Mark 6

Introduction

Mark 6 covers a wide range of material. It opens with the rejection of Jesus in his own hometown of Nazareth, where the people who knew him best refuse to believe in him, and it closes with crowds from every town running to bring their sick to him wherever he goes. Between these two poles, the chapter narrates the sending out of the Twelve on their first independent mission, the grim flashback to the beheading of John the Baptist, the miraculous feeding of five thousand men, and Jesus walking on the sea in the dark hours of the night. The pacing is rapid -- Mark's characteristic "immediately" appears repeatedly -- and the themes of faith, unbelief, authority, and the identity of Jesus are woven throughout.

A distinctive feature of Mark's account is the portrayal of the disciples' failure to understand. The chapter's climactic moment is not the walking on water itself but the editorial comment that follows it: the disciples "were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened" (vv. 51-52). This is harsher than the parallel in Matthew 14:33, where the disciples worship Jesus as the Son of God. Mark wants his readers to wrestle with the question: if even those who were closest to Jesus struggled to comprehend who he was, what does that mean for us? The parallels to this chapter are found primarily in Matthew 13 and Matthew 14, as well as Luke 9:1-17 and John 6:1-21.

The Rejection at Nazareth (vv. 1-6a)

¹ Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. "Where did this man get these ideas?" they asked. "What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? ³ Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren't His sisters here with us as well?" And they took offense at Him. ⁴ Then Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor." ⁵ So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. ⁶ And He was amazed at their unbelief.

¹ And he went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ² And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what mighty works are done through his hands! ³ Is this not the craftsman, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were caused to stumble because of him. ⁴ And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." ⁵ And he was not able to do any mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Notes

The word πατρίδα ("hometown" or "fatherland") refers to Nazareth, the small Galilean village where Jesus grew up. Mark's parallel in Matthew 13:53-58 is very close, though Matthew calls Jesus "the carpenter's son" while Mark calls him simply ὁ τέκτων ("the craftsman"). The Greek word refers to a worker in wood, stone, or other hard materials -- broader than our English "carpenter." This is the only place in the Gospels where Jesus himself is directly called a craftsman; Matthew apparently softened this to "the carpenter's son" (Matthew 13:55).

The crowd's questions are dripping with contempt. The phrase "this man" (τούτῳ) is dismissive -- they refuse to use his name. Their astonishment (ἐξεπλήσσοντο, literally "struck out of their senses") quickly curdles into offense. The verb ἐσκανδαλίζοντο ("they were caused to stumble") comes from σκάνδαλον, a trap or snare -- they could not reconcile Jesus' extraordinary wisdom and power with the ordinariness of his family background.

That Jesus is called "the son of Mary" is unusual in a patriarchal culture, where men were identified by their fathers. Some scholars suggest this was a deliberate insult implying illegitimacy, though others note that Joseph may simply have been dead by this time.

The statement that Jesus οὐκ ἐδύνατο ("was not able") to do mighty works there is striking and theologically provocative. Mark does not say Jesus "would not" but "could not." This does not imply any limit on Jesus' power in the abstract; rather, miraculous signs, in the biblical pattern, are a response to faith — and where faith is absent, miracles are not merely withheld but rendered, in a sense, impossible within God's own purposes. Matthew's parallel softens this to "he did not do" (Matthew 13:58).

The verb ἐθαύμαζεν ("he was amazed") is remarkable. Elsewhere in the Gospels, people are amazed at Jesus; here, Jesus is amazed at them. His amazement at their ἀπιστίαν ("unbelief") mirrors the centurion episode where Jesus marveled at a Gentile's faith (Matthew 8:10). Familiarity, it seems, is no guarantee of faith -- and may even be its greatest obstacle.

Interpretations

The statement that Jesus "could not" do miracles has generated significant theological discussion. Calvinist interpreters tend to read this as a sovereign choice expressed in terms of inability -- God's power is never actually limited, but his purposes require faith as the context for miraculous signs. Arminian interpreters see this as a genuine indication that human faith (or lack of it) plays a real, cooperative role in God's work -- not that humans control God, but that God has freely chosen to work in partnership with human trust. Neither reading doubts Jesus' divine power; the debate concerns the relationship between human faith and God's work in the world.

