Mark 6:48 Ulasan

A great variety of observable passages we have, in this chapter, concerning our Lord Jesus, the substance of all which we had before in Matthew, but divers circumstances we have, which we did not there meet with. Here is, I. Christ contemned by his countrymen, because he was one of them, and they knew, or thought they knew, his original (Mar 6:1-6). II. The just power he gave his apostles over unclean spirits, and an account given of their negotiation (Mar 6:7-13). III. A strange notion which Herod and others had of Christ, upon which occasion we have the story of the martyrdom of John Baptist (v. 14-29). IV. Christ's retirement into a desert place with his disciples; the crowds that followed him thither to receive instruction from him; and his feeding five thousand of them with five loaves and two fishes (Mar 6:30-44). V. Christ's walking upon the sea to his disciples, and the abundance of cures he wrought on the other side of the water (Mar 6:45-56).

And he went out from thence,.... From Capernaum; and came into his own country; or "city", as the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, the city of Nazareth; so called because it was the place where Christ was conceived, and where he was educated; for which he had a regard, and was willing it should partake of the benefit of his doctrine and miracles: and his disciples follow him; as they did wherever he went; and which is a true characteristic of a disciple of Jesus.

But when they saw him walking on the sea,.... See Gill on Mat 14:26; they supposed it had been a spirit; a phantom, a spectre, an apparition, a nocturnal demon: and cried out; as men affrighted at the sight, and fearing they should be hurt by it, or that it portended some evil to them; See Gill on Mat 14:26.

But what is the spiritual nuance of the boat into which Jesus constrained the disciples to enter? Is it perhaps the conflict of temptations and difficulties into which any one is constrained by the Word, and goes unwillingly? The Savior wishes to train by exercise the disciples in this boat which is distressed by the waves and the contrary wind.

(de Con. Evan. 2. 47) But how could they understand this, except from His going a different way, wishing to pass them as strangers; for they were so far from recognising Him, as to take Him for a spirit. For it goes on: But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out. (ubi sup.) How then could He wish to pass them, whose fears He so reassures, if it were not that His wish to pass them would wring from them that cry, which called for His help?

Simon, surnamed Peter, Chief disciple of Christ the Lord, On a day at the set of sun When the evening sky grows red, Unloosed his anchor’s hook, And filled his sails with the swelling winds, And made ready to cross the sea. But night roused up a contrary gale That stirred up the deeper waves And buffeted the floundering boat. Shouts of fishermen struck the sky, With shrieks and despairing groans Amid the creak of swaying ropes. Nor did any have hope of escape From shipwreck and a watery death, When the oarsmen all wan with fear Saw Christ himself not far away Treading surely upon the surge, Just as though on the barren shore He walked over the solid ground.

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Holy Scripture reckons four watches in the night, making each division three hours; wherefore by the fourth watch it means that which is after the ninth hour, that is, in the tenth or some following hour. There follows, And would have passed them. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Or else, the first watch means the time up to the deluge; the second, up to Moses; the third, up to the coming of the Lord; in the fourth the Lord came and spoke to His disciples.

It can also be asked why, when the disciples were laboring on the sea, the Lord stood on the shore after His resurrection, though before His resurrection He had walked on the waves of the sea before His disciples. The reason for this matter is quickly understood if the cause that was then present is considered. For what does the sea signify except the present age, which dashes itself against the tumults of affairs and the waves of corruptible life? What is figured by the solidity of the shore except that perpetuity of eternal rest? Because the disciples were still amid the waves of mortal life, they were laboring on the sea. But because our Redeemer had already passed beyond the corruption of the flesh, after His resurrection He was standing on the shore.

(ubi sup.) The disciples indeed, who were still carnal, were amazed at the greatness of His virtue, they could not yet however recognise in Him the truth of the Divine Majesty. Wherefore it goes on, For their hearts were hardened. But mystically, the toil of the disciples in rowing, and the contrary wind, mark out the labours of the Holy Church, who amidst the beating waves of the world, and the blasts of unclean spirits, strives to reach the repose of her celestial country. And well is it said that the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on land, for sometimes the Church is afflicted by a pressure from the Gentiles so overwhelming, that her Redeemer seems to have entirely deserted her. But the Lord sees His own, toiling on the sea, for, lest they faint in tribulations, He strengthens them by the look of His love, and sometimes frees them by a visible assistance. Further, in the fourth watch He came to them as daylight approached, for when man lifts up his mind to the light of guidance from on high, the Lord will be with him, and the dangers of temptations will be laid asleep.

And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. Military stations and watches are divided into periods of three hours each. Therefore, when it says that the Lord came to them in the fourth watch of the night, it shows that they were in danger all night, and help was given to them at the end of the night.

(ubi sup.) Often then does the love of heaven seem to have deserted the faithful in tribulation, so that it may be thought that Jesus wishes to pass by His disciples, as it were, toiling in the sea. And still do heretics suppose that the Lord was a phantom, and did not take upon Him real flesh from the Virgin1.

