Marcos 8
Theophylact of Ohrid
Marcos 8:1-9
The Lord had already performed a similar miracle before. He works wonders now as well, having a fitting occasion for it. And the occasion was this: the people had been with Him for three days, and the food supply they had taken for the journey had run out entirely. For the Lord did not always perform miracles over food, lest people think the crowd followed Him for the sake of food. He would not have worked miracles now either, had the people not apparently faced danger from lack of food. But look also at the disciples, how they are still without understanding and do not yet have faith in His power, even though they had already seen miracles! However, the Lord does not reproach them, teaching us as well not to attack the inexperienced too harshly, but to forgive them as those who do not yet understand. Consider also that Christ does not wish to send anyone away hungry, but desires to satisfy all with His gifts, and especially those who have stayed with Him three days, that is, those who have been baptized. Since baptism is called illumination and is performed with three immersions, those illuminated by baptism prove to be of three days. The Lord takes "seven loaves," by which I mean seven most spiritual words, for the number seven is an image of the Spirit. The Spirit brings all things to completion, and our life and this present age are completed in the number seven. The illuminated eat and are satisfied and leave a surplus, since they cannot contain all the thoughts of God. Earlier, in the miracle of the five loaves, twelve baskets of surplus remained, for there were five thousand, who signify those enslaved to the five senses; therefore they could not eat much but were satisfied with little, which is why much remained in surplus. But here, from seven loaves, seven baskets remained with only a small surplus, since the crowd was four thousand, who signify those established in the four virtues; and therefore they, being stronger, ate much and left little, for they could not consume only what is more spiritual and profound, and this is what the seven baskets signify. From the account under consideration, learn also this: that we must be content with only what is necessary and ask for nothing more. For behold, these people, having eaten and been satisfied, did not take the leftover bread with them, but the disciples took it, just as it was with the aforementioned baskets. So too must we be content with what is given, according to our need. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:1-9
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] After the Lord had performed the former miracle concerning the multiplication of the loaves, now again, a fitting occasion presents itself, and He takes the opportunity of working a similar miracle; wherefore it is said, In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and, saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. For He did not always work miracles concerning the feeding of the multitude, lest they should follow Him for the sake of food; now therefore He would not have performed this miracle, if He had not seen that the multitude was in danger. Wherefore it goes on: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. The disciples did not yet understand, nor did they believe in His virtue, notwithstanding former miracles; wherefore it continues, And his disciples said unto him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? But the Lord Himself does not blame them, teaching us that we should not be grievously angry with ignorant men and those who do not understand, but bear with their ignorance. After this it continues, And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? and they answered, Seven. The multitudes who ate and were filled did not take with them the remains of the loaves, but the disciples took them up, as they did before the baskets. In which we learn according to the narration, that we should be content with what is sufficient, and not look for any thing beyond. The number of those who ate is put down, when it is said, And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away; where we may see that Christ sends no one away fasting, for He wishes all to be nourished by His grace. Or by those who wait for three days, He means the baptized; for baptism is called illumination, and is performed by trine immersion. Further, the seven loaves are spiritual discourses, for seven is the number, which points out the Holy Ghost, who perfects all things; for our life is perfected in the number of seven days'd. Or there are four thousand, that is, men perfect in the four virtues; and for this reason, as being more advanced, they ate more, and left fewer fragments. For in this miracle, seven baskets full remain, but in the miracle of the five loaves, twelve, for there were five thousand men, which means men enslaved to the five senses, and for this reason they could not eat, but were satisfied with little, and many remains of the fragments were over and above. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:10
After the miracle of the loaves, the Lord immediately departs to another place, fearing that the people, as a result of such a miracle, might revolt and decide to make Him king. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:10
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] After that our Lord had worked the miracle of the loaves, He immediately retires into another spot, lest on account of the miracle, the multitudes should take Him to make Him a king; wherefore it is said, And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:11
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Or they seek for a sign from heaven, that is, they wish Him to make the sun and moon stand still, to bring down hail, and change the atmosphere; for they thought that He could not perform miracles from heaven, but could only in Beelzebub perform a sign on earth. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:11-12
And the Pharisees demand a sign from heaven, for example, to stop the sun or the moon, to bring down lightning, to produce a change in the air. They thought that He was unable to perform a heavenly sign, having the power to produce by the power of Beelzebub only earthly signs. But Jesus does not heed them, for another time has been appointed for signs from heaven — I mean the time of the second coming, when the powers of heaven shall be shaken and the moon shall not give its light; but the time of the first coming has nothing of the sort, but everything is filled with meekness. And therefore "no sign shall be given to this generation" from heaven. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:12
