Hello, welcome to the podcast, Bible Wisdom Today. My name is Stan Watkins.

The Bible has always been an important foundation for my personal faith, leading me to complete a Bible degree and enter Christian ministry, ultimately going with my wife and family to Europe for 6 years. There I served in the areas of Bible teaching and music. Since returning to the states, I have supported my local church as I have had opportunity, but now I would like a more regular outlet for teaching God’s word.

Understanding the Bible is not simply a matter of belief that it is God’s word. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. Today’s Bible student must overcome each of these obstacles. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.

In our last episode we examined the meaning of faith, demonstrated in the miracle of Jesus healing a woman with a chronic illness and raising a young girl to life. For Mark, faith is practical; it is action, and he contrasts the action of those seeking Jesus’ help with the skeptical inaction of Jesus’ boyhood neighbors in Nazareth. Today, we come to Episode 9, where Mark includes three stories about discipleship.

Discipleship is a significant theme throughout Mark’s gospel, but in this section, it comes to the foreground. As we walk along with The Twelve whom Jesus called, we will find answers this question, “What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple?” This also provides the title of this episode.

In this section of the book of Mark, the author gives three answers to our question, “What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple.” The first answer is to…

Engage in ministry, even though I still have much to learn (6:6-13)

We will read, beginning with Mark 6:6.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 
 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
 They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
 Mark 6:6-13

This event is related immediately after Jesus’ rejection by the townspeople of Nazareth, which we discussed in our last episode. If Jesus was not accepted there, he would go elsewhere. The primary purpose of Jesus ministry was teaching. He did important deeds, particularly miracles, but Mark consistently places the emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry, even though he does not often give us the content of his teaching. This was Jesus’ second tour of the area of Galilee, and this time, he included The Twelve in his mission. So far, we have seen Jesus call the twelve from their normal life and specifically commission them to be disciples. Here, he makes them part of his ministry team by sending them out as his representatives.

Jesus sent them two by two. This also became the common practice in the life of the early church. It allowed for companionship, common counsel, and protection. It also allowed individuals to use their complementary gifts. In addition, it benefitted the hearers by providing two witnesses, as demanded by Jewish Law to establish the truth.

Jesus was unique in the way he dealt with his disciples, in comparison with the Jewish rabbis of his day. The rabbis would call disciples to follow the law; Jesus called disciples to follow him. Furthermore, Jesus sent his disciples in his name and authority; the rabbis never did this. If we had been there as Jesus prepared his recruits for ministry, we might have cautioned him that his disciples were still immature. They were full of misunderstandings and doubts. Was it truly wise to trust his mission to such men? But Jesus must have known that his days were limited, and was determined to begin shifting responsibility to his disciples. This was their trial mission.

Jesus gave the disciples authority over impure spirits. Impure spirits are another key theme in the book of Mark. Authority over impure spirits shows that the kingdom of God is breaking into this world. This is Jesus’ authority which he gives the disciples to act in his name. They are not sent out to do a new work, but to extend the work of Jesus.

Jesus gave them instructions on what to take with them as well as what was not allowed. The twelve were allowed only the absolute minimum for travel, a walking stick, which also gave protection from wild animals, and sandals, plus the typical tunic and belt. They were specifically told not to take bread, a traveling bag, money or an extra tunic. The fact that Jesus forbids these things means that usually they would have been considered travel essentials. We might include much more in our travel essentials! An extra tunic would provide warmth if they had to sleep outside at night, but Jesus disciples were expected to trust God to provide lodging each night. In fact, this entire list was meant to drive home their total dependence on God. The only reason they were going was to serve Jesus, not for any kind of self-profit.

It is interesting to note that the items the disciples were allowed match exactly the instructions to the Israelites on the night of their exodus from Egypt. They were told to offer a sacrificial lamb and eat it in haste. “This is how you are to eat it,” we are told in Exodus 12, “with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand” (Exodus 12:11). The mission of the Twelve reflected the same haste and expectation as the Exodus. This was the beginning of a new era in God’s relationship with humankind, and the disciples needed to be as free from all encumbrances as their forebears, totally dedicated to God’s new venture.

