The Word Made Fresh
1Around that time there was another large crowd without anything to eat. He called his disciples and said, 2“I pity these people. They’ve been with me now for three days and have had nothing to eat. 3If I send them home they’ll pass out on the way – some of them have come from a long distance.”
4His disciples wondered, “How are we going to find enough to feed all these people here in the wilderness?”
5“How much bread do you have?” Jesus asked them.
“Seven loaves,” they replied.
6Then he had the crowd sit on the ground. He gave thanks for the seven loaves of bread, broke them, gave the pieces to his disciples to hand out to all the people. 7They also had a few small fish, so Jesus blessed them and told them to give the fish to the crowd as well. 8They all ate their fill, and when the disciples took up what was left, they had seven baskets full. 9There were about four thousand people there. Jesus sent them away, 10and then he and his disciples got into the boat and went across to the Dalmanutha district.
11Again the Pharisees argued with him. To test him, they asked him to give a sign from heaven. 12With a heavy sigh, Jesus said, “Why do people these days ask for a sign? I’ll tell you the truth – no sign is going to be given to this generation.” 13Then he left them and got into the boat and went across to the other side.
14The disciples had neglected to bring any bread, and only had one loaf left. 15Jesus told them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
16They said to one another, “He’s warning us not to get bread from them.”
17Jesus heard them talking, and said, “Why are you worried about having no bread? Do you still not see? Do you still not understand? 18Do your eyes fail to see, and your ears fail to hear? Don’t you remember 19when I broke the five loaves for five thousand people? How many baskets full of the broken bread were left?”
“Twelve,” they answered.
20“And the seven loaves that were given to the four thousand – how many baskets full did you gather?”
“Seven,” they answered.
21Jesus said, “Do you still not understand?”
22When they arrived at Bethsaida, a blind man was brought to Jesus, and they begged Jesus to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and led him away from the village. He spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything?”
24The man looked, and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.”
25Jesus touched his eyes again. The man stared, and his sight was restored. He could see everything clearly. 26Jesus told him then to go home, but not to go through the village.
27Jesus then left with his disciples and went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who are people saying that I am?”
28They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are the prophet Elijah, or one of the other prophets.”
29“What about you?” Jesus asked them. “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter said, “You are the Christ.”
30Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone.
31Then he taught them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly, and that he would be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be put to death; and after three days rise again. 32He told them all this quite plainly, and Peter pulled him aside and began to argue with him. 33But Jesus rebuked Peter in front of the other disciples and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not focusing on things that are divine, but only on things that are human.”
34Then he summoned the crowd along with his disciples, and said, “Whoever wants to follow me must deny themselves and take up their cross and then come with me. 35Those who want only to save their lives will lose them, but those who lose their lives for my sake and for the sake of the good news will be saved. 36What profit will it be if you forfeit your life to gain the whole world? 37Really now, what do you have to give in return for your life? 38Whoever in this sinful and adulterous generation is ashamed of me and those who belong to me, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Commentary
1-10: Mark begins this story with the words, “In those days,” which indicate that he is not following a specific itinerary for Jesus’ travels. However, the implication is that he is still in Gentile territory, and Mark may intend this second feeding miracle as an interpretation of the Syrophoenician woman’s comment about being given the crumbs from the table (7:28). The vague introductory phrase has also resulted in speculation among some commentators that this story is confused with the earlier account of Jesus feeding a large crowd (6:30-44) – that perhaps there was only one such occasion, but the details vary as to the exact number, so Mark turns it into a separate event. Mark obviously thinks it is important that there were two separate incidents, for he makes a point of it in verses 19-20. There are a number of differences between this and the feeding of the 5000. This time the crowds have been with Jesus for three days. The exchange between Jesus and the disciples is different as well. And this time, after the miracle, Jesus gets into the boat with the disciples instead of sending them out without him. Dalmanutha is unidentifiable, but is likely on the Galilean side of the lake, for the Pharisees in the next verse would not have come into Gentile territory. So, Jesus is crisscrossing the lake, going from coastal town to coastal town.
11-13: The Pharisees show up again to challenge Jesus. This time he refuses to play, and simply gets in the boat and heads back across the lake.
14-21: The conversation Jesus has with his disciples in the boat is not easy to follow, but here is the gist of it: Jesus, having just been confronted by the Pharisees, wants to make a point about their teachings, but, as is his habit, he couches it in everyday imagery, referring to their teachings as their “yeast.” Curiously he adds Herod to the mix; perhaps the news of John’s beheading (6:27-28) is still fresh in his mind. The disciples miss the reference altogether and think he is referring to their need to buy more bread. Jesus points out that they have no such need, that they have already seen him turn shortages into surfeits on two occasions. He sees this as an indication that their minds are still on earthly things, while all along he has been trying to get them to look for and recognize the kingdom of heaven.
22-26: Bethsaida is a mile or so off the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, along the major trade route from Damascus to Jerusalem. As if to illustrate the disciples lack of “vision,” Mark tells how Jesus heals a blind man. Note that the cure is even more involved than the last healing story (7:31-37). This time Jesus has to touch the man twice before he can see clearly, an indication that the “vision” of his disciples’ may require extra care as well. And notice that again Jesus takes the man aside to attend to him in privacy, pointing us toward the idea that Jesus needs to give the disciples additional private lessons.
27-30: Heading around the sea, Jesus does have some time with just the disciples. He tests their understanding by asking them directly who they think he is. Peter’s confession is on the mark (though a bit different from Matthew’s account — see Matthew 16:16 — where Peter adds, “the Son of the living God.”). Jesus, however, is not ready for the world to know this.
31-33: Assured that they have begun to grasp the importance of his ministry, he begins to instruct them about the outcome of it, and this they cannot fathom. Peter, who just called him the Messiah, now takes it upon himself to educate Jesus in what the Christ can and can’t do! Jesus has to remind him rather pointedly that he is still looking too low.
34-38: Jesus abandons his efforts to teach the twelve exclusively and now summons “the crowd.” He lets them know in no uncertain terms that following him is a life-changing and life-threatening endeavor. The willingness to give up even one’s life is the cost of true discipleship.
Takeaway
Following Jesus is indeed a life-changing endeavor. Today is a good time to consider what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. What changes need to be made? What habits need to be discarded; and what habits need to be incorporated into our daily routines?