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Now the reason why the Lord did not listen to them was, that the time of signs from heaven had not arrived, that is, the time of the second Advent, when the powers of the heaven shall be shaken, and the moon shall not give her light. But in the time of the first Advent, all things are full of mercy, and such things do not take place. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:13
The Lord leaves the Pharisees as incorrigible people. For one should linger where there is hope of correction, but where the evil is incorrigible, one must flee from there. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:13
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] The Lord indeed quits the Pharisees, as men uncorrected; for where there is a hope of correction, there it is right to remain; but where the evil is incorrigible, we should go away. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:14
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Now they had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. By a special providence also the disciples forgot to take bread, that they might be blamed by Christ, and thus become better, and arrive at a knowledge of Christ's power. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:14
The disciples forgot to take bread by a special dispensation of God, so that after Christ's stern rebuke they would become wiser and come to know the power of Christ. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:15
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] He means by leaven their hurtful and corrupt doctrine, full of the old malice, for the Herodians were the teachers, who said that Herod was the Christ. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:15-17
For when the Lord said that they should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, that is, the teaching of the Pharisees, they thought that the Lord was reminding them about the leaven of bread. And so He rightly reproaches them as not understanding the power of Christ, by which the Lord can create bread even out of nothing. He calls the teaching of the Pharisees and the Herodians leaven for the reason that it was bitter and filled with ancient malice. And everyone who has grown old in evil and cannot speak anything spiritual to sweeten the throat of the listener has within himself the leaven of ancient malice, that is, a teaching that is poisonous and leads those who accept it only to regret. But who were the Herodians? They were certain newly appeared teachers who said that Herod was the Christ and that one must believe in him. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:16-17
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But the disciples themselves thought that the Lord spoke of the leaven of bread. Wherefore it goes on, And they reasoned amongst themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread; and this they said, as not understanding the power of Christ, who could make bread out of nothing; wherefore the Lord reproves them; for there follows, And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason ye because ye have no bread? — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:22-23
Bethsaida and Chorazin, it seems, suffered from great unbelief, for which Christ also reproached them, as He says: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Mt. 11:21). Upon the Lord's arrival here, they bring a blind man to Him. But the faith of those who brought him was not pure, which is why the Lord leads the blind man out of the village, and only then heals him. He spits on the eyes of the blind man and lays His hands upon him, so that we may know that the Divine word and the action that follows the word can work miracles: for the hand is an image of action, and the spittle is an image of the word, since it comes forth from the mouth. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:22-23
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For Bethsaida appears to have been infected with much infidelity, wherefore the Lord reproaches it, (Matt. 11:21) Woe to thee, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. He then takes out of the town the blind man, who had been brought to Him, for the faith of those who brought him was not true faith. It goes on; And when he had spit in his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:24-25
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But the reason why he did not see at once perfectly, but in part, was, that he had not perfect faith; for healing is bestowed in proportion to faith. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:24-25
But the blind man himself also did not have perfect faith. Therefore the Lord does not give him sight all at once, but gradually, as to a man whose faith is not complete, for healings are given in proportion to faith. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:26
He commands him not to enter the village, because the inhabitants of Bethsaida, as I said, were unbelieving, and that man among them would have harmed his own soul; He does not even allow him to tell anyone about what had happened to him, so that the unbelievers would not be subjected to greater condemnation. We too are often blind in soul, living in the village, that is, in this world; but when we go out of the village, that is, when we renounce the deeds of the world, Christ heals us; after healing, He tells us not to return again to the village, but to go home, and the home of each of us is heaven and the dwellings there. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:26
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] These precepts He gave him, because they were unfaithful, as has been said, lest perchance he should receive hurt in his soul from them, and they by their unbelief should ran into a more grievous crime. Or else, after He has healed him He sends him to his home; for the home of every one of us is heaven, and the mansions which are there. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:27
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] After taking His disciples afar from the Jews, He then asks them concerning Himself, that they might speak the truth without fear of the Jews; wherefore it is said, And Jesus entered, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:27
He asks them about Himself, having led them far from the Jews, so that they would have no one to fear in confessing the truth. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:28
They answer that some take Him for John, others for Elijah; for many thought that John had risen, as Herod also supposed, and that upon his resurrection he had received the power of miracles, whereas during his lifetime John had not performed a single sign. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:28