Sending Out the Twelve (vv. 6b-13)

⁷ Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. ⁸ He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey -- no bread, no bag, no money in their belts -- ⁹ and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic. ¹⁰ And He told them, "When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. ¹¹ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them." ¹² So they set out and preached that the people should repent. ¹³ They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

And he went around from village to village, teaching. ⁷ And he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no bag, no copper coins in their belts -- ⁹ but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, remain there until you depart from that place. ¹¹ And whatever place does not receive you or listen to you, as you leave, shake the dust from under your feet as a testimony against them." ¹² And they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Notes

The transition in verse 6b -- Jesus going around the villages teaching -- links the rejection at Nazareth to the mission of the Twelve. Having been rejected in one place, Jesus expands his reach by deploying his disciples. The verb ἀποστέλλειν ("to send out") is the root of "apostle" -- those who are sent with authority on behalf of another. Sending them δύο δύο ("two by two") follows the Old Testament principle that testimony is established by two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).

The instructions about provisions are austere. A ῥάβδον ("staff") is permitted in Mark but apparently forbidden in the Matthean parallel (Matthew 10:10), a discrepancy that has occupied harmonizers for centuries. The most common resolution is that Matthew prohibits acquiring an additional staff while Mark permits keeping the one they already have. The prohibition against bread, bag, and money forces total dependence on God's provision through human hospitality.

The instruction to "shake the dust off your feet" was a gesture Jewish travelers performed when leaving Gentile territory, symbolically removing contamination. For the disciples to do this to a Jewish town was a dramatic prophetic action, declaring that the town had placed itself outside the covenant community by rejecting God's messengers.

The detail that the disciples ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ ("anointed with oil") the sick is unique to Mark. Oil was used medicinally in the ancient world (Luke 10:34), but here it likely carries symbolic significance as well -- a visible sign of the Holy Spirit's healing power. This practice is echoed in James 5:14, where elders of the church are instructed to anoint the sick with oil and pray.

The Death of John the Baptist (vv. 14-29)

¹⁴ Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known, and people were saying, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him." ¹⁵ Others were saying, "He is Elijah," and still others, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶ But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!"

¹⁷ For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip's wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife!" ¹⁹ So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, ²⁰ because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John's words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.

²¹ On Herod's birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ²² When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." ²³ And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!" ²⁴ Then she went out and asked her mother, "What should I request?" And her mother answered, "The head of John the Baptist." ²⁵ At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately." ²⁶ The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ So without delay, the king commanded that John's head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ The man brought John's head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When John's disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

¹⁴ And King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known, and people were saying, "John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him." ¹⁵ But others were saying, "He is Elijah." And others were saying, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶ But when Herod heard, he said, "John, whom I beheaded -- he has been raised!"

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and arrested John and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

²¹ And an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military officers and the leading men of Galilee. ²² And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining at table with him. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." ²³ And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom." ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptizer." ²⁵ And immediately she hurried in to the king and made her request, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." ²⁶ And the king became deeply grieved, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to reject her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner and ordered him to bring his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Notes

This is Mark's longest narrative aside from the passion account. It is structured as a flashback: Herod hears about Jesus (vv. 14-16), which triggers the retrospective account of John's execution (vv. 17-29). The story works on several levels at once — foreshadowing Jesus' own death at the hands of a weak ruler, explaining why Herod's conscience is troubled, and interrupting the narrative of the Twelve's mission in a way that creates real suspense about what will happen when they return.

Mark calls Herod Antipas βασιλεύς ("king"), though his official Roman title was only "tetrarch" (as Matthew correctly notes in Matthew 14:1). Mark may be using the popular designation or employing irony -- this "king" will prove to be a puppet of his own appetites and his wife's manipulations.

The verb ἐφοβεῖτο ("he feared") captures the complex dynamic between Herod and John. Herod recognized John as ἄνδρα δίκαιον καὶ ἅγιον ("a righteous and holy man") and συνετήρει ("kept him safe" or "preserved him") -- the same verb used of Mary treasuring things in her heart (Luke 2:19). The tension between Herod's fascination with John and Herodias's murderous hatred is a sharp psychological portrait. The word ἠπόρει ("he was greatly perplexed") suggests a man genuinely at sea — John's preaching disturbed him deeply, yet he kept coming back to hear more.

