Mark 6

And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

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

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

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

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

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

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

What does Mark 6:3 mean?

Explanation

Mark 6:3 presents a moment in the life of Jesus Christ when he returns to his hometown of Nazareth. The people, who had seen Jesus grow up, are now surprised by his teachings and the reports of miracles he has performed elsewhere.

The verse emphasizes their skepticism as they mention his profession ("carpenter"), his family ("son of Mary," "brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon"), and his sisters who remained among them.

The mention of him being a carpenter points to his humble origins and ordinary life prior to his public ministry.

This detail highlights the stark contrast between the townspeople's expectations of someone with a background like his and the authoritative role he is now taking on as a teacher and miracle worker.

The listing of his family members also underscores his human ties and the difficulty the people of Nazareth have in reconciling Jesus' familiar identity with his new role as they knew him in a very different context.

The phrase "they were offended at him" indicates that the people were scandalized or taken aback by Jesus, possibly due to their inability to reconcile their preconceived notions of him with his emerging identity as a spiritual leader and Messiah.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of Mark was written around 65-70 AD, in a period of early Christianity when oral traditions about Jesus were being committed to written form. At the time, Christians lived within the Roman Empire, often facing persecution for their beliefs.

The social context was deeply influenced by Jewish tradition and Roman cultural norms.

Carpentry was a common trade in the ancient Near East, marking Jesus’ origins as common rather than noble or priestly. Familial lineage was significant, as people were often closely identified with their family occupation and relations.

The mention of "the son of Mary" is unusual for its time, as patriarchal lineage was typically used; this might suggest that Joseph, Jesus’ "legal" father by most accounts, had died by the time of this narrative, or it could be an indirect reference to the virgin birth, emphasizing his unique origin without directly stating it.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse presents the doctrine of the Incarnation, which holds that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human.

His role as a carpenter and his familial relations emphasize his humanity.

At the same time, the offense taken at Jesus indicates that there is something more about him than meets the eye, hinting at his divine mission and nature.

Some Christian traditions may interpret the mention of Jesus’ "brothers" and "sisters" as indicative of Mary having other biological children, while the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions tend to understand these terms as referencing Jesus' close kin, such as cousins, or children from a previous marriage of Joseph.

Practical Applications

Mark 6:3 can serve as a reminder of the danger of familiarity in undermining respect for and openness to the messages of those closest to us. It encourages readers to look beyond surface appearances and preconceived notions when evaluating a person's potential or divine calling.

It also offers a model for humility, showing that an ordinary background does not preclude one from making a significant spiritual impact. Followers of Jesus are reminded that virtues and truth can be found and are often rooted in humble origins and experiences.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:55-56 - “Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?”
John 6:42 - “And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?”
Luke 4:22 - “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?”

Language Study

The key terms in this verse from the original Greek text include:

"Carpenter" (τέκτων, tekton): This term refers to a craftsman or builder, which in Jesus’ time would usually work with wood but could also be a stone mason or metal worker.
"Offended" (σκανδαλίζονται, skandalizontai): Derived from the word for a trap’s bait stick, it connotes causing someone to stumble or to take offense, implying a shock or challenge to one's existing beliefs.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient myths and religions, divine figures often conceal their glory through humble appearances, similar to Jesus' humble origins as described in Mark 6:3. For example, Greek gods were said to visit humans in disguise.

However, in these myths, the gods often returned to their divine status, while Jesus’ humble identity remained an integral part of his character.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific perspectives would not typically engage directly with this verse since it deals with historical and theological matters rather than empirical claims.

However, the historicity of Jesus as a carpenter can sometimes be discussed in archaeological contexts, examining the socio-economic status and daily life of tradesmen in the ancient Near East.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians offer insights into Mark 6:3.

For instance, some commentaries highlight the theme of rejection in Jesus' ministry and how his own community's inability to see beyond his familiar identity foreshadows the broader rejection he would face.

Others may focus on the significance of Jesus' manual labor background in shaping his parables and teachings that often referred to everyday work and life.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:3 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 6:3 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?