Frameworks:
Mark's Gospel chapter 6
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
CHAPTER
6
v.1-5
Unbelief in Response to Jesus
v.7-13
Jesus Sends the Twelve out on a Ministry Trip
v.14-29
John the Baptist Beheaded
v.30-44
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
v.45-52
Jesus Walks on the Water
v.53-56
Popular Acclaim
v.1-5
Unbelief in Response to Jesus
v.1(Jesus
returns home) Jesus left there
and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.
v.2,3
(Jesus teaching authority raises questions)
When the Sabbath came, he began
to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What's this
wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles
he is performing? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't
this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and
Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took offense
at him.
v.4
(Jesus lays down a principle) Jesus
said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in
his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
v.5,6
(Jesus limited by unbelief) He
could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a
few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack
of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
v.7-13
Jesus Sends the Twelve out on a Ministry Trip
v.7
(Jesus sends the 12 out) Calling
the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and
gave them authority over impure spirits.
v.8-11
(his instructions to them) These
were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except
a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear
sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house,
stay there until you leave that town. And if any
place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place
and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
v.12,13
(the ministry of the twelve) They
went out and preached that people should repent. They drove
out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and
healed them.
v.14-29
John the Baptist Beheaded
v.14,15 (Herod
hears the speculation about Jesus)
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known.
Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised
from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in
him.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed,
“He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
v.16
(Herod has his own idea) But
when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been
raised from the dead!”
v.17
(Previously Herod had John arrested ) For
Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had
him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias,
his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.
v.18
(John had challenged him) For
John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have
your brother's wife.”
v.19,20
(Herod's wife held a grudge against John) So
Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.
But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected
him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod
heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to
him.
v.21
(She takes an opportunity) Finally
the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for
his high officials and military commanders and the leading men
of Galilee.
v.22,23
(Herod makes a foolish vow) When
the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod
and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for
anything you want, and I'll give it to you.” And he promised her
with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my
kingdom.”
v.24
(the mother instructs her daughter) She
went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The
head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
v.25
(the girl conveys the request) At
once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want
you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
v.26
(the king is under pressure) The
king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his
dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.
v.27,28
(he had John executed) So
he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's
head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back
his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave
it to her mother.
v.29
(John's body is claimed) On
hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid
it in a tomb.
v.30-44
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
v.30
(the disciples report to Jesus on their return)
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all
they had done and taught.
v.31
(Jesus sees they need rest) Then,
because so many people were coming and going that they did not
even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with
me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
v.32
(they escape to solitude) So
they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
v.33 (yet
others follow them)
But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot
from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
v.34
(Jesus' compassion results in him teaching the crowd)
When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
v.35,36
(at the end of the day the disciples express concern)
By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to
him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it's already very
late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding
countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
v.37
(his suggestion puzzles the disciples) But
he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They
said to him, “That would take more than half a year's wages! Are
we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
v.
38 (Jesus asks what resources they have)
“ How many loaves do you have?” he
asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and
two fish.”
v.39,40
(Jesus brings order to the crowd) Then
Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups
on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds
and fifties.
v.41
(Jesus feeds the crowd) Taking
the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he
gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his
disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two
fish among them all.
v.42
(everyone is fed well) They
all ate and were satisfied,
v.43 (there
are plenty of leftovers) and
the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of
bread and fish.
v.44
(the crowd numbers five thousand men)
The number of the men who had eaten
was five thousand.
v.45-52
Jesus Walks on the Water
v.45
(Jesus sends the disciples off in the boat)
Immediately Jesus made his disciples
get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while
he dismissed the crowd.
v.46
(meanwhile he prays ) After
leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
v.47
(they are in the boat, he is on the land)
Later that night, the boat was in
the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
v.48
(seeing their distress he walked out to them)
He saw the disciples straining at
the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn
he went out to them, walking on the lake.
v.48,
49 (they see Jesus apparently passing them)
He was about to pass by them,
but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was
a ghost.
v.49,50
(they are petrified ) They
cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately
he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don't
be afraid.”
v.51
(he joins them and the wind drops) Then
he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.
v.51,52
(they are amazed) They
were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the
loaves; their hearts were hardened.