Herod's marriage to Herodias violated Levitical law (Leviticus 18:16, Leviticus 20:21), which prohibited marriage to a brother's wife while the brother was still alive. John's courage in confronting a ruler directly echoes the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament, as Elijah did to Ahab (1 Kings 21:17-24).

The word περίλυπος ("deeply grieved") used of Herod in verse 26 is the same word Jesus will use of himself in Gethsemane (Mark 14:34). But where Jesus' grief leads to obedient self-sacrifice, Herod's grief leads to the murder of an innocent man -- he is too proud and too weak to break his foolish oath before his guests. The Greek word for the executioner, σπεκουλάτορα, is a Latin loanword (speculator), one of several Latinisms in Mark that suggest a Roman audience.

The final verse, where John's disciples come to claim the body and lay it in a tomb, quietly foreshadows another group of disciples who will do the same for another prophet rejected and killed by the powerful (Mark 15:46).

Feeding the Five Thousand (vv. 30-44)

³⁰ Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught. ³¹ And He said to them, "Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while." For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place. ³³ But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them. ³⁴ When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

³⁵ By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. ³⁶ Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." ³⁷ But Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat." They asked Him, "Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?" ³⁸ "Go and see how many loaves you have," He told them. And after checking, they said, "Five -- and two fish." ³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves.

³⁰ And the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. ³³ But many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴ And when he got out of the boat, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

³⁵ And when the hour had already grown late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. ³⁶ Send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." ³⁷ But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" ³⁸ And he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." ³⁹ Then he ordered them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ And they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, spoke a blessing, and broke the loaves and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ And they picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces, and of the fish. ⁴⁴ And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Notes

This is the only miracle (aside from the resurrection) recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15), signaling its central importance. Mark's account is the most vivid, with distinctive details like the "green grass" (v. 39) -- an eyewitness touch, possibly from Peter, that also places the event in spring around Passover time, when Galilean hillsides are green.

The word ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ("he had compassion") is a visceral term — it derives from σπλάγχνα ("intestines"), the seat of deep feeling in Greek thought. Jesus' response to the shepherdless crowd is to teach them, not first to feed them. In Mark's theology, the deepest hunger is for the word of God. The image of sheep without a shepherd echoes Numbers 27:17 and Ezekiel 34:5, passages where Israel's leaders have failed their charge.

The disciples' incredulous question about two hundred δηναρίων ("denarii") -- roughly eight months' wages for a laborer -- highlights the absurdity of the situation from a human perspective. Jesus' command "You give them something to eat" (emphatic ὑμεῖς, "you yourselves") is both a challenge and a setup for the miracle that will follow.

The verb εὐλόγησεν ("he blessed" or "he spoke a blessing") reflects the standard Jewish blessing before meals: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth." The tense of ἐδίδου ("he kept giving") is imperfect, suggesting continuous, repeated action -- Jesus kept handing bread to the disciples, and it kept being enough. The verb κατέκλασεν ("he broke") is a compound form that adds force to the action.

The twelve baskets (κοφίνους) left over are widely seen as symbolic -- one for each tribe of Israel. The number five thousand (ἄνδρες, specifically "men," not a generic word for "people") suggests the total crowd, including women and children, may have been significantly larger. The entire scene carries eucharistic overtones -- taking, blessing, breaking, giving -- that early Christians would have immediately recognized in their own worship.

Interpretations

The feeding miracle has been interpreted on a spectrum. Liberal scholarship has sometimes suggested that Jesus' example of sharing inspired others to share their hidden provisions -- a "miracle of generosity" rather than a supernatural multiplication. Most evangelical and historic Protestant commentators reject this reading as foreign to Mark's intent, which clearly presents a supernatural act of creation. The Reformers saw in this miracle a demonstration that Christ is the true bread of life, the one who sustains his people in the wilderness as God sustained Israel with manna (Exodus 16:4-15). John's Gospel makes this connection explicit in John 6:30-35.

Jesus Walks on the Water (vv. 45-52)

⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost -- ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." ⁵¹ Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded, ⁵² for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.

⁴⁵ And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after taking leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ And when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ And seeing them tormented in their rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. And he intended to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and they cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage! I am. Do not be afraid." ⁵¹ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly, exceedingly astounded within themselves, ⁵² for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.

