Church Fathers Commentary Mark 6:45-52

"And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before [him] unto the other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth the multitude away. And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray. And when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them: but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened." — Mark 6:45-52 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: The Lord indeed showed that He is the Creator of the world by the miracle of the loaves. But now, by walking on the waves, He proved that He had a body free from the weight of all sin. And by calming the winds and the rage of the waves, He declared Himself the Master of the elements.

Therefore it is said, "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."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He indeed dismisses the people with His blessing and with some healings. But He compelled His disciples to leave, because they found it painful to separate from Him, not only because of the great affection they had for Him, but also because they were unsure how He would rejoin them.¹

The Venerable Bede: We rightly wonder how Mark says that the disciples crossed the sea to Bethsaida after the miracle of the loaves, when Luke relates that the miracle was done in the region of Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). We can resolve this if we understand that by "the desert which is Bethsaida," Luke does not mean the country immediately surrounding the town, but rather the wilderness belonging to it. But when Mark says that they should "go before unto Bethsaida," he means the town itself.²

It goes on: "And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: We must understand this about Christ in His humanity; He also does it to teach us to be constant in prayer.³

Theophylact of Ohrid: But when He had dismissed the crowd, He goes up to pray, for prayer requires rest and silence.

The Venerable Bede: However, not everyone who prays goes up on a mountain; only the one who seeks God in prayer prays well. But the one who prays for riches, worldly success, or the death of an enemy sends his vile prayers up to God from the lowest depths.⁴

John says, "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force and make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself, alone" (John 6:15).

It goes on: "And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now the Lord allowed His disciples to be in danger so that they might learn patience. For this reason, He did not immediately come to their aid but allowed them to remain in danger all night to teach them to wait patiently and not to expect immediate help in their tribulations.

For there follows: "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."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Holy Scripture divides the night into four watches, with each watch lasting three hours. Therefore, the fourth watch refers to the period after the ninth hour—that is, the tenth hour or later.⁵

There follows: "And would have passed them."

St. Augustine of Hippo: How could they understand this, except that by heading in a different direction, He intended to pass them by as if they were strangers? For they were so far from recognizing Him that they mistook Him for a spirit.⁶

For it goes on: "But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out."

Theophylact of Ohrid: See again how Christ, although He was about to end their danger, first puts them in even greater fear. But He immediately reassured them with His voice, for the text continues, "And immediately He talked with them, and said unto them, It is I, be not afraid."

St. John Chrysostom: As soon as they recognized Him by His voice, their fear left them.⁷

St. Augustine of Hippo: Why, then, would He who so quickly calms their fears have intended to pass them by, if not to draw from them the very cry that called for His help?

The Venerable Bede:ⁱBut Theodorus, who was Bishop of Phanara, wrote that the Lord had no bodily weight in His flesh and walked on the sea without weight; but the Catholic faith declares that He had weight according to the flesh. For Dionysius says, "We do not know how, without His feet plunging in—feet which had bodily weight and the gravity of matter—He could walk on the wet and unstable substance."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Then, by getting into the ship, the Lord calmed the storm. For it continues, "And He went up unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased." The miracle of our Lord walking on the sea is indeed great, but the storm and the contrary wind were also present to make the miracle even greater. For the Apostles, who did not understand Christ's power from the miracle of the five loaves, now understood it more fully from the miracle on the sea.

Therefore it goes on, "And they were sore amazed in themselves." For they understood not concerning the loaves.

The Venerable Bede: The disciples, who were still worldly, were amazed at the greatness of His power; however, they could not yet recognize in Him the truth of the divine majesty. Therefore it goes on, "For their hearts were hardened."

Mystically, however, the disciples' struggle at the oars and the contrary wind represent the labors of the Holy Church, which, amidst the beating waves of the world and the blasts of unclean spirits, strives to reach the rest of her heavenly country. And it is well said that the ship was in the middle of the sea and He alone on the land, for the Church is sometimes so afflicted by overwhelming pressure from the nations that her Redeemer seems to have completely abandoned her.

But the Lord sees His own people toiling on the sea; lest they faint in their tribulations, He strengthens them with His loving gaze and sometimes frees them with visible help. Furthermore, He came to them in the fourth watch as daylight approached, for when a person lifts his mind to the light of guidance from above, the Lord will be with him, and the dangers of temptation will be put to rest.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or else, the first watch means the time up to the deluge; the second, up to Moses; the third, up to the coming of the Lord; in the fourth the Lord came and spoke to His disciples.⁸

The Venerable Bede: Often, then, the love of heaven seems to have abandoned the faithful in their tribulation, so that it might seem as if Jesus intends to pass by His disciples as they toil on the sea. And even today, heretics suppose that the Lord was a phantom and did not take on real flesh from the Virgin.

Pseudo-Jerome: And He says to them, "Be of good cheer, it is I," because we shall see Him as He is. But the wind and the storm ceased when Jesus sat down—that is, reigned—in the ship, which is the universal Church.

The Venerable Bede: Likewise, in whatever heart He is present by the grace of His love, all the struggles of vice, the hostile world, and evil spirits are soon subdued and put to rest.

1. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
2. in Marc., 2, 27
3. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
4. in Marc., 2, 28
5. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
6. de Con. Evan., 2, 47
7. Hom. in Matt., 50
8. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.