Chapter 6

Chapter Six Mk. 6:1. He went out from there and came into His own country; and His disciples followed Him. Mk. 6:2. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard Him were astonished, saying: Where did He get this? What wisdom is this that has been given to Him, and how are such miracles performed by His hands? Mk. 6:3. Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended by Him. The Lord comes to His homeland not because He did not know that they would disregard Him, but so that afterward they could not say: if He had come, we would have believed. He comes also to expose the envious character of His countrymen; for whereas they ought to have marveled at the Lord, Who so adorned their homeland with both teaching and miracles, they instead despised the Lord on account of His humble origin. What an evil thing envy is! It always strives to obscure what is good and does not allow the envious to see it. So even now many, out of ill will and extreme baseness, dishonor certain people because of their lowly birth, even though they are worthy of every honor. Mk. 6:4. And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. Mk. 6:5. And He could not do any miracle there, only having laid His hands on a few sick people, He healed them; Mk. 6:6. And He marveled at their unbelief. The Lord speaks generally about all prophets, that they receive no honor in their homelands, among their kinsmen and household members. Do they have distinguished kinsmen? In that case, those kinsmen envy them and therefore dishonor them. Are they of humble origin? Again, they are disgraced for their humble origin. The Lord could not perform miracles there not because He was powerless, but because those people were unbelieving. Sparing them, He does not perform miracles, lest they serve for the greater condemnation of those people as unbelievers even in the presence of miracles. On the other hand, miracle-working requires, first, the power of the one performing it, and second, the faith of those receiving the miracle. Since the second of these conditions was lacking here, that is, the faith of those in need of healing, it was not fitting for Jesus to perform miracles. And so we should understand that the evangelist's expression "and He could not" is used in place of — He did not see fit to. Mk. 6:6. Then he went around the surrounding villages and taught. Mk. 6:7. And, having called the twelve, He began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over unclean spirits. Mk. 6:8. And He commanded them to take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bag, no bread, no copper in their belt, Mk. 6:9. but to wear simple sandals and not to wear two garments. Mk. 6:10. And He said to them: wherever you enter a house, stay in it until you leave that place. Mk. 6:11. 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. The Lord taught not only in the cities, but also in the villages, so that we might know that we too ought neither to neglect the small towns nor constantly visit the large cities, but that we must sow the word even in insignificant places. Furthermore, not only did He Himself teach, but He also sends His disciples, and moreover in pairs of two, so that they might be bolder. For if He had sent them one by one, one alone could not have acted so boldly, and if He had sent more than two together, the number of apostles would not have sufficed for all the villages. So He sends them two by two: "Two are better than one," says Ecclesiastes (Eccl. 4:9). He commands them to take nothing — neither a bag, nor money in their belt, nor bread — so as to teach them detachment from possessions and so that others, looking at them, might be moved to compunction when they teach non-possessiveness by themselves having nothing. Indeed, who would not be moved to compunction and stirred toward non-possessiveness, seeing that an apostle takes neither a bag nor bread, which is the most necessary thing for us? He bids them remain in one house, lest people think they change places for the sake of gluttony, wandering from one house to another. From those who would not receive them, they were to shake off the dust from their feet, according to the Lord's words, as a sign that they had made a long journey for their sake and yet without benefit to them, or as a sign that they took nothing from them, not even the dust itself, but on the contrary shook even that off, so that it might serve as a testimony against them, that is, as a reproach. "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment" than for those who do not receive you. For the Sodomites, having been punished here, will be punished more lightly there; moreover, the apostles were not sent to them. On the contrary, those who rejected the apostles will endure torments more severe than theirs. Mk. 6:12. They went out and preached repentance; Mk. 6:13. They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Regarding the fact that the apostles anointed with oil, only Mark speaks of this, and also James, the brother of God, in his Catholic Epistle: "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil" (James 5:14). Oil is also beneficial against diseases; it serves for illumination, is used in a joyful state of spirit, and signifies the mercy of God and the grace of the Spirit, by which we are delivered from diseases and from which we receive both light, and joy, and spiritual gladness. Mk. 6:14. King Herod, having heard about Jesus (for His name had become well known), said: this is John the Baptist risen from the dead, and therefore miracles are worked by him. Mk. 6:15. Others said: it is Elijah, while others said: it is a prophet, or like one of the prophets. Mk. 6:16. But Herod, having heard, said: this is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead. This Herod was the son of the Herod who slaughtered the infants. Though he was a tetrarch, Mark calls him king, using this title in a loose sense. Having heard of the Lord's miracles and being conscious that he had killed the righteous John without cause, Herod began to think that he had risen from the dead and upon his resurrection had received the power of working miracles. Previously John had not performed a single sign, but after the resurrection — so Herod thought — he received the power to work signs. But others said of Christ that He was Elijah, because He rebuked many, for example when He said: "O faithless generation!" And Herod was afraid. So wretched was this man that he was afraid of a dead man! Mk. 6:17. For this Herod had sent and seized John and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. Mk. 6:18. For John said to Herod: it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. Mk. 6:19. And Herodias, bearing a grudge against him, desired to kill him; but she could not. Mk. 6:20. