14:1 Herod Antipas was one of three rulers over the four districts of Palestine. His territory included the regions of Galilee and Perea. He was the son of Herod the Great, who ordered the killing of the babies in Bethlehem (2:16). He heard Jesus’ case before Jesus’ crucifixion (Luke 23:6-12). His profile is found in Mark 6, p. 2117.
14:3 Philip, Herod’s half brother, was another of Palestine’s three rulers. His territories were Iturea and Trachonitis, northeast of the Sea of Galilee (Luke 3:1). Philip’s wife, Herodias, left Philip to live with Herod Antipas. John the Baptist condemned the two for living immorally (see Mark 6:17, 18).
14:9 Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist, but he gave the order so that he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of his guests. How easy it is to give in to the crowd and to let ourselves be pressured into doing wrong. Don’t get in a situation where it will be too embarrassing to do what is right. Determine to do what is right, no matter how embarrassing or painful it may be.
14:13, 14 Jesus sought solitude after the news of John’s death. Sometimes we may need to deal with our grief alone. Jesus did not dwell on his grief but returned to the ministry he came to do.
14:14 Jesus performed some miracles as signs of his identity. He used other miracles to teach important truths. But here we read that he healed people because he was “moved with compassion toward them.” Jesus was, and is, a loving, caring, and feeling person. When you are suffering, remember that Jesus hurts with you. He is “moved with compassion” for you.
14:19-21 Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over 5,000 people. What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, but he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied.
14:21 The text states that there were 5,000 men present, besides women and children. Therefore, the total number of people Jesus fed could have been 10,000 to 15,000. The number of men is listed separately because in the Jewish culture of the day, men and women usually ate separately when in public. The children ate with the women.
14:23 Seeking solitude was an important priority for Jesus (see also 14:13). He made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father. Spending time with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship with him and equips us to meet life’s challenges and struggles. Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God. It will help you grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ.
14:28 Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to do (4:7). Instead, he was the only one in the boat to react in faith. His impulsive request led him to experience a rather unusual demonstration of God’s power. Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. We probably will not walk on water, but we may walk through tough situations. If we focus on the waves of difficult circumstances around us without faith in Jesus to help, we, too, may despair and sink. To maintain your faith when situations are difficult, focus on Jesus’ power rather than on your inadequacies.
14:30, 31 Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have failed. When Peter’s faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ’s presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with you and is the only one who can really help.
14:34 Gennesaret was located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee in a fertile, well-watered area.
14:35, 36 The people recognized Jesus as a great healer, but how many understood who he truly was? They came to Jesus for physical healing, but did they come for spiritual healing? They came to prolong their lives on earth, not to seek eternal life. People may follow Jesus to learn valuable lessons from his life or in hopes of finding relief from pain. But we miss Jesus’ whole message if we seek him only to heal our bodies but not our souls, if we look to him for help only in this life, rather than for his eternal plan for us. Only when we understand the real Jesus Christ can we appreciate how he can truly change our life.
14:36 Jewish men wore tassels on the lower edges of their robes according to God’s command (Deuteronomy 22:12). By Jesus’ day, elaborate versions of these tassels were seen as signs of holiness (23:5). There is no indication that the fringe on Jesus’ robe was anything more than typical. It was natural that people seeking healing should reach out and touch the tassels of his robe. But as one sick woman learned, healing came from faith and not from Jesus’ robe (9:19-22).