Mark 6:52 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

NIV: for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

NASB: for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

CSB: because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

NLT: for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

KJV: For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

NKJV: For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

There are several things the Twelve do not understand about the loaves, or about anything that Jesus does. "Understand" is from the Greek root word suniemi and means to analyze the evidence and come to a conclusion. Their confirmation bias tells them that Jesus is the Messiah, come to make their lives easier and richer. What they don't see is that Jesus isn't there to make them prosperous but to provide what they need, which applies only to what's required in order to accomplish God's work (Philippians 4:12–13).

"Hardened" comes from the Greek root word poroo. It brings to mind an elephant's foot, heavy layers of tough skin that prevent any dexterity or feeling. At the same time the Twelve's spiritual understanding is blinded by their hard hearts, they worship Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 14:33). It is possible to talk the talk without understanding the words. We see this in churches that have gone astray in their understanding of God's expectations as well as cults who use familiar words but have heretical teaching. Words are useless if they are twisted away from the truth.

This entire episode is an illustration of God giving the Twelve what they need. Although they didn't get to debrief their missions trip, they do get time away from the crowds. They didn't bring food, but God provided (Mark 6:39–43). The next day, when the crowd finds them again, Jesus will say, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). Jesus will show that man lives on the Word of God, not by bread alone (Matthew 4:1–4) when He tells the Twelve that to do God's will is more satisfying than bread (John 4:31–34). For a while yet, however, the Twelve will miss the point that if we trust and obey God, He will take care of us (Mark 8:16–21).

Mark 6:45–52 continues to escalate the scope of Jesus' miracles. From healing illnesses and injuries (Mark 1:33–34) to raising the dead (Mark 5:35–43). From exorcising one demon (Mark 1:23–26) to expelling a horde of them (Mark 5:1–15). From calming the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35–41) to this account, where Jesus walks on its waters. Still, the Twelve continue to misunderstand who Jesus is and what He has come to do. They think He will be king and save Israel from the Romans. By sending them ahead of Him, He shields them from the crowd who believe the same. This miracle is also found in Matthew 14:22–33 and John 6:16–21.

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.