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe; he did many things, listening to him, and heard him gladly. Taking advantage of the occasion, Mark inserts here an introductory discourse on the death of the Baptist. Some say that Herod took Herodias while Philip was still alive, and for this he was rebuked as a lawbreaker who had married the wife of his living brother. On the contrary, others maintain that Philip had already died, but left behind a daughter. And since Philip left a daughter, Herod should not have married his brother's wife even after his brother's death; for the Law commanded a brother to take his brother's wife only in the case when the latter had died childless. But in the present case a daughter remained; therefore, Herod's marriage was unlawful. See how powerful the passion of carnal love is! Here is Herod, who had so much respect and fear for John, yet disregarded this in order only to satisfy his passion. Mk. 6:21. And when a convenient day had come, when Herod on his birthday made a feast for his nobles, the military commanders, and the chief men of Galilee, – Mk. 6:22. The daughter of Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod and those reclining with him; the king said to the girl: Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you; Mk. 6:23. And he swore to her: "Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, even up to half of my kingdom." Mk. 6:24. She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." Mk. 6:25. And she immediately went in haste to the king and asked, saying: I want you to give me right now on a platter the head of John the Baptist. Mk. 6:26. The king was grieved, but for the sake of the oath and those reclining with him, he did not wish to refuse her. Mk. 6:27. And immediately, having sent a bodyguard, the king commanded his head to be brought. Mk. 6:28. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. Mk. 6:29. His disciples, having heard, came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. The feast goes merrily: Satan dances in the maiden, and an oath is given—lawless and godless, and above all senseless. "That you give me," says the wicked woman, "right now," at once. But the reckless and lustful Herod feared to break his oath and therefore kills the righteous man, when he ought in this case to have violated the oath and not committed so terrible a crime (to keep an oath is not always good). A guardsman was the name for such a military man who was appointed by the community to execute and put to death criminals. One may also understand the passage under consideration in a figurative, spiritual sense. Thus, Herod represents the coarsely carnal Jewish people: he took a wife—false and absurd glory, whose daughter even now still dances and is in motion among the Jews—this is their deceptive knowledge of the Scriptures. They think they know the Scriptures, when in reality they do not know them, for they beheaded John, that is, the prophetic word, because they did not accept the Head of prophecy—I mean Christ. Therefore, if they possess the prophetic word, they possess it without the Head, that is, without Christ. Mk. 6:30. And the Apostles gathered together to Jesus and told Him everything, both what they had done and what they had taught. Mk. 6:31. He said to them: Go ye alone into a desert place and rest a little, for there were many coming and going, so that they had no leisure even to eat. Mk. 6:32. And they departed to a deserted place in a boat by themselves. Mk. 6:33. And the people saw them departing, and many recognized them; and they ran there on foot from all the cities, and arrived ahead of them, and gathered around Him. After their preaching, the apostles gather to Jesus. This should be a lesson for us that we too, having been chosen for some ministry, should not depart from obedience to the one who chose us or exalt ourselves before him, but should acknowledge him as head, turn to him, and report to him everything we have done and taught (one must not only teach but also act). Christ gives His disciples rest; this is a lesson for leaders, so that they know how to give rest to those who labor in word and teaching, and not always keep them in tension and toil. Furthermore, the Lord, not loving glory, withdraws to a deserted place. Yet even here He was not hidden from those who sought Him. On the contrary, the people watched so attentively lest the Lord be hidden from them that they went ahead, that is, outran the apostles themselves and went to the place where Jesus intended to rest. So you too should go ahead of Jesus: do not wait for Him to call you, but rather hasten forward yourself to anticipate Him. Mk. 6:34. Jesus, going out, saw a great multitude and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. Mk. 6:35. And when much time had passed, His disciples came to Him and said: this place is deserted, and the hour is already late, Mk. 6:36. Send them away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and settlements and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat. Mk. 6:37. He answered and said to them: You give them something to eat. And they said to Him: Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat? Mk. 6:38. But He asked them: how many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they found out, they said: five loaves and two fish. Mk. 6:39. Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. Mk. 6:40. