Mark 6 Greek comments

OK, I was trying to keep going in my understanding of Greek. I see that my Spanish is still getting better, not great, I am not fluent. But I have been dabbling with Spanish for fifty years. So I have hope with the Greek. I still cannot identify the exact conjugation but I can get the jist knowing the root meaning of the word. And Greek words, like other languages, combine roots to create new words. It helps to know the roots.

Anyway Mark 6 contrasts two very different stories on purpose. We begin with the story of the Jesus sending out the disciples to preach and heal. Its a training mission. But in the middle, between the time when they are sent out and they return Mark places a tragic/sad story of the beheading of John the Baptist. There are so many contrasts. One is set in dusty poor areas, the other in an immaculate and beautiful palace.

As I'm reading of the awful use made by the queen of her daughter to get her revenge on John I often feel a little sorry for the young girl. So seems an unwitting pawn. This is naive. But I like to be naive sometimes. I do not think that is a good thing. It means I am purposely hiding from reality. Sometimes reality scares me.

But in the Greek it is even more clear (to me anyway) that this young girl is excited, eager to do as her mom wishes. She is excited to see the power that her young body evocatively dancing, has over men. It's probably clear in any good English translation. But the Greek adds extra adjectives. She is eager. She is quick to do as her mother bids. She has no regard for the life that is being murdered because of their whim.

I think Mark wants us to see the world that the disciples are going to preach to. It is an unkind, unfriendly world. People treat each other as impersonal objects to get what they want.

This young girl has probably never been out of the palace much. She has no experience of lives different than her own. But her heart is already hardened.

In a few more verses Jesus feed the 5,000. Jesus commands the disciples to feed the people. "Do it yourselves." It is a Greek command form. They respond, "How?" It would take 200 denarius to get enough bread to feed all these people. I estimate that to be about $10,000. The reading audience would know this is an impossible sum. But Jesus does not let them off the hook. He commands them to look and see. What do they have? So they return to Jesus with what little they can find. Before they can despair Jesus commands again. Get the crowd to sit in groups. Why the groups? Then Jesus blesses God, says a prayer. Then he gives the bread and fish back to the disciples to distribute.

Often it is said that the Greek verb means continuously giving. Yes the verb is a participle and it does mean continuous action. However this happens a lot in Greek, a lot more than in English. It is not special. But yes it is true.

Why does he put them in groups? I can only guess. Perhaps to give the disciples something to do to keep them from panicking. Second, perhaps this is silly, but getting them into groups forces them to eat family style. They are not eating alone. They are sharing. And also this way people will keep track of what is eaten and what is left. It will be harder for someone to take extra food and keep it back. This way it will be clear how much is truly left over.

Why is that last part important? Maybe just to show how abundant was God's provision.

My wife was telling me of a dinner she attended where there was only a small chicken to eat. But then a at least ten more people came. They prayed and blessed the food and there was enough for all. She thought it miraculous at the time. But I imagine there was not many times more left over than what they started with.

I think God sometimes does provide miraculously for his saints. Praise God for that.

Next we have the story of Jesus walking on the water. This version does not include Peter's response. But it does end by saying the disciples are so surprised because they do not understand the meaning of the feeding of the 5,000 - their hearts are hardened. So the daughter of the queen, so the disciples, so are we so often. We do not believe because our hearts are hardened.

I pray for softened faithful hearts today.