NOTES for Mar 6:54-7:8

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⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

¹Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

²And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees about washing hands is a fine illustration of the essence of that conflict between Jesus and part of the Pharisaic brotherhood which eventually led many Pharisees to outright hatred of the One whom, as it seemed to them, they had awaited so eagerly. In this case, of course, the issue is not hygiene, not the need to wash one's hands before eating, but precisely ritual washing, without which, as some Pharisaic teachers believed, one could not touch the bread that was about to be broken and blessed. Believing Jews did not and do not eat bread without blessing it in a special way.

It should be noted that this washing was not so much the fulfillment of Torah norms as a tribute to tradition. The Torah, which indeed requires washing for those taking part in a temple sacrifice, says nothing about the need for washings before blessing food in general or bread in particular at home. But evidently, for some, perhaps quite significant, part of the Pharisees, refusal to follow this and other similar late and secondary traditions was equivalent to apostasy from God. And Jesus responds rather sharply to the accusations against His disciples, as usual the disciples are not accused directly, with all responsibility being placed on the Teacher. He does not enter into any discussions with His opponents about tradition. He merely reminds them of Isaiah's words about true and false worship of God, that honoring God with words does not mean honoring Him with the heart.

What, then, does He mean? After all, such "excessive" piety, at first glance, does not especially hinder genuine piety. One can, of course, be faithful to God without washing one's hands, but washing one's hands would seem unable to hinder such faithfulness either. And yet Jesus sees the situation differently. The matter is probably not only that "excessive" piety so often becomes an occasion for pride and self-assertion at the expense of one's neighbor.

The matter is, above all, in the spiritual roots of such "piety." The point is that a person who does not want his relationship with God to deepen and intensify, and who fears such deepening, is often inclined to replace it with excessive religiosity, which gives rise to "super-piety." The person unwilling to go "inward," to deepen his relationship with God, will inevitably go "outward," along the path of increasing the number of religious rites and religious obligations. And the more numerous they become, the fewer the chances of returning to the path of movement "inward." Jesus, of course, understands this perfectly well. And He condemns the movement "outward" in the most decisive way. For by moving that way, one will never come to the Kingdom.

Other notes

For Mar 7:1-13

¹Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

²And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

⁹And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

¹¹But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

¹²And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

We remember how Matthew the Evangelist quotes the Lord Jesus' words that "heaven and earth will pass away sooner than... Read more

We remember how Matthew the Evangelist quotes the Lord Jesus' words that "heaven and earth will pass away sooner than one stroke of the law" (Matt. 5:18). What, then, is the opposition between Christ and the Pharisees? It seems that for the Pharisees the law is a set of commandments by doing which a person can please God, draw closer to Him, and fulfill His will for humanity. This is the approach of any religious consciousness for which the essence of God's relationship with a person consists in performing certain actions that God commands people to carry out. A familiar approach, is it not? What does Christ say about the law? In His interpretation, love for parents is higher than an offering to the temple, and purity of heart is more important than purity of hands. This is what the Law of Moses is directed toward. Therefore, in order to live according to God's law, one must be more attentive to the heart and to relationships with God and people than to the fulfillment of laws or rules.

For Mar 7:1-23

¹Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

²And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

⁹And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

¹¹But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

¹²And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

¹⁴And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

¹⁵There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

¹⁶If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

¹⁸And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

¹⁹Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

²⁰And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Jesus turns the dispute about tradition in a completely unexpected direction. The washings mentioned in the text were one of those expanded interpretations... Read more

Jesus turns the dispute about tradition, about handed-down practice, in a completely unexpected direction. The washings mentioned in the text were one of those expanded interpretations of the norms and rules of ritual purity, of which many appeared in the Second Temple period. A cleansing washing, even of the hands alone after returning from the marketplace, was one of these newly established rules.

There was a desire here for a kind of "super-purity": anything could happen in the marketplace, all kinds of people are encountered there, and there is enough uncleanness of every sort. So it was better, just in case, to perform a washing, even a partial one, even only of the hands, before sitting down at the table where one would have to break, and therefore bless, the bread. Meanwhile all these traditions, as Jesus testifies, could not prevent essential distortions connected with spiritual life, with such fundamental things as keeping the commandments. The Savior Himself gives an example of such a violation: promise to donate to the Temple what is needed to help elderly parents, and you no longer have to help them, since God is more important.