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. The Pharisees, being ravenous wolves, did not shepherd the people but devoured them. Therefore the people, bypassing them, gather to Christ, the true Shepherd. And Christ gives them food—first the more profitable and precious kind, in word, and then bodily food as well. But observe the disciples, how they are distinguished by their love for mankind! Taking pity on the people, they approach Christ and begin to entreat Him on their behalf. The Lord, however, testing and trying them to see whether they had recognized His power—that He could feed the people—says, "You give them something to eat." To this the disciples, as if in reproach, point out to Him, on the one hand, the greatness of their own poverty, and on the other, the multitude of the people, as though He did not know this. In this difficulty they say, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" Finally, the Lord has them all recline on the grass in separate groups—that is, as if at different tables. Mk. 6:41. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. Mk. 6:42. And they all ate and were satisfied. Mk. 6:43. And they picked up twelve full baskets of the fragments of bread and of the remains of the fish. Mk. 6:44. And those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. The Lord looks up to heaven, first, to teach us to ask for our food from God, and not from the devil, as do people who live by unrighteous gains; and second, to show the people that Christ is not an opponent of God, but on the contrary, He Himself calls upon God. He gives the loaves to the disciples so that they would not forget the miracle after having received the loaves with their own hands. And the twelve baskets of leftovers remain for the same purpose, so that each of the apostles, having carried a basket on his shoulders, would always keep the miracle in memory. And the fact that He not only fed such a multitude of people but also left over an abundance is a sign of the superabundant power in Christ. Moses, though he gave manna, gave only enough for each one's need, for in what was left over, worms bred. And Elijah, feeding the well-known widow, provided exactly as much as was sufficient for sustenance. But Jesus, as Master, produces such that there is a surplus. This is the historical meaning. In the figurative sense, the five loaves signify the books of Moses, which are five: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The two fish signify the words of the fishermen—the Apostle and the Gospel. By these our five senses are nourished, signified by the five thousand people. However, we cannot consume everything, but much will remain in surplus that only the apostles can carry. Thus, the more difficult aspects of understanding the Law and the Gospel we, who are still enslaved to the five senses, cannot bear, but only the apostles can. Mk. 6:45. And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the boat and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people. Mk. 6:46. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Mk. 6:47. In the evening the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on land. Mk. 6:48. And He saw them struggling in rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and wanted to pass by them. Mk. 6:49. They, seeing Him walking on the sea, thought it was a ghost, and cried out. Mk. 6:50. For they all saw Him and were frightened. And immediately He spoke with them and said to them: take courage; it is I, do not be afraid. Mk. 6:51. And He went up unto them into the boat, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled, Mk. 6:52. for they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. "He compelled the disciples." The disciples were separated from Him only by compulsion, for they themselves did not wish to part from Him, partly out of their love for Him, and partly out of perplexity as to how He could come to them without a boat. And He, having dismissed the crowd, goes up (to the mountain) to pray alone, since prayer requires solitude and an undisturbed state. The Lord allows the disciples to be storm-tossed on the sea so that they might learn patience. For the same reason He does not appear to them immediately either, but allows them to be in danger from the storm the whole night, in order to train them to be patient and to await deliverance not at the very onset of dangers. But notice also another circumstance, namely that before ending the danger, He casts them into even greater fear; for when they saw Him, they cried out in fright, thinking it was a ghost. Then the Lord immediately encourages them with His voice, saying: "Do not be afraid"; then, entering the boat, He gives them complete calm, because the wind suddenly ceased. To walk on the sea is a great miracle and belongs to the one true God alone; and the fact that there was confusion among the disciples and a contrary wind makes the miracle all the more exalted. As for the apostles, not having recognized Christ from the miracle of the loaves, they recognized Him from the present miracle on the sea. Therefore one may suppose that Christ allowed them to be in danger also so that, not having recognized Him from the miracle of the loaves, they might now recognize Him from the miracle on the sea and derive benefit for themselves from it. Mk. 6:53. And when they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and drew to shore. Mk. 6:54. When they came out of the boat, immediately the inhabitants, recognizing Him, Mk. 6:55. ran around all that surrounding region, and began to carry the sick on beds to where they heard He was. Mk. 6:56. And wherever He came, into villages, or cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the open places and besought Him that they might touch even the edge of His garment; and as many as touched Him were made whole. The Lord arrived at this place, it seems, after no small time (of absence); therefore the evangelist also says: "when they recognized Him... they began to bring the sick." They did not yet invite Him into their homes, but themselves brought the sick, beseeching to touch even the hem of His garment. For the miracle performed on the woman with the issue of blood had come to the knowledge of all and produced in them an even greater faith.