In addition to Jesus’ instructions on what to take with them, we also see his instructions for how to act. They were dependent on the hospitality of each village. Whichever house they entered, they were to stay there until they left that town. To leave one home for another would be an insult to their hosts and bring disrepute on the gospel. 

In some towns, of course, they would not find a welcome. In such places they were to shake the dust off their feet. This custom sounds odd to us, but the disciples and the people they met would understand this as a serious indictment. When Jews traveled outside their own territory, they would commonly shake the dust off their feet before they returned to homeland soil. If the disciples performed this ritual as they exited town it was their way of saying, “you have become pagan to God.”

Finally, we read about the result of their ministry. We do not know how many responded. The emphasis is on the faithful obedience of the disciples. They preached that people should repent, cast out many demons, and healed sick people. This was the same message and ministry as Jesus. The proclamation of the good news of Jesus was united with powerful deeds, just as we see later in early Christianity.

One interesting element in this summary statement is that Mark tells us that the disciples “anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” Anointing with oil for healing is not mentioned in Jesus earlier instruction and is only mentioned one other time in the New Testament in James chapter 5. Olive oil was a staple of ancient Mediterranean life, serving as food, anointing, lamp fuel, and medicine. “Rabbinic sources frequently cite the medicinal value of olive oil for curing illnesses.”[1] Here it is likely not just a means of healing but a sign that the good news of Jesus was bringing joy into the everyday life of the people.

The ministry of the Twelve turned out well. Even though you and I would have seen them as juvenile followers, Jesus entrusted them with his message. This would encourage the church of Mark’s day as well as believers in every age. The mission of God does not depend on the merit of the missionaries but on the equipping of Jesus. No amount of education in theology, Bible interpretation or counseling can prepare one for Jesus’ mission. Paul said a similar thing in the first chapter of his letter to the church in Corinth, “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong … so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple? One answer is to engage in ministry, even though I still have much to learn. A second answer is to…

Proclaim God’s message, even though opposition may be strong (6:14-30)

At this point in his narration, Mark inserts a story about the execution of John the Baptist into his account of the disciples’ ministry, creating another Mark sandwich. The mission of the Twelve must have been effective, because Mark says that Jesus’ name became well known, so much so that the Roman-appointed ruler of Galilee heard about it and was troubled. Here is Mark’s account, beginning in chapter 6, verse 14.

King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
 And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
 
 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. 
 
 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
 The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 
 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
 “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 
 
 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 
 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
 Mark 6:14-29

In order to understand this passage, we must first meet the main characters. This King Herod that we read of is not Herod the Great, who was king at the time of Jesus’ birth and in jealousy ordered all male children 2 years and younger to be killed. No, this was one of his sons. In his commentary on Mark, James Edwards says “The Herodian family tree was as twisted as the trunk of an olive tree.”[2] With ten wives and at least 14 children there was plenty of opportunity for intrigue.

This king, Herod Antipas, had wanted to inherit his father’s entire kingdom when he died, but the emperor Augustus allowed him only to be a tetrarch, ruling one-fourth of the Roman territory of Judea. Two other brothers and his father’s sister also ruled portions of Herod the Great’s former kingdom. Antipas was known formally as tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (which is an area East of the Jordan River) but he was colloquially called “king.” He built his capital, Tiberias, on the western shore of Galilee, where he reigned until A.D. 39, when he was deported to Gaul by the emperor Caligula.

Another main character in this soap opera is Herodias. She was the daughter of another son of Herod the Great, and therefore Herod Antipas’s niece. She was first married to Herod Philip, a third son of Herod the Great, but both she and Antipas divorced their former spouses to marry each other. Herodias had a daughter who is unnamed in Mark but referred to as Salome in the writing of the Jewish historian, Josephus.

