COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 68
“ Mark 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.” (Mark 6:33-36; Matthew 14:13-15; Luke 9:10-12)
JESUS LEAVES, THE PEOPLE FOLLOW
INTRODUCTION
John the Baptist has been beheaded, and his disciples have buried his body and told Jesus. About the same time, the twelve apostles return from their mission, and tell Jesus all that they had taught and done. As confirmed throughout the Gospels, Christ Himself is the center of all activity. The people are gathered to Him. The reports are made to Him. He is the One who sends the disciples out. He is the One to whom they return. He gives the directive to go apart for a season and rest. When the disciples began to follow Jesus, His agenda became their agenda. His purpose became their purpose. His will became their will. Their lives now centered wholly in Him. In this we obtain a very vivid picture of what it means to follow Jesus. Eighteen times the Gospels contain the words “follow Me!” (Matt 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mk 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Lk 5:27; 9:23,59; 18:22; John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 13:36; 21:19). All of them were spoken by Jesus, and referred to men going after Him. Jesus said this was one of the unique traits of His sheep (John 10:27). This is being lived out in our text. It is all a way of confirming that men are blessed while they are in the process of following Jesus. He alone determines their direction and objective.
THE PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS
“ Mk 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him.”
THE PEOPLE SAW THEM DEPARTING. Matthew says the people “heard” of Jesus departing (Matt 14:13). The idea is that those who saw Him leaving quickly spread the word, and others also came to see them leaving the area.
After Jesus had raised Jairus’ daughter He “departed from there” (Matt 9:27). After He had healed a woman’s daughter in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He also “departed from there” (Matt 15:29). There was a time when He “left Nazareth” (Matt 4:13), “departed from Galilee” (Matt 19:1), “departed into a mountain” (Mk 6:46), and “departed and went into a desert place” (Lk 4:42). Once, after speaking to a group of doubters “He left them” (Matt 16:4). Another time, after the people were displeased when the children praised Him, “He left them” (Matt 21:17). Another time, upon hearing that the Pharisees had heard He “made and baptized more disciples than John,” “He left Judea” (John 4:3).
The point is that Jesus did not remain in one place, and therefore His presence was not to be taken for granted. However, those who listened to what He said, and were earnest in their quest for Him, were aware when He left. It goes without saying that this kind of sensitivity is a requisite for following Jesus. Those who are distracted, and turned aside from an awareness of His presence and purpose, are not able to follow Him.
MANY KNEW HIM. Some had been exposed to Christ and His followers enough that they “recognized Him.” NASB Some versions read “recognized them.” NASB/NIV This makes the reading a bit clumsy: i.e. “the people saw them,” and “many recognized them.” This redundancy is not required by the language of the text itself. Further, it does not lend itself to a proper perspective of the text. The point is that the people saw Jesus and His disciples leaving. However, some in the number fastened on the Lord Jesus Himself, being able to recognize Him – and it was to Him that they will gather, not to His disciples.
Knowing Christ is an essential aspect of salvation. It is an area in which we are expected to grow, becoming more and more familiar with Him. Paul, for example, described his life as an extended effort to “know Him” (Phil 3:10). Speaking for those in the body of Christ, the writer of Hebrews cries out, “We know Him” (Heb 10:30). John describes knowing Him as being confirmed by retaining His commandments – or the truth being in us (1 John 2:2-3).
This text confirms that knowing Christ involves being able to recognize Him – to perceive when He is coming, when He is leaving, and what He is doing. Knowing Christ is not a mere theoretical experience – like knowing George Washington existed. When Jesus is known, there is a holy familiarity with Him, so that He can be distinguished from His disciples, even though He is one with them. Our unity with Christ is very real, but we are not so closely blended with Him that there is no distinction between us and Him.
So it is in our text. Some were able to recognize Jesus among His disciples. It is a blessed day when the Lord Jesus can be recognized among those with whom He is found. As it is written, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). It is possible for Jesus to be within view, yet be unrecognized by some. You may recall that when the resurrected Christ appeared to his disciples while they were fishing in vain, and directed them where to cast their nets for a great catch, it was John who cried out, “It is the Lord” (John 21:7). No one will really pursue the Lord until they are able to recognize Him. Progress in spiritual life depends upon this recognition.
THEY RAN TOGETHER TO HIM. They ran on foot, coming out of all the cities, and “outwent them,” or got to the destination “ahead of them.” NASB Jesus and the disciples were going by boat, and the people were running on land. They had been perceptive, seeing the direction the boat was headed. It is estimated the distance by land from the place they started was about twenty miles. Luke says the desert place to which He sailed belonged to the “city called Bethsaida” (Lk 9:10).
