Chapter 6
Verses 1-3.
Jesus went away from there and came to His own country and hometown, Nazareth, and His disciples followed with Him. And on the Sabbath, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands! Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here among us? And they took offense at Him and were hurt, that is, they disapproved of Him, and it hindered them from acknowledging His authority, and they were caused to stumble and fall.
Now[a] Jesus left that place and came to his hometown,[b] and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue.[c] Many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did he get these ideas?[d] And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son[e] of Mary[f] and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so, they took offense at him.
TPT notes. #1. “These things (NKJV), are “insights, ideas, teachings, understanding.”
Swaggart. Jesus never ceased to be God, but He became completely man when He took upon Himself our weaknesses and frailties. Jesus’ words struck them so struck them so forcefully that they were astonished. The word for carpenter means “to beget or create.” He could have make things of wood. He might have make plows, beds, tables, and chairs. His body would have been physically well-developed from that work. He was a craftsman. Offended in the Greek means “to put a stumbling block or obstruction in the way on which one may stumble or fall. They were distrustful. They disapproved, so they were blinded to His authority. They could not understand him, so they rejected him. He was without honor despite Jo. 4:26, Luke 4:21 (Jesus claims to be their Messiah); Mk. 1:10, Mt. 9:6, Lu. 5:24 (Jesus declared to be the Son of Man with the power of God), Jo. 5:22 (Declared to be the Son of God).
Smith’s View. The fact that He is referred to as the son of Mary would indicate that Joseph was already dead. Chances are that Joseph died rather early and that Jesus stayed at home until He was thirty years old in order to provide for the family. At the death of His father, He would have had to have been the family provider. Now, this word carpenter is in the Greek, an artificer. Actually, He was the kind of fellow that, no matter what you needed done, was just a handyman. He could make anything from scratch. So, anything from building a little shed to building a house, He was just one of those men skilled with His hands and was capable of doing just about anything. And He no doubt remained at home until the rest of His younger brothers and sisters were able to be out on their own.
Brewer. Jesus had at least 4 brothers and 2 sisters. He lived in Nazareth his whole life, although he had been born in Bethlehem.
Womack. V. 1. See also Matthew 13:54-58. “His own country” refers to His hometown of Nazareth where His family still lived. Jesus had just healed the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34) and He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-43). These miracles happened in Capernaum. Yet He came unto His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11). As bad as these people’s rejection of Jesus was, it wasn’t as bad as the first time He announced Himself to be the Christ in their midst (Luke 4:28-30).
They saw Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of His siblings. Jesus had worked as a carpenter with his stepfather, but He had always been the Son of God who worked as a carpenter until it was time for Him to begin His ministry. They missed His true identity.
Just like Jesus, all of us have occupations, but that’s not what defines us. We need to know who we are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). We are all children of God and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17) who may be in business or working as housewives or as clerks. But we are not what we do any more than Jesus was just a carpenter.
Joseph and Mary had other children. There is no sensible reason to think these weren’t the children of Mary. A group of people who have tried to present Mary as a virgin throughout her entire life have said that, but there is no evidence to support it. Mary was not sinless with an immaculate conception. She was a sinner and needed a Savior, as she plainly stated (Luke 1:47).
Verses 4-6.
But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, deference, and reverence except in his own country, and among his relatives, and in his own house. And He was not able to do even one work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sickly people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief - their lack of faith in Him. And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.
Brewer. Unbelief is defined as lack of belief in Jesus, lack of trust in Jesus. Also, healing of the sick is not considered a “work of power” here.
NET. Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught.
TPT notes. #1. Nazareth was the only place recorded in the Gospels that Jesus was unable (because of their unbelief) to do great things. #2. This is one of two places where Jesus is “amazed.” Compare Mt. 8:10. Both concern faith. Here, it’s the great unbelief of the Jews in Nazareth, the ones who knew Jesus. The other is the Gentile faith of the Roman military leader who had “great faith.” We have no record of Jesus ever returning to Nazareth. He made Capernaum is base of operations in Galilee.
Swaggart. In other places, people brought the sick to Jesus for healing to the point that He could hardly walk about. In Nazareth, they did not do so. No one brought the demonized for deliverance. No one brought the dead to be raised. Failure to believe in Jesus as savior and Lord results in eternal death. “Jesus stripped himself of Glory and accepted human limitations with feelings and emotions the same as ours. He was subject to all our disappointments.”
