Mark Chapter 6

Jesus then traveled home, followed by his students. On the next Sabbath, Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. Many were amazed, and declared, "How does this Man know so much? What kind of wisdom has been given to Him, enabling Him to perform such wonderful deeds? Isn't this the carpenter we know, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judah and Simon? Don't we also know his sisters here?" So the public rejected Him. Jesus replied to their complaints, "A prophet lacks honor only in his own hometown, among his neighbors and in his own home." Jesus was unable to perform any marvelous works in that area, except for healing a few sick people by laying His hands on them. He was in fact shocked at their lack of faith. He traveled around the villages in that area, teaching the people who lived there.

He gathered the Twelve, and began to send them out in pairs, giving them the power to cast out evil spirits. He instructed them to take only a walking stick, and to bring nothing else: no bag, no bread, and no money in their belts, and to wear only sandals, and not to wear two coats. He told them, "Whichever house you stay in while in a town, stay there until you leave that town. "And if anyone will not take you in or listen to you, when leaving them, shake the dust from under your feet as an indictment against their conduct. I tell you truly, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better on the day of judgment than that city." Thus they went among the towns, preaching repentance.

There they cast out many demons, anointed the ill with oil, and healed them of their afflictions. The tetrarch, Herod Antipas [pronounced HEH-ruhd AN-tuh-puhs] heard news of this, as word of Jesus had spread far and fast. It was said that he was John the Baptist having risen from the dead, and miraculous powers were shown in his works. Others rumored that he was Elijah, while others still called him a prophet like those of the Old Testament. Herod was fooled by one of the rumors and opined, "He is John, whom I had murdered, back from the dead." For it had been Herod who had sent his men to capture and imprison John on account of his brother Philip's wife, Herodias [pronounced he-roe-dee·uhs], whom he had married. John used to tell Herod, "It is against the law for you to marry your brother's wife." And so Herodias was hostile to John, and she would have killed him had she been able. Herod actually was afraid of John, realizing that he was a just and holy man, and followed John's preaching closely. Herod couldn't always understand what John said, but he was glad to listen.

So Herodias waited for her opportunity, which came on Herod's birthday when he had a feast for his noblemen, ranking army officers, and high-ranking officials in Galilee. Herodias's daughter entered the room and danced, so pleasing Herod and his guests that the king exclaimed to the little girl, "Ask me whatever you like, and I will grant it!" And he swore to her, "I will give you whatever you want from me, up to half of my kingdom." She went to ask her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The murder of John the Baptist." So she returned quickly to the tetrarch and responded, "I want John the Baptist murdered." Herod was very sorry. But because he had taken an oath and faced embarrassment in front of his guests if he declined, he complied. The king immediately sent an executioner, ordering him to kill John the Baptist. The executioner went to the prison and killed him. When John's students heard what had happened, they came and claimed his body and placed it in a tomb.

Jesus told them, "Come with me privately to a deserted place and rest." Because there were so many people coming and going, the apostles had not even had time to eat. They sailed in a boat to a deserted place to meet in private. When people saw them leaving, many of them recognized Jesus, so they hurried from their cities and got there before Jesus and the Apostles did. The people crowded around Jesus when he arrived. When Jesus got out of the boat He saw the large crowd of people, and felt sorry for them, because they reminded Him of a flock of sheep without a shepherd. So He started to teach them many things.

But when the day was nearly over, His students approached Jesus and said, "We're in the middle of nowhere and it is going to get dark. "Send this crowd into the surrounding villages in order to buy themselves bread to eat." Jesus replied "You should give them something to eat," and the students asked Him, "Should we go and spend two hundred shillings and buy some bread for them to eat?" Jesus answered, "How many loaves do you have? Go check." After the students found out, they told Him that they had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus told them to have everyone sit in groups on the grass.

After they did, everyone sat down in long rows, of fifty or a hundred people. When Jesus had the five loaves and two fish, he looked to heaven, blessed the food, and broke the loaves. He gave them to His students to feed the people, and split the two fish among everyone. After everyone was finished eating, they were all full. The students picked up twelve small baskets full of crumbs and the leftovers of fish. Five thousand men had filled their stomachs on those five loaves of bread and two fish. Then Jesus had his students board their boat, to go to Bethsaida [pronounced beth-SAY-uh-duh] ahead of him, while he bid the people farewell. After he sent the people away, he went to a mountain to pray.

In the evening, the students' boat was in the middle of the lake, and he remained on the land alone. He saw them rowing hard, since they were traveling into the wind: about the fourth watch of the night (between 3am and 6am), He walked on the surface of the lake and came to the boat, nearly passing it. But when they saw Him walking on water, they thought it must have been a ghost, and cried out. They all saw Him, and were terrified. He spoke to them right away, and said, "Fear not, for I am. Do not be afraid." He boarded the ship and the wind died down; they were very much amazed.

They had not understood the miracle of the loaves, because they had not opened their minds. After they crossed the lake, they came to the land of Gennesaret [pronounced geh NES uh rat, located in Galilee] and pulled up to the shore. When they had come off the boat, everyone immediately recognized Jesus. They ran throughout the nearby area and carried all the sick people, in beds, to the place where Jesus was said to be. Wherever he went - villages, cities, or the countryside - people laid the sick in the streets, and begged Jesus to let them touch him, even just the edge of his coat. Everyone who touched him was healed.