Such eagerness! They “ran afoot” in a zealous group, reaching the area of Bethsaida before Jesus and His disciples arrived. Both Matthew and Luke say the people “followed Him” (Matt 14:13; Lk 9:11). Mark accents the success of their quest: they “came together unto Him.”
It ought to be observed that there is no record of the people ever pursuing the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or lawyers with such zeal. How is it that they were so unrelenting in their pursuit of the Lord Jesus? We have here an example of the drawing power of the Savior. The world was being introduced to a people being made “willing in the day of His power” (Psa 110:3). Here is a demonstration in the flesh of what would be fulfilled following the atoning death of Christ: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). We should expect that those who are actually being drawn to Christ will pursue Him with at least as much zeal as those in this text.
JESUS’ REACTION TO THE MULTITUDES
“ 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.”
WHEN JESUS CAME OUT. The meaning is when Jesus “came out” of the boat. Other versions read, “when He went ashore,” NASB and “When Jesus landed.” NIV Notice, although Jesus and His disciples were in the boat, the attention is fixed upon Jesus Himself. He is the One who is said to have landed, come out of the ship, and went ashore. The reason for this is that it is His agenda that was being served – His mission from the Father.
HE SAW MUCH PEOPLE. Matthew says He “saw a great multitude” (Matt 14;14). Luke says, “and He received them” (Lk 9:11). We learn from this that those who approach Jesus, or come to Him, are duly observed. The Lord remains acutely aware of those who are seeking them, even though He may appear to be oblivious of them, as in the case of Bartimaeus (Mk 10;46) and the “woman of Canaan” (Matt 15:23). Those who come to Jesus are to be aware of this Divine attention, and persevere in their petitions. It is said that Jesus spoke the parable of the woman pleading with the unjust judge “to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk 18:1). It is not that there is an impenetrable wall between men and God, and the longer they pray, the more they weaken the wall, until it finally gives way. Rather, it is that God is faithful to reward faith, though He sometimes “bears long” with us.
MOVED WITH COMPASSION. Both Matthew and Mark say that Jesus was “moved with compassion toward them” (Matt 14:14). This is an expression of the Divine nature. Even so, it is not something to be taken for granted. Moses admonished the people to rid themselves of “the cursed thing” that God might have compassion upon them (Deut 13:17). The Psalms frequently refer to the Lord being “full of compassion” (Psa 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; 145:8). Jeremiah affirmed that “His compassions fail not” (Lam 3:22).
“Compassion” involves Divine love, mercy, and pity– a feeling of sympathy. This is a moving, or compelling response to seeing the deficiencies of fallen humanity. Mark says He had compassion on them “because they were as sheep not having a shepherd.” They were curious, interested, and had expended themselves to get to Jesus – but they had no shepherd; no one to show them the way. They had priests, rulers of their synagogues, Pharisees, scribes, and doctors of the Law – but no shepherd; no one who knew the way and could direct them with skill and understanding. That is why Jesus had compassion upon them!
There is something about Divine compassion that ought to be noted. It is more than a mere feeling or inclination. When the Lord has compassion upon someone, He does something about their condition. That is why He testified of His compassion, “I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom 9:15). From one point of view, our salvation is confirmation that the Lord has had compassion upon us.
THE EXPRESSION OF HIS COMPASSION. How will this marvelous compassion of Jesus show itself? What will it move Jesus to do? Mark says, “He began to teach them many things.” That means those who are not “instructed unto the kingdom of heaven”(Matt 13:52) are at a decided disadvantage. They are candidates for compassion, and are like wandering sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew says, “He healed their sick” (Matt 14:14). Unless a person has an extraordinary measure of faith (like Paul – 2 Cor 12:10), there is often a distracting element to sickness. Jesus saw this was the case, and thus gave the people proof of His compassion upon them, and confirmed His profound care for them. Note: it was “their sick” – the sick that were among those who ran to get to Jesus, and arrived at the region of Bethsaida before Jesus finally got there by boat. Eagerness like that is sure to be met with Divine compassion.
Luke says, “He received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing”
(Lk 9:11).
He received them. What a blessed thing it must have been to be assured of Christ’s reception! It is one thing for men to “receive” Christ. It is even more wonderful when He receives them. As it is written, “Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Rom 15:7).