Wesley. He could do no miracle there — Not consistently with his wisdom and goodness. It being inconsistent with his wisdom to work them there, where it could not promote his great end; and with his goodness, seeing he well knew his countrymen would reject whatever evidence could be given them. And therefore, to have given them more evidence, would only have increased their damnation.
Smith. So, there's an implication there that even His own brothers, His own kin did not really honor Him, His own house.
Womack. This has always proven to be true. Men and women of God tend to be respected everywhere except closest to home. Those who knew them best before their encounter with God have a hard time seeing them as anything but their little brother or sister. See an example of this at 1 Samuel 17:28.
Notice that this verse doesn’t say He wouldn’t do many mighty works, but He COULDN’T do many mighty works. This wasn’t because of inadequacy in Jesus’ but those who would receive miracles had no faith. Matthew 13:58 says, “And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Their unbelief stopped the sinless, limitless Son of God from doing what He desired to do. If unbelief limited Jesus, will it limit us?
It is God’s will that no one perish (John 3:16 with 2 Peter 3:9), but many do because of unbelief. Likewise, it is God’s will that we be healed (3 John 2), but not all are healed, because we fail to believe (Hebrews 4:2). It is a mistake to assume that whatever God wills will automatically come to pass. We play a part in receiving from God. If Jesus, who had no limitations, couldn’t do all the mighty works He desired because of other people’s unbelief, then we have to consider the level of the peoples’ faith that we minister to. This is the reason Jesus sought seclusion when performing certain miracles. Compare this with Deuteronomy 7:17 where the Lord told the children of Israel that if they doubted in their hearts, He could not perform His promises to them (Numbers 33:53) of dispossessing the nations in the Promised Land.
Verses 7-9.
Jesus[a] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits.[b] 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff[c]—no bread, no bag,[d] no money in their belts— 9 and to put on sandals but not to wear two tunics.
NET notes. C. Neither Matt 10:9-10 nor Luke 9:3 allow for a staff. It might be that Matthew and Luke mean not taking an extra staff, or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light,” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways. D. “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” E. Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
Swaggart. V. 7. Apostello. To send forth as an ambassador on a mission. He continued to give them delegated authority or He gave them delegated authority.
Womack. V. 7. As in Mark 6:6, Jesus taught to counter the people’s unbelief. He sent His disciples out two by two, to teach and perform miracles to penetrate the people’s hard hearts. He used His disciples to plow the ground of people’s hard hearts so they would be more receptive to the seed of God’s Word when He sowed it into them.
Jesus gave His disciples power over unclean spirits. He didn’t say to bring them to Him to cast the spirits out. He gave them the power and told them to do it. If they had asked Him to do it, they would have been disobeying His instructions.
Likewise, the Lord has given us power over all the devil’s forces and told us to resist the devil to cause him to flee (James 4:7). Asking God in prayer to get the devil out of our lives will not get the right results. We have to accept our responsibility and cast the demons out in Jesus’ name. It’s His power that causes the deliverance, but it’s at our disposal.
Verses 10-11.
10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there[a] until you leave the area. 11 If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off[b] your feet as a testimony against them.”
Womack. In Luke 10:7, Jesus gave the same instructions to His disciples, “Go not from house to house.” In other words, “You’re not imposing on people. You are laboring in the Gospel. The laborer is worth of his hire (Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:7). Take advantage of the hospitality offered you.”
Verses 12-13.
12 So[a] they went out and preached that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.
Swaggart. They were to preach repentance, God’s Kingdom of righteousness, and the abandonment of sin. Sin must be dealt with. Preachers must define it if people are to be saved. Those committed to Christ must lead clean lives, confess their sins, and ultimately walk in victory. They also cast out demons and healed the sick.
Womack. They cast out many devils and healed many others. It doesn’t say they prayed for them; rather, they used the authority Jesus gave them and healed the people. We are to speak to our mountains (problems or sicknesses) instead of speaking to God about our mountains (Mark 11:23).
This is the first time in the New Testament that Jesus gave his followers miraculous power to heal the sick. It is implied here and clearly stated in Acts 5:16 that they healed everyone who came for healing as Jesus had done. Later, Jesus gave the same power to seventy other disciples (Luke 10:1 and 9). Jesus taught that all things are possible to those who believe (Mark 9:23) and that those who believe will do the same works that He did (John 14:12), including healing the sick. His last instructions to His disciples before His ascension included believers laying hands on the sick so they would recover (Mark 16:17-18). The preaching of God’s Word is confirmed by signs of healing (Mark 16:20).
