus, as everyone did by now, they all ran about bringing their sick and afflicted on couches or pallets, to where He would be for healing. No one ever came to Jesus with a thought of being healed, and went away without being healed.
Verse 56, "And withersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that he might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole."
LGT "And wherever He entered into villages, or cities, or fields, in the marketplaces they laid those who were sick, and besought Him that if only the border of His garment, they might touch: and as many as touched Him, were healed."
We are nearing the end of His Galilean ministry with Christ continuing to heal all who were brought to him. Jesus was the genuine Son of God, and everyone knew that He could heal. It boggles the mind to even try and calculate the number of peoples He had healed; and yet, it was not the purpose for which He came; He came not to heal the sick, but to heal the sin-sick; But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name.
Share freely but cite the source: http://bbbiblehelps.epizy.com