He spake unto them of the Kingdom of God. There is a monumental deficiency in being ignorant of Divine government and control – of the carrying out of an “eternal purpose.” In the midst of their domination by Rome, Jesus spoke of another kingdom – a superior one. Some of them were no doubt familiar with Daniel’s prophecy of that kingdom (Dan 2:44), and of Isaiah’s prophecy of the increasing kingdom of the Messiah (Isa 9:7). Jesus declared this kingdom was “at hand” (Mk 1:15) – and was even in their very midst (Lk 17:21). It was a kingdom that would liberate the captives, and destroy the one who had taken them prisoners.
He healed them that had need of healing. Who are those who have such a need? Technically, it is those who cannot be helped by anyone else!
THE COUNSEL OF THE DISCIPLES
“ 35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.”
THE DAY WAS FAR SPENT. We do not know how long Jesus had been ministering to the people – teaching them and healing their sick. Later, when He would feed 4,000 souls, it would be after they had been with Him for “three days” (Matt 15:32). By saying “the day was far spent,” or it was “already quite late,” NASB indications are that the people had spent the better part of the day with Jesus – and that was after they had ran on foot for approximately twenty miles to get to Him. The people apparently had no sense of time, but were enthralled with Jesus.
I do not know the precise origin of brief “church services,” and the “get-out-at-noon” mentality. However, it has certainly brought no lasting advantages to the church. Until a person is willing to spend time with Jesus, at personal inconvenience, it is not likely that many benefits will be received from Him. Brief exposure to Jesus is like sowing sparingly. At the very best, there is only very sparse reaping – and that is the most favorable view.
THIS IS A DESERT PLACE. Jesus had left an area of teeming activity in favor of an isolated area – “a desert place” (Mk 6:33). Matthew says “a desert place apart,” “a lonely place,” NASB or “a solitary place.” NIV The word “desert” means “solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited . . . wilderness, uncultivated region.” THAYER It is an area where people do not ordinarily congregate, and the works of men are not found. Not even the trace of the plough is found there. Any vegetation that may be found grows of its own accord, and is not owing to human activity.
Such a place is highly conducive to sound thought, prayer, and spiritual refurbishment, for there is not much of man in it. It is not so much that men are there surrounded by “nature” in all of its beauty, for it is a desolate area, not one of rich foliage and flowing streams.
The disciples bring all of this to Jesus’ attention, confirming there were no means of obtaining food in this area. And beside all of this, “the time is far passed,” or “it’s already very late.” NIV In other words, there is no time for them to return to their homes.
SEND THEM AWAY. The disciples knew that the people were interested in the words and works of Jesus, and therefore they would not leave of their own accord. Because of this, they urged the Lord to personally “send them away.” Luke tells us that it was “the twelve” who made this request (Lk 9:12). It is of note that Christ’s disciples had remained with Him, even though He was technically teaching the multitudes and healing their sick. True disciples must learn to stay with Jesus, even when He is ministering to someone else. They will often learn many things through observing His dealings with other souls that cannot otherwise be learned. Also, it is good to seek a thorough deliverance from any view of Christ’s dealings that has only to do with personal needs and preferences.
Go into the villages. The “desert” area in which they found themselves is said to have belonged “to the city called Bethsaida,” so it was nearby. It was the native home of Peter, Andrew and Philip (John 1:44; 12:21). It was also close to Capernaum and Chorazin (Matt 11:21; Lk 10:13). There were apparently some additional smaller villages in that area.
Find lodging. Luke tells us “the twelve” also asked the Lord to send the people away to find a place to “lodge,” or spend the night. This indicates the lateness of the hour did not allow them to make it back to their own abodes.
Obtain food. Mark says “to buy themselves bread.” Matthew says to “buy victuals” (Matt 14:15). Luke says to “get victuals” (Lk 9:12). “Bread” refers to loaves of bread, made with flour. “Victuals” refers to “food” or “supplies” required for a meal. All of this, of course, was to be at the expense of the multitude: “buy themselves bread” (Mk 6:36). Luke tells us that this suggestion was made in sufficient time for the requested action to take place – “when the day began to wear away” (Lk 9:12). They has no doubt thought the matter out as thoroughly as they could.
THE LORD WAS IN CONTROL. This whole account must be seen from a higher perspective – higher than the one embraced by the disciples. Actually, the Lord had detained the multitude in order that He might do this work, as ordained by the Father. These were works that Jesus said “bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me” (John 5:36). He further said He could only do what He saw the Father doing. “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19). Jesus, therefore, not only saw this multitude as sheep without a shepherd, He also saw them as those for whom His Father was about to provide a miraculous meal. Therefore, He taught them and healed their sick until it became evident that they needed food, and that none was naturally available where they were.
It should not surprise us if we also find ourselves in situations where help and assistance is not to be found. That condition, however, is far from being a hopeless one.