This instance is the first time that anointing with oil was used in the Bible for the purpose of healing. In the Old Testament, priests were anointed (Exodus 28:41, 29:7, 29, 30:30, 40:13-15; Leviticus 8:12, 30; and Psalms 133:2), kings were anointed (1 Samuel 9:16, 10:1, 16:12-13; 2 Samuel 2:4, 5:3, 19:10; 1 Kings 1:39, and 19:15-16), and prophets were anointed (1 Kings 19:16) symbolizing the power and authority of the Spirit of God resting upon them (1 Samuel 16:13). Anointing with oil for the purpose of healing became a common practice in the New Testament church and was commanded by the Apostle James for those who were sick (James 5:14).
Verses 14-15.
Now[a] King Herod[b] heard this, for Jesus’[c] name had become known. Some[d] were saying, “John the baptizer[e] has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.”
Womack. Jesus’ fame went beyond the church walls; the political leaders heard of Him. We have to get the message of the Gospel outside of the four walls of the church. Jesus did this through miracles. Herod made special mention of the mighty works that Jesus was doing. If we would operate in the miraculous power of God, those outside of the church would hear of us too.
Everyone knew about Jesus. If Jesus lives through us, then people will know about us too. They may say we are of the devil, as they did with Jesus, but they will know we are there. True Christianity causes a revival or a riot but not indifference. Indifference is a testimony to the carnality of God’s messengers.
Smith. Those who don’t know God may differ on their interpretation of what the godly are doing and who they are. But notice that everyone knew about Jesus. If we truly let Jesus live through us, as He wants to, then people will know about us too. They may say we are of the devil, as they did with Jesus, but they will know we are there. True Christianity causes a revival or a riot but not indifference. Indifference is a testimony to the carnality of God’s messengers.
Commentary on Herod the Great. Part of his paranoia was probably the result of the fact that he was such a little runt. He was about four feet, nine inches tall. And being a little man, he had great ambitions. And whenever he would build something, he would build it out of huge stones. The Western Wall of Jerusalem today is a testimony to the building prowess of this fellow Herod, these huge stones that make up the wall that was the retaining wall for the temple mount. The Herodian, out near Bethlehem and then the Masada, down near the Dead Sea; other tremendous building monuments that were done by Herod known as Herod the Great. But because he was so paranoid, he married his first wife Doris who had a son, and he killed them both, that is Doris and the son. Then he married another woman named Miriam and she had two sons. Now, one of these two sons had a daughter named Herodias. Then, Herod got paranoid about Miriam and the two sons; he thought they were plotting against him, and so he put her to death and the two sons. And then he missed her after she was dead, and he began to mourn for her. And so, he built a tower and all there in Jerusalem as a monument to Miriam because he missed her so much. At this point, a saying developed, "It's safer to be Herod's pig than to be his son." Because at this point, he had wiped out both wives and all of their children. He sort of cooled down from this point onwards. He married another gal by the name of Miriam, had a son by the name of Herod Philip, who moved to Rome and was just a wealthy merchantman. But Herod Philip married his niece, Herodias, who was the daughter of the assassinated brother, who was a half-brother to Herod Philip. So, she was his wife and his niece all at the same time. Now, Herod married another gal and she had a couple of sons, of which one was Herod Antipas. This is the Herod in our story. Herod Antipas was the ruler over a portion of the kingdom that his father Herod the Great had ruled over. Over the area up in the Galilee region.
Now, Herod Antipas went to Rome and visited his half-brother, Herod Philip. Now, Herod Philip and Herodias, his niece, had a daughter that they named Solome. And Herod Antipas, when he was in Rome visiting his brother, fell in love with Herodias, his brother's wife who was also his niece, and talked her into leaving his brother, her husband, and marry him and return and reign with him in Galilee. Now, John the Baptist was a straight shooter. And John the Baptist spoke out against this unlawful action by Herod Antipas.
Verses 16-20.
Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[a] had married her. 18 For John had repeatedly told[b] Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”[c] 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But[d] she could not 20 because Herod stood in awe of[e] John and protected him, since he knew that John[f] was a righteous and holy man. When Herod[g] heard him, he was thoroughly baffled,[h] and yet[i] he liked to listen to John.
