Marcos 6:41 Comentário

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.

And when he had taken the five loaves and two fishes,.... Out of the hands of those that brought them into his own: he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves: See Gill on Mat 14:19, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; the multitude, in order to eat of them: and the two fishes divided he among them all; that every one might have a part. The Syriac and Persic versions read, they divided; that is, the apostles.

Take note therefore of how his [creative] activity is mixed in with everything. When our Lord took a little bread, he multiplied it in the twinkling of an eye. That which [people] effect and transform in ten months with toil, his ten fingers effected in an instant. For he placed his hands beneath the bread as though it were earth, and spoke over it as though thunder. The murmur of his lips sprinkled over it like rain, and the breath of his mouth [was there] in place of the sun. [Thus] did he complete in the flash of one tiny moment something which requires a whole lengthy hour. One tiny amount of bread was forgotten, and from the midst of its smallness, abundance came to birth so that it might be like the first blessing, “Give birth and be fruitful and multiply.” The loaves of bread, like barren women and women deprived [of children], became fruitful at his blessing, and many were the morsels born from them.

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. v. Chrys. Hom in Matt. 49) Now it was with fitness that He looked up to heaven, for the Jews, when receiving manna in the desert, presumed to say of God, Can he give bread? (Ps. 78:20) To prevent this therefore, before He performed the miracle, He referred to His Father what He was about to do.

Thou, our bread, our true refreshment, never failing sweetness art; He can nevermore know hunger, who is at thy banquet fed, Nourishing not our fleshly nature, but imparting lasting life. … Every sickness now surrenders, every listlessness departs, Tongues long bound by chains of silence are unloosed and speak aright, While the joyful paralytic bears his pallet through the streets.

(ubi sup.) Again, those men lie down on grass and are fed by the food of the Lord, who have trodden under foot their concupiscences by continence, and apply themselves diligently to hear and fulfil the words of God. The Saviour, however, does not create a new sort of food; for when He came in the flesh He preached no other things than were predicted, but showed how pregnant with mysteries of grace were the writings of the Law and the Prophets. He looks up to heaven, that He may teach us that there we must look for grace. He breaks and distributes to the disciples that they may place the bread before the multitudes, because He has opened the mysteries of prophecy to holy doctors, who are to preach them to the whole world. What is left by the crowd is taken up by the disciples, because the more sacred mysteries, which cannot be received by the foolish, are not to be passed by with negligence, but to be inquired into by the perfect. For by the twelve baskets, the Apostles and the following Doctors are typified, externally indeed despised by men, but inwardly full of healthful food. For all know that carrying baskets is a part of the work of slaves.

And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke and gave to his disciples to set before them; and he divided the two fishes among them all. The Savior, to the hungry crowds, does not create new food, but accepting what the disciples had, blesses it; because coming in the flesh, he did not preach other than what was foretold, but shows how the writings of the Law and the Prophets are laden with the mysteries of grace. He looks to heaven to teach that the gaze of the mind must be directed there and that the light of knowledge is to be sought there. He breaks and distributes to the disciples to set before the crowds because he revealed the sacraments of prophecy to the holy teachers who preach these throughout the world.

The Lord looks up to heaven, first, to teach us to ask for our food from God, and not from the devil, as do people who live by unrighteous gains; and second, to show the people that Christ is not an opponent of God, but on the contrary, He Himself calls upon God. He gives the loaves to the disciples so that they would not forget the miracle after having received the loaves with their own hands.

It goes on, And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them: and the two fishes divided he among them all. He also looks up to heaven, that He may teach us to seek our food from God, and not from the devil, as they do who unjustly feed on other men's labours. By this also He intimated to the crowd, that He could not be opposed to God, since He called upon God. And He gives the bread to His disciples to set before the multitude, that by handling the bread, they might see that it was an undoubted miracle. Or the two fishes are the discourses of fishermen, that is, their Epistles and Gospel.

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.

And blessed - I think the word God should be inserted here, as in Mat 14:19. See the note there. The food we receive from God is already blessed, and does not stand in need of being blessed by man; but God, who gives it, deserves our warmest thanksgivings, as frequently as we are called to partake of his bounty.

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 when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven--Thus would the most distant of them see distinctly what He was doing. and blessed--John (Joh 6:11) says, "And when he had given thanks." The sense is the same. This thanksgiving for the meal, and benediction of it as the food of thousands, was the crisis of the miracle. and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them--thus virtually holding forth these men as His future ministers. and the two fishes divided he among them all.