Mark 6:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.

NIV: and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

NASB: and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces of bread, and of the fish.

CSB: They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish.

NLT: and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.

KJV: And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

NKJV: And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.

After Jesus blesses the bread and fish, He breaks the bread and gives the pieces and the fish to the Twelve to pass out to the crowd that numbers over five thousand (Mark 6:44). The Twelve had not had a real meal in some time (Mark 6:31). It's reasonable to wonder if the Twelve worry if there will be none left for them as they hand out the food to the groups of hundreds and fifties. But when the people are full, twelve real baskets full of food remain (Mark 8:19). Likely, each of the Twelve are supplied with more than what anyone else had eaten—whatever they'd already eaten plus more than enough food for each!

This object lesson is one that Jesus will have to reiterate several times as He mentors the Twelve. They serve the people and are the most blessed. Whoever wants to be the greatest must be the last (Mark 9:33–35). To emulate Christ, serve first (John 13:1–17) and think of others first (Philippians 2:1–8). Those who give will be given more (Luke 6:38). If you exalt yourself, you leave no room for God to exalt you, but if you are humble God will raise your stature (Luke 14:7–11; 18:9–14).

Later, the Twelve will learn that it isn't enough to physically serve God, with rote actions. Works without faith are an attempt to win God's favor through our own merit. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." At this point, the Twelve are sometimes excited that they are close intimates with the Messiah and sometimes incredibly confused (Mark 4:41). They have faith that Jesus is the Messiah, but they don't know Him or what the "Messiah" is for. They have faith to heal and expel demons (Mark 6:13), but they don't have faith to calm storms (Mark 6:45–52).

Likewise, we need to have faith in God as He is, not as we want or presume Him to be. Our understanding is seriously limited, and accepting that fact goes a long way in solidifying our faith. If we can accept that He is who He is, we can grow in our knowledge of Him. It is when we think we have Him figured out that we find His power in our lives waning.

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.