Swaggart. Herod had ordered that his soldiers take John to the prison of Machaerus, a grim fortress situated on the barren heights of Moab, above the Dead Sea. Aristobulus was one of the sons of Herod the Great. Herodias was married to her Uncle Philip, a brother of Aristobulus. Herod Antipas was half-brother to Philip. Though she was married to another, Herold had taken Herodias to himself. John had publicly proclaimed it unlawful for Herod to have his brother’s wife. Herodias was enraged with John the Baptizer. Herold continually feared God. Herod was hold John in safekeeping to protect him from the evil plots of Herodias, who wanted to have him killed. He was continuously keep him safe. John may have frequently visited John in prison. The Spirit of God was dealing with this king. A postponed decision for Christ usually leads to no decision for Christ which leads to eternal damnation.
Womack. Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 forbid marrying one’s brother’s wife if the brother was still alive. John rebuked Herod, who was a Jew, for this sin. John wouldn’t fit into our religious culture today. Most godly people don’t either. Herodias, Herod’s wife, was the one who had a problem with John the Baptist. I’m not saying Herod liked John calling his actions sin, but the Scriptures do reveal that Herod heard John gladly, feared him, and observed his sayings (Mark 6:20). But Herod was weak and “henpecked.” Herod was a Jew. He knew the Law and recognized a man of God when he saw one. Herod was very ungodly, as his actions showed, but he did have a fear of God and God’s man. Obviously, that wasn’t enough.
Verse 21-25.
But[a] a suitable day[b] came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias[c] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her,[d] “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”[e] 24 So[f] she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said,[g] “The head of John the baptizer.”[h] 25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request:[i] “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”
NET notes. V. 21. “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.” V. 23. The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”
Swaggart. Herod put himself under oath to give the girl whatever she asked.
Smith. The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.” He had put himself in a corner, and because of the oath and the fact that it was done in front of these fellows he couldn't back down. Pride wouldn't let him. And so, he did that unlawful murderous thing, adding sin to sin, compounding the situation.
Womack. Herod didn’t want to harm John, but his vanity and wantonness put him into a position that caused him and John great harm. Likewise, many people don’t plan on doing wicked things, but that’s where self-indulgence always leads. They can’t put their heads in the lap of the devil without getting their heads shaved (Judges 16:19-20).
It was stupid of Herod’s and reveals that he was sexually aroused from Herodias’ daughter’s dance and was therefore speaking from emotion, not logic. Sin isn’t smart. It’s emotional. Once people indulge lust, they lose their minds.
Uttering oaths is stupid (Ecclesiastes 5:1-5). Those who validate their words by using oaths show that their words aren’t always truthful. Otherwise, there would be no need to distinguish certain words from any others. If people spoke truth all the time, they wouldn’t make rash vows like Herod did, and they would not get into the trouble Herod did.
Matthew 14:8 reveals that Herodias had already instructed her daughter to ask for John’s head. The whole dance was premeditated and intended to secure Herod’s promise to give whatever the girl wanted. Herod had lust for the girl, and Herodias exploited her daughter to get what she wanted. What a wicked woman. She has had plenty of time during her thousands of years in hell to contemplate how wrong she was.
Herodias’ actions could be interpreted in two ways: (1) Instead of responding in anger or jealousy to Herod’s obvious lust for her daughter, she was so full of hate for John the Baptist that she seized the opportunity to eliminate him. (2) She was hurt by Herod’s lust for her daughter, and she gave the advice to her daughter to ask for John’s head as a way of getting even with Herod, knowing it would make him exceedingly sorry (Mark 6:26). In either case, she accomplished her goal concerning John and revealed how truly wicked she was.
Think of this: Herodias’ daughter could have had wealth, power and influence, yet she followed her mother and went for vengeance. Sin is stupid.
That Herodias’ daughter came in immediately with haste to ask for John’s head reveals that she was just as wicked as her mother. There were no reservations on her part in doing such a terrible thing.
Verses 26-29.
Although it grieved the king deeply,[a] he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 27 So[b] the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s[c] head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s[d] disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
Womack. It’s amazing that Herod would rather murder an innocent man than break a foolish oath. He should have repented of his oath and set John free.
It’s folly to swear or use oaths. Solomon warned against making vows (Ecclesiastes 5:1-6), as did Jesus (Matthew 5:37). Herod would have been thought more highly of by God and probably also by his guests who were present if he had simply humbled himself and admitted he was wrong in making such an oath. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
John’s faith in Jesus had wavered while he was in prison (Matthew 11:1-6 and Luke 7:19-23). However, Jesus addressed John’s unbelief, and I believe that John’s faith in Jesus was fully restored. I’m sure he went out with a shout.
As Jesus revealed to Saul on the Damascus road to Damascus, Jesus takes the persecution of His people personally. There was no immediate retribution from God against this act, but we can rest assured that their payday came. They are still paying for this sin and will pay for it throughout all eternity. It wasn’t worth it; sin never is.
