Mark 6:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.

NIV: Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

NASB: And He ordered them all to recline by groups on the green grass.

CSB: Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

NLT: Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

KJV: And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

NKJV: Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.

The note about the green grass continues the sheep and shepherd motif (Mark 6:34). Jesus had intended to take the Twelve away to rest, but He can't abandon the crowd. As our shepherd, Jesus gives us nourishment, safety, and peace (Psalm 23). He sacrifices Himself for His sheep and defends us against enemies (John 10:11–12).

It is no coincidence that the greatest earthly king Israel ever had started as a shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16:11). David's years in the fields taught him responsibility and leadership. He learned how to calm his charges (1 Samuel 16:14–23) and how to protect them (1 Samuel 17:34–36). Most importantly, as a boy responsible for a good part of his family's livelihood that was regularly threatened by lions and bears, he learned to rely on God (1 Samuel 17:37).

Ministry leaders should take David's example. To strive toward God's heart (Acts 13:22), to fight for others both spiritually (James 5:19–20) and practically (Luke 6:38), and to find ways to provide guidance and relief for those who are struggling or spiritually wandering (1 Peter 5:1–3).

Just as members of the body of Christ have different roles, we also have different responsibilities. Even though He provides all the food, Jesus does not expect one disciple to distribute it all to thousands of people. Jesus splits the crowd into groups of hundreds and fifties, and all twelve disciples have a hand in the work. God does not intend each of us to fill every single need we see around us—we simply can't. Instead, we should seek the Holy Spirit's wisdom when it comes to which needs to meet, and to what extent. To take on too much not only risks burn-out, it deprives others whom God wants to raise up as leaders.

Mark 6:33–44 provides another depiction of Jesus' miraculous feeding of thousands of people. The Twelve have worked so hard on their first missions trip they haven't had time to eat (Mark 6:31), and an attempt to rest is foiled by a demanding crowd. Instead of avoiding the interlopers, Jesus heals (Matthew 14:14) and teaches them. Instead of dismissing them, He feeds them. The Twelve again witness Jesus' great power and authority but don't catch the lesson: Jesus is God and can provide whatever anyone needs. This story is also found in Matthew 14:13–21 and Luke 9:11–17, and it is one of the few miracles mentioned in John (John 6:2–14). This makes it the only miracle referenced in all four Gospels.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.