During Jesus lifetime, the people generally held one of three opinions about who he was. These opinions were not well-thought-out beliefs but rather popular theories. First, some believed that “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him” (6:14). We don’t have any records of John performing miracles, but apparently people believed that if he did come back to life that John would have that power. Jesus certainly was like John in the powerful prophetic message he preached.

Others believed that Jesus was Elijah. They had good reason to believe this, because in Malachi, the last writing prophet in the Hebrew scriptures, God had promised, “I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes” (Mal. 4:5). Perhaps Jesus was the answer to this promise and God would soon come to judge their enemies and establish his kingdom. In making this suggestion, this group was actually very close to the truth. Jesus was not an Elijah figure, but John the Baptist was. He had been sent as a forerunner to announce the coming of the kingdom of God, which came in the person of Jesus. 

A third group thought Jesus was one of the other great prophets returned to life. Notice that the people did not reckon that Jesus was the Messiah or that he was God, rather that he was a great prophet. Holding a high opinion of Jesus is not the same as faith.

When Herod Antipas heard about the message and works of Jesus, he was convinced that Jesus was John the Baptist and this likely struck fear to his heart. After all, Antipas was the one who had had John beheaded. Mark mentioned that John was put in prison, back in chapter 1 verse 14, and he associated the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with that event. Now he provides more details of that story in a flashback. John denounced the relationship and subsequent marriage of Antipas and his niece, Herodias. John declared an uncompromising prophetic message to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” This was based squarely on Jewish law, but Herod considered John’s message seditious, since it further stirred up a nation that was already against him. It also made his new wife mad. In fearlessly criticizing Herod Antipas, John the Baptist demonstrated his similarity with Elijah, that former prophet who confronted king Ahab of Israel and his wife, Jezebel, because they drew the nation away into wickedness.

Herod understood that John the Baptist was a “righteous and holy man,” and he liked to listen to him, but he was “greatly puzzled.” Perhaps we should say he was greatly convicted but he was unwilling to act. Instead, he listened with fear to a message that he detested. Herod was unwilling to cross his wife, but protected John from her murderous plots.

Like Jezebel before her, Herodias is the prime mover of the story. Unlike her husband, she was not short-sighted and impetuous, but shrewd and calculating, patiently nursing her grudge. She was even willing to sacrifice the honor of her daughter. Finally, we read, the opportune time came.

Herod held a banquet on his birthday. Now this word “birthday” can mean the celebration of the king’s birth or the celebration of his accession to the throne. Both have ancient precedence, but celebrating royal birthdays is better attested in the Roman world. For this occasion, Herod invited his high officials, military commanders, and leading men of Galilee. His territory included both Galilee and Perea, but Mark only mentions the leaders from Galilee because that is the area were Jesus ministered. These invited guests, though they do not speak, are critical characters in the story. For Herodias, they provide the leverage she needed to force Herod’s hand, for Salome they make up a fawning audience, and for Herod, they are the power block before whom he must appear strong.

As entertainment for the banquet, the daughter of Herodias danced. Salome was probably only 12-14, yet the kind of dance she performed is obvious from the response of the crowd. She pleased Herod and his dinner guests. Antipas was likely drunk when he made his impetuous oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom” (6:23). This was surely a figure of speech, since Rome would not have allowed him to part with even an acre of land. It also recalls the story of Esther, who received a similar promise from the king of Persia. There is a stark contrast, however, because Esther saved her people from death, whereas Salome asked for the head of God’s prophet. 

Salome’s request, which she made after consulting with her mother, is constructed suspensefully, keeping back her real desire until the very end. This construction is not usually reproduced in English translation. “I desire,” she said, “that you give me immediately on a platter the head of John the Baptist!”[3] 

“The king was greatly distressed.” Knowing that he needed to appear strong before his military commanders, Herod proved his ultimate weakness by agreeing to her request. Like King Ahab under the power of Jezebel, Antipas finally capitulated to his wife, Herodias. The word “distressed” that Mark uses here is also used to describe Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Both characters felt like they must do something that they really didn’t want to do.

Beheading was a normal Roman form of execution and also the one form of death that could be carried out immediately. To have John’s head brought into the feast like some delectable delicacy revealed the shocking depravity of Herod’s court. 