What an end for the man who Jesus said was the greatest among all Old Testament people (Matthew 11:11). We can rest assured that there was a great welcome for John in heaven, and there will be great rewards for him throughout eternity. In contrast, Herod will live in hell throughout eternity and see the one whom he beheaded honored while he is damned (Luke 16:20-25). Selah—pause and calmly think of that!
Verses 30-32.
Then[a] the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). So, they departed to a deserted place in a boat by themselves.
Swaggart. The disciples had preached, cast out demons, and healed the sick in the name of Jesus Christ.
Smith. Then[a] the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat).
Now, they have enough time to grab something as you're going by the table, but in those days, eating was a big ceremony. You sat down and you really made a big deal out of eating. And they didn't have any time for that. They were too pressured by the crowd. So, Jesus, seeing the pressure, the weariness, invited them to go over to the other side of the lake where it was more of a deserted area that they might rest. It probably sounded great to the disciples.
Womack. Jesus wanted His disciples to rest after their ministry tour. This establishes a precedent that rest is a good thing if done properly. Ministry isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. We have to pace ourselves, or we won’t go the distance.
Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, Jesus called His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have therefore cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Psalms 46:10). This will also cut ministries short through non-effectiveness. One of Satan’s deadliest weapons against those involved in ministry is busyness. They must balance their time ministering to others with their time being ministered to by the Father. If the devil can’t stop Christians from “getting on fire” for God, then he’ll try to stop them by getting them “burned out” (compare with Luke 10:38-42).
Verses 33-36.
33 But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot[a] from all the towns[b] and arrived there ahead of them.[c] 34 As Jesus[d] came ashore[e] he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So[f] he taught them many things.
35 When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is an isolated place[g] and it is already very late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”
TPT. “compassion” means that He felt “nurturing love toward them.”
Swaggart. He taught them and He kept on teaching.
Smith. Capernaum is at the northern end (northwestern side) of the Sea of Galilee. It's only about six miles wide; you can see all the way across the Sea. And so, it was easy for them to watch the direction the little boat was going. And so, they just ran around the upper end of the island (from the northeastern side to the northwestern side). And as they passed through Bethsaida, Koraisan and those cities, people no doubt questioned them where they were going. The crowds grew. Whereas the disciples were perhaps looking at them as a nuisance, Jesus saw them as poor little sheep without a shepherd.
Womack. See also Matthew 14:13-14 and Luke 9:10.
The anointing and power of the Spirit upon Jesus certainly made a difference. These people left jobs, skipped meals, and ran as much as five miles or more to be ministered to by Him. People are no different today. The ministry is what is different.
Jesus and His disciples went to the remote place to get away from the multitude for a while and rest (Mark 6:31). This rest was not optional but necessity. Jesus and His disciples took a much-needed vacation. However, the multitude followed them, and their vacation ended before it began. Surely Jesus and His disciples were just as disappointed as you or I would have been. But instead of anger or bitterness, Jesus was moved with compassion. Later on in the evening, Jesus went up into a mountain and prayed until the fourth watch (3 to 6 a.m., Mark 6:46-48). The Lord intends for us to take care of these physical bodies, as can be seen by Jesus’ actions in taking His disciples aside for rest. But when this purpose was frustrated by the demands of the ministry, Jesus gave priority to the spirit man and stayed up all night praying and getting that spiritual rest He was needing. We should follow His example and always put the needs of the spirit ahead of the needs of the flesh (John 6:63).
The disciples were aware of the people’s needs and were compassionate towards them. But they never thought about meeting the needs themselves. They wanted to send them away to others for their needs to be met. Jesus wants us to meet the needs of people. The church should be the solution to all the needs of men.
The people’s need for food was more acute because some of them had expended a lot of energy to run and meet Jesus on the other shore of the Sea of Galilee. Also, they were in a desert place and the day was far spent. Soon they would not be able to get any food unless they went home.
Verses 37-38.
But he answered them,[a] “You[b] give them something to eat.” And they said, “Should we go and buy bread for 200 silver coins[c] and give it to them to eat?” 38 He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
TPT notes. #1. There could have easily been 25,000 people there. #2. 200 denarii would be 8 months wages for a laborer.
Womack. We don’t have to send people to doctors, lawyers, social services, or psychiatrists. Jesus can meet all these needs through us.
