Mark 6 - Daily Bible Devotional

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Mark 6

Jesus returns to His hometown but is not greatly honored there. He does few miracles because of their unbelief. He then summons the twelve apostles and sends them out in pairs to work miracles and teach people to repent of their sins. They have wonderful success in the ministry. Following this, Jesus works two large-scale miracles: He feeds the 5,000 followers with five loaves and two fish. And after sending the disciples across the sea in a boat, He approaches them walking on the water! The disciples are astonished because their hearts are not yet fully softened to understanding the glory of Christ. Between these events, the author Mark records the story of John the Baptist being beheaded by Herod at the request of the daughter of Herodias. 

This chapter shows the challenges Jesus faced in His ministry. He was the perfect Teacher, and yet people in His hometown doubted Him. He sent out the apostles and they did well, but at other times they didn’t understand His power to feed the people or control the water on the sea. Added to this, Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist died at the hands of evil men, and this brought Jesus great sorrow. Two lessons emerge. First, Jesus never gave up. He stayed patient and committed and kept going and teaching. Two, we must carry His spirit into our daily walk. Some will doubt us, while others support us. Some may leave us. We must keep going in Christ. 

God of patience and grace, it is hard to imagine people seeing Your Son in the flesh and doubting His worthiness. And yet, He faced an assortment of doubters and disappointments. We praise Him for His endurance and limitless love for people. Thank you for feeding us and calming the seas, even when we do not have the depth of faith that we should. May Your Son’s work in our lives open our eyes to His nearness and give us the courage to live each day in confidence. And please send us out on the mission of sharing His great name!

Thought Questions:

-       If Jesus received less honor in His hometown, what can you expect from the people who have known you the longest? How will you react to that?

-       John the Baptist lost his life in service to God. How does his story give you the resolve to be strong in truth even when others do not approve?

-       Jesus was not always pleased with His disciples, but He never stopped mentoring them. Do you believe He has that same patience with you?