On hearing of John’s death, we read that “John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb” (6:29). Like Joseph of Arimathea, who will later bury the body of Jesus, John’s disciples risked the wrath and recrimination of Antipas to honor their slain leader.

Immediately after the mention of John’s disciples, Mark says “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” The Twelve are again designated “apostles,” which means “sent ones,” because they have just returned from their first mission as Jesus official agents. By inserting the story of John’s beheading into the context of the mission of the Twelve, Mark forces his readers to consider the cost of following Jesus. Might they end up in prison—or on a plate?! Mark draws together mission and martyrdom, discipleship and death. John’s martyrdom not only prefigures the death of Jesus, but also the potential death of anyone who would follow him. This would be a strong testimony to the oppressed church of Mark’s day as well as believers in every age.

So far, we have seen two answers to the question, What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple? First, being Jesus’ disciple means to engage in ministry, even though I still have much to learn. Second, it means to proclaim God’s message, even though opposition may be strong. And third, to be Jesus’ disciple means to…

Follow Jesus’ instructions, even though I think I have a better idea (6:31-44)

We see this understanding of discipleship in the story of Jesus’ feeding a large crowd which exceeded 5000 people. Let me read from Mark 6, beginning in verse 30.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 
 
 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” 
 They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
 When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 
 
 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
 Mark 6:30-44

This meal provides a stark contrast to the banquet of Herod Antipas, which occurs immediately before. This second banquet is in the open air and not restricted to important people. It was not for the purpose of bolstering Jesus own position but to minister to other people’s needs. Both meals, however, are high drama. In the first case, Salome keeps back her true intent until the last moment; in the second, Jesus keeps his true objective secret from his disciples and the crowd until they finally see the bread multiplied before their very eyes.

The importance of the feeding of the 5000 is reflected in the fact that all four gospels record it. Additionally, in Mark, this miracle is recalled twice (6:52; 8:17-19), it is followed by a sequel, the feeding of the four thousand (8:1-10), and it functions as a foreshadowing of the last supper. In this miracle we see, again, the tremendous power and authority of Jesus and we see, again, the compassion of Jesus towards the crowd, but there is more. We also see how Jesus tenderly, purposefully, nudges his disciples along in their understanding of his nature and purpose. By involving his disciples in performing this miracle, he allows his disciples to experience in themselves his power and compassion in a way that they will never forget.

When the disciples returned from their ministry tour, excited by the work God had done through them, and perhaps a little frightened by the news about the fate of John the Baptist, they began to debrief with Jesus. But this reunion was cut short by many people coming and going, so many, in fact, that they did not even have a chance to eat. In this way, Mark foreshadows the feeding to come. When the disciples saw all the people crowded around, perhaps they saw an opportunity to have a great miraculous show. Jesus could heal some people, they could heal some people, and this revolution could really get started! This was not Jesus’ plan, however. He had a better idea.

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest,” Jesus said. Mark repeats the solitary nature of their destination in the next verse, drawing attention to the parallel with Moses leading his people into the wilderness. Already, Mark has alluded to the Exodus experience by describing the disciples’ bare travel essentials in terms reminiscent of the Israelites hasty journey out of Egypt. We will see additional parallels to Moses as we continue to examine this story.

Jesus and his disciples went away by boat to a solitary place. Along the way, the group may have had time to relax, share stories and enjoy time together, but this fellowship would be short-lived. We read that “many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.” Note that they didn’t just recognize Jesus, they recognized “them.” The disciples also now had fans in the crowd. When the boat arrived at the shoreline, Jesus saw a large crowd and had compassion on them. The compassion of Jesus is the turning point of the story.

Jesus saw that the people were like a sheep without a shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd mill about this way and that way looking for food. That is the picture we see here of the excited crowd on the shore. The metaphor of sheep and shepherd was common in Israel as an image of national leadership. Psalm 77:20 says, “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” As Moses comes near the end of his life, he prays that God will appoint a new leader, “so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd” (Numbers 27:17). Jesus sees these leaderless people and begins teaching them, like Moses before him.