When Jesus told His disciples to meet the need, they pulled out their wallets and looked at their human resources. Their ability to meet the need wasn’t in their flesh – from their human resources. It came through their spirits via faith. By themselves, believers can do nothing (John 15:5), but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
A penny was a day’s wage (Matthew 20:2), so 200 pennyworth of bread would equal 200 days’ worth of wages, or about 55 percent of a year’s pay.
That the disciples asked if they were to go buy 200 pennyworth of bread implies that they had the money to do that. They weren’t poor.
We always have something that the Lord can use to meet a need. We just need to give it to Him and watch it multiply.
Rick Renner says the Greek words designate five crackers and two little minnows.
Verses 39-44.
Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He[a] gave them to his[b] disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and they picked up the broken pieces and fish that were left over, twelve baskets full. 44 Now[c] there were 5,000 men[d] who ate the bread.
Smith. That particular Greek word translated filled would be better translated glutted, literally translated glutted. "They all ate and were glutted." I mean, they ate until they couldn't eat any more.
Womack. The disciples organized the people to facilitate distributing the food. This miracle happened in the hands of the disciples, not Jesus. The Greek word translated “looked up” is “ANABLEPO,” and it means “to look up; by implication, to recover sight” (Strong’s Concordance). It is translated “receive(d) sight” fifteen times out of the twenty-six times it was used in the New Testament (Matthew 11:5, 20:34; Mark 10:51-52; Luke 18:41-43; John 9:11, 15, 18; Acts 9:12, 17-18, and 22:13), and all of those refer to a blind person being healed. It is specifying receiving sight.
The word is translated “look up” in Mark 8:25, where it refers to the blind receiving sight. According to Strong’s Concordance, this is actually a compound word of the prefix “ANA,” often meaning “repetition,” and “BLEPO,” meaning “to look at.” This is literally speaking of looking at again.
So, when Jesus “looked up,” He was receiving sight, i.e., spiritual sight. What He had in His hands was not enough to meet the need, so He needed to look past the limitations of the physical and see the limitless supply of the Father. Likewise, we need to look up and receive spiritual sight that allows us to see beyond the limitations of the natural and into the limitless ability of God.
Notice also that He blessed what He had in His hand instead of cursing it, and it multiplied. We often curse what we have if it isn’t enough, and it doesn’t multiply.
There are four times in the Bible where this phrase “look up” is used to describe more than tilting one’s head (Psalms 5:3, 40:12; Mark 8:25; and Luke 21:28). There are also five times where “looked up” is used to express the same thing (Mark 6:41, 8:24; Luke 19:5, 21:1; and Acts 7:55). The same principle is expressed in Daniel 4:34 where Nebuchadnezzar “lifted up [his] eyes unto heaven” (brackets mine).
What a miracle! Five thousand men, not counting women and children, were completely filled with five loaves and two small fish. There have been many attempts to explain this away, but they all fail. This is nothing less than a great miracle. Jesus performed this miracle a second time in Mark 8:2-8. Elisha did a similar thing in 2 Kings 4:42-44.
Jesus didn’t barely meet the need; there was more food left over after everyone had eaten their fill than before the food was broken and distributed. Our God is a God of abundance (John 10:10)! We should remember this when reading scriptures like Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:19.
You know there were women and children in the crowd. This means there were probably 10,000 to 15,000 people who ate of this one boy’s lunch.
Verse 45-52.
45 Immediately Jesus[a] made his disciples get into the boat[b] and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd. 46 After saying goodbye to them, he went to the mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 He[c] saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending,[d] he came to them walking on the sea,[e] for[f] he wanted to pass by them.[g] 49 When they saw him walking on the water[h] they thought he was a ghost. They[i] cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them:[j] “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 Then he went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished, 52 because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
TPT. Seeing them from land in the dark was an obvious miracle, for evening had come and Jesus was a great distance from them while they were in the middle of the lake. Jesus sees and knows the struggles each of us go through.
#2. To pass by them is somewhat similar to God “passing by Moses” when he was on Sinai. Ex. 33;19, 22.
Swaggart. Jesus frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray. V. 46. PRAY. Greek “proseuchomai.” “Pro” is a preposition which means “toward or facing.” 1) When we pray, we face God, and we seek the face of God. When a person prays, he is in the presence of God and God hears his prayers directly. 2) Prayer was a priority in Jesus’ life. 3) Some gain much in prayer and at that point, they become lax in prayer. 4) When we experience the success Jesus’ experienced, sometimes we rest in our popularity, success, and acclaim. We begin to think we are important.