Formally everything is correct and pious, but in substance it is a violation of the fifth commandment. How is that possible? Jesus gives the answer immediately, reducing it to an aphoristic formulation: a person is defiled not by what enters him, but by what comes out of him. Other Gospels speak directly of a person's mouth. The point is evidently, on the one hand, the food that enters a person and, on the other hand, words. Of course, behind words there are always intentions, and it is those intentions that defile a person. In the Kingdom this is really so, because the fallen world and its elements no longer have their former power over a person.

Why, then, do people so often shift the emphases of spiritual life from what is primary to what is secondary? Jesus answers this question too. He says that what a person eats does not defile him. On the contrary, if a person lives a normal, full spiritual life, he is able to sanctify any food that enters his body. As for what comes out of the body, the intentions and words, that is exactly where the question is decided: will a person preserve purity or be defiled? This is understandable. Physically, a person is what he eats, but only physically; spiritually, he is what his soul desires and strives for. Where the treasure is, there the heart is also. If a person does not have a normal spiritual life, then of course every kind of uncleanness will cling to him. In that case, however, no cleansings will help, just as no medicines help someone who has no immunity at all. Jesus reminds the people listening to Him of all this as of things fundamental to spiritual life.

For Mar 7:1-23

¹Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

²And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

⁹And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

¹¹But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

¹²And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

¹⁴And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

¹⁵There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

¹⁶If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

¹⁸And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

¹⁹Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

²⁰And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Today's reading brings us back again to a question that kept arising in Jesus' conversations with the Pharisees: the question... Read more

Today's reading brings us back again to a question that kept arising in Jesus' conversations with the Pharisees: the question of revelation and religious tradition. It concerns the norms and rules of ritual purity accepted among a certain part of the Pharisees. The washings mentioned in the text of the passage are undoubtedly connected with rules mentioned in the Old Testament, for example in Leviticus, but judging by the evangelist's description, their number had increased substantially compared with the Old Testament prescriptions. This exaggerated attention to questions of ritual purity was apparently connected with the fact that, for the Pharisees who followed these rules, ritual purity was the chief condition of a full spiritual life. At the same time, exaggerated attention to the observance of some norms could quite well be combined with neglect of others, and this neglect found its theological justifications even when a direct violation of one of God's Ten Commandments was involved (vv. 9-13). Here Jesus evidently encounters a phenomenon that is, sadly, characteristic of any religious tradition: as these traditions develop and become more complex, over time they often begin to obscure the core connected with their birth and original formation. In the end it can even happen that the truth revealed by God is pushed into the background by theological concepts created by inventive theologians. Jesus Himself answers the question about purity by pointing to the human person: whether a person is clean or not depends precisely on that person's spiritual condition, or, in biblical language, on the condition of his heart (vv. 18-23). Here, of course, the matter is no longer external, ritual purity, but inner purity, which determines the quality of spiritual life. And if a person's heart is clean, then nothing from outside can defile him.

For Mar 7:5-16

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

⁹And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

¹¹But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

¹²And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

¹⁴And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

¹⁵There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

¹⁶If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus clearly distinguishes between Tradition and traditions. His disciples are accused of eating bread without first performing the prescribed ritual washing of hands, although... Read more

Jesus clearly distinguishes between Tradition and traditions. His disciples are accused of eating bread without first performing the prescribed ritual washing of hands, although the Torah itself does not require such washing: it was only a tribute to tradition, and a late tradition at that, rooted in the practice of certain Pharisaic teachers.

Meanwhile, such late, purely human traditions, which gratified the religious pride of those who kept them, sometimes became the cause of an actual violation of the commandment, the destruction of the genuine Tradition. Formally, of course, such a violation was entirely justified: the first commandment is greater than the fifth, and the one who strives to keep the first commandment in its fullness is sometimes forced to violate the fifth commandment.