As the time wore on, the disciples began to be concerned about having so many people without food. “This is a remote place,” they said. This is the third mention of their deserted location, driving home the parallelism with Israel in the wilderness. The disciples suggest that the crowd should be dismissed so they might still be able to go to a nearby village to buy bread. Perhaps they would not all be able to find food, but this would keep the situation from developing into a crisis. The disciples’ suggestion seemed totally practical, but Jesus had a better idea.

“You give the something to eat” he said.  Rather than relieving the crisis, Jesus intensified it. The disciples replied that that would take more than a half year’s wages. The actual Greek text says, “200 denarii.” A Denarius was one day’s wage, and 200 denarii was not hyperbole, given the large crowd. There is no way the apostles had that kind of money in their common purse. Just like Moses who needed to feed the Israelites in the wilderness, the disciples were totally swept away by the size of the problem. Jesus intended to involve them in the solution.

First, he asked them to do a survey. How much bread did they have available? “Five loaves,” they said, “and two fish.” This simple meal of bread and fish was the food of the poor. 

Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green springtime grass. This provided a practical way to distribute food to a crowd, but it also recalled Moses’ division of the Israelites into groups in the wilderness for the administration of justice.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, [Jesus] gave thanks and broke the loaves” (6:41). He then gave them to the disciples to distribute. The same order is repeated in the final meal Jesus ate with his disciples before his death—taking, thanking, breaking, giving. Many interpreters, from the days of the early church onward, have seen a parallel between the feeding of the 5000 and the last supper.

Mark does not tell us how the miracle happened, only that it did. Just like the manna in the wilderness that just appeared every morning, now God’s supply of bread just appeared from the hands of the creator. As a result, they all ate and were satisfied. How many were fed? Mark tells us that there were 5000 men. This is a gender-specific word; including women and children would increase the number significantly. When Jesus fed the crowd, he did not just give them a little bit to tide them over until they could get a proper meal. No, they were satisfied. A better translation might be, they were stuffed! There was so much that they collected twelve baskets full of left-overs, one for each disciple to carry.

Notice, throughout this story how Jesus performed this miracle with the disciples’ support. They were the first to receive the initial bread and fish. They settled the crowd into groups. They distributed the food. They picked up the abundant left-overs. Notice also that, even though the disciples did not understand what Jesus planned to do, they still followed his instructions. 

Today we have seen three answers to our initial question, what does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple? Being Jesus disciple means to engage in ministry, even though I still have much to learn. It means to proclaim God’s message, even though opposition may be strong. And here, we see that being Jesus’ disciple means to follow Jesus’ instructions, even though I think I have a better idea.

The common thread through all these answers is that being Jesus’ disciple means spending time with Jesus. Even those of us who are not privileged to rub elbows and share meals with a Jesus who is physically present can still spend time with Jesus. We can meet him in our own reading of the Bible. We can hear his teaching in the lessons of others, including podcasts like this one. And we can see Jesus in the lives of other Christians as we spend time with them. They become the physical presence of Jesus for us, guiding us in our walk as disciples.

Final comments

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with you, today, as we have seen the meaning of discipleship through the ministry of the Twelve as they went on their first missionary journey without Jesus and also as they participated in ministry with him feeding a hungry crowd. In our next episode, we will begin with the story of Jesus walking on water.

If you have found this podcast helpful, I would appreciate your help in expanding its reach. One of the best ways to assist is by leaving a review on the podcast app where you listen. This demonstrates that you appreciate this podcast and will cause it to be listed higher where others can find it. While you are in your podcast app, be sure also to subscribe or follow the podcast so that you will be notified whenever new episodes are released. You also can follow this program at the podcast website, biblewisdomtoday.com. I look forward to spending time with you again, soon. Thank you for your help in growing this Bible Wisdom Today family.

[1] Edwards, James R. The gospel according to Mark. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.
[2] Edwards
[3] Edwards