Guide to Mark 6
In this busy chapter, Jesus keeps on the move first coming to his hometown. They refuse to accept him
as they are too familiar, saying, “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” The rejection of the prophet
in his native place does not allow for many healings for, as we have seen, it is the person’s faith Jesus
always gives credit to. He sends out the twelve apostles with very little to preach repentance, cure the
sick and expel demons. By the power of Christ, they are successful.
An interlude occurs concerning King Herod’s opinion of Jesus which gives Mark the chance to tell the
horrifying story of John the Baptist’s beheading. It is the first time we have heard of John the Baptist
since the very beginning of the Gospel. John, in his direct style, had criticized Herod for marrying his
brother’s wife and breaking Jewish law. Although Herod arrested him, he could not resist listening to
John speak and kept him imprisoned until the dance of his wife’s daughter so delighted him that he
promised her anything. She asks for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and Herod, feeling unable
to go back on his public word, has John beheaded.
Two famous and remarkable miracle stories follow. Away from Nazareth, Jesus’ popularity is still
growing as the people are like sheep without a shepherd. As a throng of five thousand listen, Jesus
preaches until his apostles, fearing that the crowd will not be able to get something to eat as it is getting
late, urge Jesus to dismiss them. Instead, Jesus asks them what they have and they produce five loaves
and two fish. Yet after blessing that amount, they can feed all five thousand. Then the apostles go on a
boat to precede Jesus across the lake while he prayed. In the midst of a fierce wind, Jesus appears
before them walking on the water and they are terrified believing it was a ghost. Jesus cries out, “Take
courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”
The apostles’ doubts are noted by Mark. Although they had witnessed the feeding of the five thousand
and so many remarkable things as Jesus’ companions, they still lacked understanding as they are
continually surprised by his mighty deeds. Mark concludes, “Their hearts were hardened.”
Why do you think Jesus was rejected at Nazareth? Do we find him too familiar and fail to turn to him at
times as well?
What were the twelve allowed to take with them on the mission?
Why did Herod feel he could not change his mind giving the dancer anything she wanted?
What did the apostles fail to understand at the feeding of the five thousand?
Where do the last healings of the chapter take place?
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