The fourth watch of the night is between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Jesus’ feet were touching the water. He was not above the water. It was Jesus’ intention to go to the disciples. The disciples cried out in a shriek of terror; to scream.
Womack. V. 45. Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat. That means they didn’t want to. No reason is given; but I think they were fishermen, raised on that lake, and they knew a storm was brewing. It was against their better judgment to go out on the lake. To their credit, they obeyed the Lord even though there was potential risk to their lives.
Jesus told them to go to the other side. He made no mention of them drowning halfway across. Therefore, they had a promise to stand on. If they had understood the authority that gave them, they would have made it to the other side on their faith.
John 6:15 makes special mention that Jesus left the crowd and sought solitude because He perceived the people would come and make Him king.
If Jesus and His disciples were already near Bethsaida (Luke 9:10), why did He constrain His disciples to go “to the other side before unto Bethsaida”? One explanation is that the Greek word “PROS,” translated “unto” in this verse, can also be translated “against” and is rendered that way more than two dozen times in the New Testament. Had “unto” been translated “against,” the phrase “against Bethsaida” would imply “the opposite side of the lake from Bethsaida” just like Luke 8:26 uses the expression “against Galilee” to mean “on the opposite side from Galilee.” The Translator’s New Testament reads, “Go to the other side of Bethsaida before him,” which could also be interpreted as “the other side of the lake from Bethsaida.” John 6:17 would support this view since this verse says they “went over the sea toward Capernaum.” Bethsaida is only two or three miles across from Capernaum, both cities being on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. The marginal rendering of “unto Bethsaida” in some reference Bibles is “over against Bethsaida,” which would tend to support PROS being used in this verse to mean “across from” or “on the opposite side from.” Another explanation to reconcile Mark 6:45 to Luke 9:10 is that the grassy “desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida” may have been as much as a mile or two away from the city, probably farther down the shore. Sailing “unto” or “toward” Bethsaida in a north to northwesterly direction may have offered protection from “heavy seas” as the ship made its way around the shoreline with the ultimate destination being Capernaum. Because of the strong wind, “the ship was in the midst of the sea” (Mark 6:47), and most certainly far off course. This explains why after rowing twenty-five or thirty furlongs (three to four miles) (John 6:19), they were still not at their destination.
Jesus wasn’t indoors, out of the elements and oblivious to His disciples’ needs. He was in the same storm and was aware of their situation. Likewise, He always knows what we’re going through. And if we are in a situation because of His leading, He will definitely make it right.
They left the shore on the Sea of Galilee about sundown, and Jesus didn’t come to them until the fourth watch, or between 3 and 6 a.m. It is only a two-hour trip across the Sea of Galilee, so it is easy to see that this was a very contrary wind. It is to the disciples’ credit that they didn’t turn around and head back to the shore they came from. With such a wind, the safety of the shore would have only been minutes away.
Despite the resistance and threat to their lives, they kept heading in the direction the Lord told them to go. We must do the same if we want to see Jesus come walking to us on the water. If they had turned back, they would have missed this miracle. There are things we must do to position ourselves for a miracle. We must be doing what the Lord has told us to do, even when the going gets tough.
Jesus walked there to help His disciples, yet He made as though He would pass by them. This illustrates how the Lord comes to us. He is always in the midst of our problems, but He doesn’t simply take control. Regardless of how desperate our situations are, He waits for us to call out to Him for help. He doesn’t force His help on us. And He is always on top of the very thing that is about to drown us. It’s no problem for Him. We have to be looking for the Lord, or He will pass on by.
The fourth watch of the night was between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
They saw Jesus’ walking on the water, but this wasn’t natural. Therefore, they had to come up with an explanation that would fit into their beliefs. They decided they were seeing a spirit and not a real person. They couldn’t believe Jesus could walk on the water. That wasn’t consistent with what they had seen that day. Anyone who could feed 5,000 men plus women and children could certainly walk on water. They shouldn’t have been surprised. If their hearts hadn’t been hardened, they would have expected it.
Jesus had supernaturally taken care of them in a storm before (Mark 4:35-41). They shouldn’t have been shocked, and they couldn’t claim that they didn’t know Jesus could still a storm. He had already done it.
If the Lord wanted to cheer them up and remove their fear, why didn’t He still the storm, which would have calmed their fears? Jesus was calling them to take a step of faith. They had to cooperate with Him through faith to accomplish this miracle. Likewise, we have to keep our faith and joy up in hard times in order to receive the miracles we need.