But in this case the issue is plainly something else: using the primacy of the first commandment as a basis for in fact refusing to help elderly parents. Of course, it often turned out to be easier to put a certain sum into the temple treasury than to care for one's parents, and such donations were profitable for the temple leadership as well. It is no surprise that eventually an "adequate" justification was found for this practice, which in essence contradicted the Torah.

But Jesus, of course, sees perfectly all the deceitfulness of the proposed justifications. And He connects it with the very attitude toward Tradition, treating it not as a guide on the path of righteousness that leads into the Kingdom, but as a manual for arranging one's life in moral and religious comfort. He expresses the distinctive feature of such an attitude in two phrases: what defiles a person is not what enters the mouth, but what comes out of the mouth. The external, religious side of life has no relation to spiritual purity. But what happens in the heart does have a relation to it. The most direct and immediate relation.

For Mar 6:53-56

⁵³And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

On the one hand, Jesus truly reveals to us a God who accepts us as we are, with all our illnesses, needs, psychological difficulties, and childhood complexes, regardless of our merits or our unworthiness. All this is true, as is the fact that... Read more

On the one hand, Jesus truly reveals to us a God who accepts us as we are, with all our illnesses, needs, psychological difficulties, and childhood complexes, regardless of our merits or our unworthiness. All this is true, as is the fact that, through faith and striving toward God, many problems are sometimes resolved, illnesses are healed, or we, which is no less valuable, become able to look at all these hardships of life differently - as people say, through God's own eyes - to understand their meaning and draw benefit from them. And without doubt this last thing too can be included in what today's Gospel passage calls "healings," if by them we mean divine actions through which our mind, our whole life, though far from ideal, begins to acquire a certain wholeness, and we gain the ability to rise above oppressive problems and grasp something new and unexpected about life and about God.

On the other hand, one gets the impression that, despite the huge number of healing scenes and other miracles in the Gospel, Mark, following the Spirit and Jesus' intentions, wanted to say something more. Recovery or changes for the better may happen or may not happen, although in any case hope for the better remains. Yet in the depths of all these hopes or disappointments there lies a call addressed to every person: to look to the root and try to receive with one's whole being that suffering and distress are synonyms of human life. And overcoming them is possible only by shifting our attention from our own "sores" to the suffering and pain of other people, as Jesus did. For sharing in the suffering of others can act as an anesthetic for our own, and at the same time helps make life more bearable and, most important, not deprived of consolations and of joy shared with others.

For Mar 6:45-56

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

⁵³And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

The Evangelist speaks of the hardness of the disciples' hearts: they “did not understand about the loaves”... Read more

The Evangelist speaks of the hardness of the disciples' hearts: they “did not understand about the loaves.” For them, the encounter with Christ amid the raging sea almost became a “hallucination” or a fantastic vision from the spiritual world. Yet Christ, who came to them walking on the water, was and is absolutely real: He tells them, “It is I!” That same hardness of heart often prevents us from seeing Christ's action and real presence in our own lives. He is—as always—real. He is near. Especially during a storm, when we most need His gracious help. Our task is to learn to see Him amid our everyday storms, to recognize His presence by faith—the presence that can calm any tempest and overcome every triumph of death.

For Mar 6:45-56

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

⁵³And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Mark specifically notes the connection between Jesus walking on the water and the miraculous feeding of the people. He speaks of the second as something that should have "made the disciples understand," should have given them insight into something very important that they did not understand... Read more

Mark specifically notes the connection between Jesus walking on the water and the miraculous feeding of the people. He speaks of the second as something that should have "made the disciples understand," should have given them insight into something very important that they did not understand. This new thing was the Kingdom that their Teacher had brought into the world. For the disciples, however, all the miracles being performed were precisely miracles: a manifestation of God's power.

Perhaps a manifestation of God's love as well. But they were separate manifestations, and that is the whole point. They still had not seen the main thing: the world was no longer what it had been. Something new had entered it, something called the Kingdom. Meanwhile the disciples were still looking at the Kingdom in the old way. For them it was still an earthly Kingdom, though with a capital letter. With a capital letter because the Messiah, their Teacher, was to head it, and God would be chief in it.

