Mark 6:6-56

The Wider Ministry begins - the Apostles Are Sent Out - Opposition Continues (6:6a-56).

Having established that Jesus is Lord of the elements, Lord over evil spirits and Lord over life and death, Mark now deals with the widening of His ministry, although again this does not take place without disappointments and opposition as before. Jesus sends His disciples out to preach with great success, although ever in the background is the shadow of Herod Antipas who was responsible for the death of John, and no doubt took an interest in their activities through his spies. On their return Jesus takes them aside to a lonely place, (it is quite probable that some of them had had a rough time of it as Matthew 10 implies), but they are joined there by a determined crowd of a few thousand people eager to hear more of His teaching. Seeing in this crowd the foundation members of His new community, He provides them with bread from Heaven, and indication that they can now partake of the Messianic banquet (Isaiah 25:8). But the success there is diminished when a further encounter with the vagaries of the sea brings out the disciples' underlying unbelief. They have not yet learned ‘the lesson of the loaves' (Mark 8:18).

Analysis of 6:6-56.

a Jesus went around the villages teaching (Mark 6:6 b).

b He sends out His disciples to teach and with authority over unclean spirits, and they reveal their faith and are successful (Mark 6:7).

c Herod executes John the Baptist, and offers his head on a dish, revealing the ways and food of the kingly rule of man on earth, but is afraid that he has risen from the dead (Mark 6:14).

d The disciples return from their mission and are called aside to be alone with Jesus (Mark 6:30).

c Jesus feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fish, revealing the ways and food of the Kingly Rule of God on earth which will result in resurrection (Mark 6:33).

b Jesus walks to His disciples on the water, and they reveal their unbelief and failure because their hearts are hardened and they do not understand (Mark 6:45).

a The people gather to Him and He heals all who come to Him (Mark 6:53).

Note that in ‘a' He goes around the villages teaching, and in the parallel the crowds gather to be healed. In ‘b' He reveals His ability to give authority over unclean spirits to His disciples, who go out in faith and are successful, and in the parallel He reveals His power over nature, and His disciples reveal their unbelief and hardness of heart. In ‘c' Herod typifies the earthly rule of man, and the kind of ‘dish' that it can result in, while in the parallel Jesus typifies the Kingly Rule of Heaven and the kind of food that it provides. Centrally in ‘d' His disciples return triumphantly from their mission and Jesus takes them to be alone with Himself.