In Matthew’s account, Peter walked on the water before Jesus got into their boat (Matthew 14:28-31). In John’s account, the boat and everyone in it were instantly transported to the other side of the sea where Jesus had sent them (John 6:21).
In this instance, Jesus didn’t rebuke the wind or still the storm; it just stopped when He got in the boat with them.
The Greek word perissos translated, “measure” is translated “exceedingly abundantly above” in Ephesians 3:20.
Being shocked to see a miracle of the Lord, like Jesus’ walking on the water, is a sign of a hardened heart. We should always be blessed by the miraculous power of God, but not surprised or shocked. That means we’ve been meditating on the things of the world more than the things of God. When we are in faith, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23, and 10:27).
What we consider, our hearts become sensitive to. What we fail to consider, our hearts become hardened to. We have to cooperate with this law of God and focus on the things of God to keep our hearts soft.
These disciples hadn’t been looking at pornography or plotting murder. They had simply been occupied with the natural and trying to save their lives. Preoccupation with even everyday life will harden our hearts to the Lord. We have to make a deliberate effort to look beyond our daily responsibilities and keep our minds and hearts focused on the things of the Lord. We must walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Most of the time, we think of a person with a hard heart as being someone who is in terrible rebellion to God. While it is true that a person like that does have a hardened heart, in this instance, the Word is referring to the disciples’ hearts being hardened because they were “sore amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered” at Jesus walking on the water.
The word “hardened,” means to make calloused, unyielding or cold in spirit, or insensitive to. The disciples were not God haters, but rather they had become so sensitive to the natural world and its limitations that they were overwhelmed to see Jesus supersede these laws. Therefore, they had hardened hearts.
So, we see that, in this case, a hardened heart was simply being more sensitive to, or dominated by, natural thinking than by supernatural thinking. If we use this Bible definition of what a hardened heart is, then all of us have areas where we are hardened (or insensitive) to God for characteristics of a hardened heart.
Our hearts become hardened (insensitive) when we consider (think upon, study, ponder, deliberate, or meditate on) anything other than God and His ways. In this case, the disciples weren’t thinking on things that were sin, such as murder, adultery, theft, etc. Their thinking was totally occupied with the storm and how they could save their lives. However, they were considering only the natural ways of deliverance. They should have been considering a miraculous deliverance since they were out on the sea in obedience to Jesus’ command.
If they had kept their thinking stayed on the miracle, they had just seen Jesus perform (the feeding of the five thousand), then they wouldn’t have been amazed to see Jesus’ walking on the water toward them. After all, He had constrained them to get into the ship and was therefore responsible for them. He also was just a short distance away from them and was in the same storm they were, so they knew He was aware of their situation. They should have been expecting Jesus to come and save them, even if He had to walk on the water to do it. Certainly, a man who could feed five thousand men (not including women and children) with five loaves and two fish and have more left over when He finished than when He started could walk on water too.
But their hardened hearts kept them from perceiving spiritual truths (Mark 8:17-18 and kept them dominated by only natural thinking, which was completely inadequate to solve their problem.
This is the reason that people today, who know what the Word says, still don’t see it work for them. They are more sensitive to fear and doubt than they are to the truths of God’s Word, simply because they have thought more on things that minister fear and doubt.
We can take these laws that harden our hearts and use them in a positive way. We can actually harden our hearts to doubt by considering only God’s Word. It is a possible and obtainable goal to become just as sensitive to God and faith as we have been to Satan and doubt.
Verses 53-56.
53 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret[a] and anchored there. 54 As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus.[b] 55 They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be.[c] 56 And wherever he would go—into villages, towns, or countryside—they would place the sick in the marketplaces,[d] and would ask him if[e] they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Womack. What was the purpose in getting to the other side? It was ministry. Multitudes came and received ministry from Jesus. If the disciples had turned back to the other shore, they would have missed this ministry opportunity.
How or why did these people know Jesus? It was because of His previous trip to their area when Jesus had cast demons out of the man who lived among the tombs (Mark 5:1-16). They rejected Him out of fear at that time (Mark 5:17), but time and the testimony of the man had prepared their hearts for this second appearance. They were eager to have Jesus’ ministry.
All the adversity we face is designed by the Enemy to stop ministry. He doesn’t want us to reach the other shore, because he knows there is increased ministry. That’s precisely the reason I will not turn around and I will not drown. I will make it to the other shore.
Many people were healed by touching the border of Jesus’ garment. This was probably a result of the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment and was healed (Mark 5:27). Once the news of that miracle got out, many people received inspiration and did the same thing.