It was earthly because it was supposed to be founded on earth, in every sense of the word. For them the Kingdom did not yet exist; it still had to be built, created, established. They were waiting for their Teacher to begin doing this, and to begin, of course, with a messianic uprising. Yet He keeps delaying, performing miracles and healings, attracting the people, but never declaring His messiahship. Meanwhile the Kingdom had already entered the world together with Him. The disciples did not notice this, which is no wonder, since they were waiting for something entirely different.

They did not understand that the miracles and healings performed by their Teacher were not simply manifestations of God's power connected with His person. They were nothing other than manifestations of the very Kingdom for which they were waiting. In the Kingdom, nature is not the same as it is in the fallen world; there it is not confined within itself. There nature is responsive to the action of God's will and God's breath, and to the action of human will as well, provided, of course, that it is not wounded by sin and acts together with God's will. If more food is needed to feed a multitude of people, then there will be more food.

If a person needs to walk on water, then the water under his feet will become firm, or resilient, in short, whatever it needs to become in order to support a human being. There is no storm in the Kingdom at all; it remains in our fallen world. This is the Kingdom the disciples needed to see, but they were not yet ready for such a vision. They were ready to see the Messiah in their Teacher, but not ready to see the Kingdom He had brought into the world. Not ready at that moment. The time would come, and they would understand everything. But that time would come later.

For Mar 6:45-56

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

⁵³And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

The parting of Christ and His disciples from the people looked like flight. Why such haste?... Read more

The parting of Christ and His disciples from the people looked like flight. Why such haste? The Gospel of John (6:14-15) gives the answer to this question. The people simply wanted to proclaim Jesus king, to treat Him as an outstanding human being. The people's actions are completely understandable: they did not know who Jesus was. A different attitude could have been expected from those who shared bread, shelter, and all the hardships of a wandering preacher's difficult life with Jesus. But strangely enough, the apostles' faith was very weak, especially when Jesus was not beside them.

After sending away the disciples and the people, Jesus went up the mountain to pray. Several hours later He saw the disciples in the boat in the middle of the sea, unsuccessfully trying to overcome a headwind. How helpless we are without Christ! No forces of nature can hinder the Lord's desire to be near His own. The disciples did not call Him, but they needed Him. Yet the appearance of Jesus walking on the water caused only fear and astonishment. They did not expect this from Him. Mark explains this reaction of the disciples by the hardness of their hearts.

As soon as Jesus and the apostles arrived in the land of Gennesaret, crowds of people in need of healing rushed to Him. The apostles had grown used to such miracles and were no longer surprised.

We are surprised by a miracle when it surpasses our understanding of the world around us or of the one who works the miracle. We may know little of God if His actions are unexpected to us, or if we react to His works with the question, "How did He do that?" For everything God does is wondrous.

For Mar 6:45-56

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

⁵³And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

⁵⁵And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Today's reading, telling of another miracle performed by Jesus, continues the theme begun by the description of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. The connection between the two accounts is indicated by the evangelist himself, while also noting that... Read more

Today's reading, telling of another miracle performed by Jesus, continues the theme begun by the description of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. The connection between the two accounts is indicated by the evangelist himself, while also noting that the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves was not enough for the apostles to understand something very important about Jesus' person and His ministry (vv. 51-52). Today's passage speaks of an event that happened during the storm that arose when Jesus' disciples, leaving the Teacher on the eastern shore of Lake Gennesaret, set out for the opposite shore, wanting to reach Bethsaida (vv. 45-48). Storms on Lake Gennesaret can be strong enough to endanger relatively small fishing boats, and the apostles, caught on the lake in such a storm, found themselves in a difficult and dangerous situation.

And once again Jesus Himself completely changes the situation, this time by His very appearance (v. 51). Here, as in the description of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, there are also no details or particulars. Jesus simply appears, and the wind immediately dies down, as though He carries with Himself some other, new world with other laws that act in this world too, bringing it under their authority.

In describing what is happening, the evangelist in effect emphasizes that Jesus does not need to do anything for the miracle to take place. It is enough for Him simply to be present where His intervention is needed, and that is enough, because Jesus bears in Himself the Kingdom of God, about which He constantly tells everyone ready to hear Him. He not only tells, but also shows everyone ready to see what this Kingdom is like, where five loaves are enough to feed several thousand people, and where one can walk on water as on firm ground.

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