Notes

Jesus ἠνάγκασεν ("compelled" or "made") his disciples to get into the boat -- the verb is strong, suggesting they were reluctant to leave. After the feeding miracle, the crowd may have been on the verge of a messianic uprising (as John 6:15 makes explicit), and Jesus needed to separate his disciples from that dangerous enthusiasm before dismissing the crowd and withdrawing alone to pray.

The participle βασανιζομένους ("tormented" or "strained") in verse 48 is vivid. The root word (βασανίζω) means "to torture" -- the same word used for the torment of the damned. The disciples were not merely having difficulty rowing; they were being beaten and battered by the storm. The "fourth watch of the night" is between 3:00 and 6:00 AM -- they had been struggling for hours in the dark.

A key theological detail is that Jesus ἤθελεν παρελθεῖν αὐτούς ("intended to pass by them"). The verb παρελθεῖν ("to pass by") echoes the great Old Testament theophanies where God "passes by" his servants -- he passed by Moses on Sinai (Exodus 33:19-22) and passed by Elijah at Horeb (1 Kings 19:11-12). Mark is presenting Jesus' walking on the sea as a divine self-revelation, not merely a rescue mission.

Jesus' words ἐγώ εἰμι ("I am") are typically translated "It is I," which is grammatically possible. But in the context of a theophanic sea-walking, the phrase resonates powerfully with God's self-identification in Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 41:4 -- "I am he." Mark may intend both meanings simultaneously: the reassurance of personal identity and the claim of divine identity.

The theological weight of the passage lands in verse 52. The phrase ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ καρδία πεπωρωμένη ("their heart had been hardened") uses the same verb (πωρόω, "to petrify" or "to harden") that Paul uses of unbelieving Israel in Romans 11:7. Mark heaps intensifier upon intensifier -- λίαν ἐκ περισσοῦ ("utterly, exceedingly") before ἐξίσταντο ("they were astounded") -- to press home the overwhelming force of their amazement. Yet this amazement is not faith. They were astonished precisely because they had not grasped the significance of the feeding miracle: if Jesus can create bread for five thousand, then of course he can walk on water. The loaves should have prepared them for this, but their hardened hearts could not make the connection.

This is dramatically different from Matthew 14:33, where the disciples worship Jesus and confess him as the Son of God. Mark's harsher ending serves his pastoral purpose: understanding Jesus requires more than witnessing miracles. It requires a heart that has been opened by God.

Healings at Gennesaret (vv. 53-56)

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus ⁵⁵ and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And wherever He went -- villages and towns and countrysides -- they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

⁵³ And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴ And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him ⁵⁵ and ran about that whole region and began carrying the sick on their mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went -- into villages or cities or countryside -- they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Notes

Gennesaret was a fertile plain on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, south of Capernaum. The note that they had intended to go to Bethsaida (v. 45) but landed at Gennesaret suggests the storm had driven them off course.

The scene is one of frenzied, urgent faith -- a dramatic contrast to the unbelief of Nazareth at the chapter's opening. Where Nazareth rejected Jesus, the people of Gennesaret cannot get to him fast enough. The verb ἐπιγνόντες ("they recognized him," from ἐπιγινώσκω) suggests more than casual recognition -- it implies a fuller knowledge, "they knew exactly who he was."

The κράσπεδον ("fringe" or "tassel") of Jesus' garment refers to the ritual tassels worn by observant Jews in obedience to Numbers 15:38-39. This echoes the woman with the flow of blood in Mark 5:27-28, who was healed by touching the same fringe. The verb ἐσῴζοντο ("they were made well" or "they were saved") is in the imperfect tense, indicating a continuous, repeated pattern -- person after person, village after village, all who touched were healed. The word σῴζω carries the dual meaning of physical healing and spiritual salvation, leaving the reader to wonder how much of either these eager crowds truly received.

The chapter ends with momentum. Jesus heals continuously, and his compassion does not flag. But the question Mark has been pressing throughout the chapter -- who is this man, and will anyone truly understand him? -- remains unanswered. The disciples' hardened hearts stand as a warning: proximity to Jesus and even witnessing his miracles are not the same as understanding who he is.