They struggle through the entire dark time of the night, but as dawn approaches and the morning star promises the rise of the sun and day, the Lord comes, walking over, and subdues the swelling waves of the sea. For when human frailty, beset with pressures, considers its own weakness, it sees nothing concerning itself but the darkness of distress and the heat of fighting enemies. But when it lifts its mind to the light of heavenly protection and the gifts of perpetual reward, it sees, as it were, the sudden appearance of the morning star among the shadows of the night, which announces the coming day. For the morning star, for the most part, is said to illuminate three hours of the night, that is, the entire morning watch. And the Lord will come who, when the dangers of temptations have been lulled, will grant full confidence of freedom through His protection. It follows:

And he wanted to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost, and they cried out. For they all saw him and were troubled. Even now heretics think the Lord was a ghost and did not truly take on flesh from the virgin. Indeed, Theodore of Pharan, once a bishop, wrote that the Lord did not have physical weight according to the flesh but walked on the sea without weight and body. But the Catholic faith professes that he had weight according to the flesh, a corporeal burden, and walked on the waters with weight and bodily burden without sinking his feet. For Dionysius, an eminent writer among the ecclesiastical, in his works on the Divine Names, speaks thus: For we do not understand how from the virgin's blood by a law beyond natural formation, and how with feet set without sinking, bearing bodily weight and material burden, he walked on the wet and unstable substance. But how the Lord wished to pass by them, as if strangers, whom he had come to deliver from the peril of shipwreck, except that, disturbed and frightened for a moment, but immediately freed, they might marvel all the more at the miracle of their deliverance and give greater thanks to their deliverer? For even in the tempests of persecutions which arise for the constancy of faith from the faithless, such divine providence is sometimes shown. For often the heavenly piety seemed to desert the faithful placed in tribulation so that it might seem as if Jesus wished to pass by the struggling disciples on the sea. Hence it is also in the psalmist, sweating in the struggle of the Church's martyrdom: Why have you forgotten me, why have you rejected me, and why do I go about mourning while the enemy afflicts me? While all my bones are being broken, etc. But the terrifying enemies say, Where is their God? (Psalm XLII) as if threatening shipwreck to the weary apostles. Their God himself says: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you (Isaiah XLIII). Hence it is rightly added here:

(ubi sup.) Buty Theodorus, who was Bishop of Phanara, wrote that the Lord had no bodily weight in His flesh, and walked on the sea without weight; but the Catholic faith declares that He had weight according to the flesh. For Dionysius says, We know not how without plunging in His feet, which had bodily weight and the gravity of matter, He could walk on the wet and unstable subtance.

The Lord allows the disciples to be storm-tossed on the sea so that they might learn patience. For the same reason He does not appear to them immediately either, but allows them to be in danger from the storm the whole night, in order to train them to be patient and to await deliverance not at the very onset of dangers.

Now the Lord permitted His disciples to be in danger, that they might learn patience; wherefore He did not immediately come to their aid, but allowed them to remain in danger all night, that He might teach them to wait patiently, and not to hope at once for help in tribulations. For there follows, And 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.

Our Lord's countrymen are astonished at his wisdom and mighty works, and are offended at him, Mar 6:1-4. He works few miracles there, because of their unbelief, Mar 6:5, Mar 6:6. He sends forth his disciples by two and two to preach, etc., Mar 6:7-11. They depart, preach, and work miracles, Mar 6:12, Mar 6:13. Different opinions of Christ, Mar 6:14-16. Account of the beheading of John Baptist, Mar 6:17-29. The disciples return, and give an account of their mission, Mar 6:30. He departs with them to a place of privacy, but the people follow him, Mar 6:31-33. He has compassion on them, and miraculously feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, Mar 6:34-44. He sends the disciples by sea to Bethsaida, and himself goes into a mountain to pray, Mar 6:45, Mar 6:46. The disciples meet with a storm, and he comes to them walking upon the water, and appeases the winds and the sea, Mar 6:47-52. They come into the land of Gennesaret, and he works many miracles, Mar 6:53-56.

THE SYROPHœNICIAN WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER--A DEAF AND DUMB MAN HEALED. ( = Mat 15:21-31). (Mar 7:24-37) And from thence he arose, and went into the borders--or "unto the borders." of Tyre and Sidon--the two great Phœnician seaports, but here denoting the territory generally, to the frontiers of which Jesus now came. But did Jesus actually enter this heathen territory? The whole narrative, we think, proceeds upon the supposition that He did. His immediate object seems to have been to avoid the wrath of the Pharisees at the withering exposure He had just made of their traditional religion. and entered into an house, and would have no man know it--because He had not come there to minister to heathens. But though not "sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mat 15:24), He hindered not the lost sheep of the vast Gentile world from coming to Him, nor put them away when they did come--as this incident was designed to show. but he could not be hid--Christ's fame had early spread from Galilee to this very region (Mar 3:8; Luk 6:17).

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them--putting forth all their strength to buffet the waves and bear on against a head wind, but to little effect. He "saw" this from His mountain top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them: yet would He not go to their relief till His own time came. and about the fourth watch of the night--The Jews, who used to divide the night into three watches, latterly adopted the Roman division into four watches, as here. So that, at the rate of three hours to each, the fourth watch, reckoning from six P.M., would be three o'clock in the morning. "So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs" (Joh 6:19) --rather more than halfway across. The lake is about seven miles broad at its widest part. So that in eight or nine hours they had only made some three and a half miles. By this time, therefore, they must have been in a state of exhaustion and despondency bordering on despair; and now at length, having tried them long enough. he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea--"and draweth nigh unto the ship" (Joh 6:19). and would have passed by them--but only in the sense of Luk 24:28; Gen 32:26; compare Gen 18:3, Gen 18:5; Gen 42:7.