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For many thought that John had risen from the dead, as even Herod believed, and that he had performed miracles after his resurrection. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:29
Having thus asked them about the opinions of others, the Lord then asks them their own opinion as well, as if saying: those think of Me erroneously, but who do you consider Me to be? What then does Peter say? He confesses Him as the Christ, foretold by the prophets. But what the Lord said in response to Peter's confession and how He blessed him, Mark omitted, so as not to appear partial to Peter, his teacher. Matthew, on the contrary, told everything without omission. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:29
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] After however having enquired into the opinion of others, He asks them what was the belief of their own minds on this point; wherefore it continues, And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? He confesses indeed that He is the Christ announced by the Prophets; but the Evangelist Mark passes over what the Lord answered to his confession, and how He blessed him, lest by this way of relating it, he should seem to be favouring his master Peter; Matthew plainly goes through the whole of it. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:30
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For He wished in the mean time to hide His glory, lest many should be offended because of Him, and so earn a worse punishment. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:30
The Lord commanded them to tell no one, because He wished to conceal His glory, lest many be scandalized by Him and, in their unbelief, become liable to greater punishment. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:31
Having received from His disciples the confession that He is the true Christ, the Lord also revealed to them the mystery of the Cross. But He did not yet reveal it fully, for the apostles did not understand what He was saying, and did not comprehend what it means to rise again, but thought that it would be better for Him not to suffer at all. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:31
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But after the Lord had accepted the confession of the disciples, who called Him the true God, He then reveals to them the mystery of the Cross. Wherefore it goes on, And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again; and he spake that saying openly, that is, concerning His future passion. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:32
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But His disciples did not understand the order of the truth, neither could they comprehend His resurrection, but thought it better that He should not suffer. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:32
Therefore Peter begins to object, saying that it is pointless to give Himself over to death when He could simply not suffer. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:33
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For the Lord, wishing to show that His Passion was to take place on account of the salvation of men, and that Satan alone was unwilling that Christ should suffer, and the race of man be saved, called Peter Satan, because he savoured the things that were of Satan, and, from unwillingness that Christ should suffer, became His adversary; for Satan is interpreted 'the adversary.' He says that Peter savours the things which be of men, in that he in some way savoured carnal affections, for Peter wished that Christ should spare Himself and not be crucified. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:33
But the Lord, showing that His suffering would be for the salvation of them and of many, and that Satan alone does not want Him to suffer and save people, calls Peter "Satan" for his thoughts befitting Satan, for his not wanting Christ to suffer but contradicting Him; Satan means adversary. "Get behind Me," He says, that is, follow My will, do not contradict and do not be My adversary, but follow Me. Peter, according to the Lord's words, was thinking about "human things," for he was thinking in a fleshly manner, wanting the Lord to remain at ease, not to give Himself over to the Crucifixion, and not to endure affliction for the salvation of the world. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:34
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For a man who denies another, be it brother or father, does not sympathize with him, nor grieve at his fate, though he be wounded and die; thus we ought to despise our body, so that if it should be wounded or hurt in any way, we should not mind its suffering. For at that time the cross appeared shameful, because malefactors were fixed to it. But because after the cross we must have a new strength, He adds, and follow me. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Marcos 8:34
Since Peter was opposing Christ, Who desired to give Himself over to Crucifixion, Christ calls the people and speaks aloud, directing His words primarily against Peter: You do not approve of My taking the Cross, but I say to you that neither you nor anyone else will be saved unless you die for virtue and truth. Note that the Lord did not say: let him die even if he does not wish to die, but "whoever wishes." I, He says, compel no one. I call not to evil but to good, and therefore whoever does not wish it is not worthy of it. What does it mean to deny oneself? We will understand this when we learn what it means to deny someone else. Whoever denies another person — whether father, brother, or any member of the household — even if he watches him being beaten or killed, pays no attention and feels no sympathy, having become estranged from him. In the same way the Lord commands us also to despise our own body for His sake and not to spare it, even if we are beaten or reviled. "Take up your cross," it says, that is, a shameful death, for the cross was then regarded as an instrument of shameful execution. And since many robbers were also crucified, He adds that along with crucifixion one must also have other virtues, for this is what the words "follow Me" mean. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:35
Since the command to give oneself over to death would seem harsh and cruel, the Lord says that on the contrary it is most merciful; for whoever loses his soul, but for My sake — and not as a robber being executed or a suicide (for in that case the death would not be for My sake) — he, He says, will find his soul, while the one who thinks to save his soul will lose it, if during the time of torment he does not stand firm. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:36
Do not tell Me that this latter person will preserve his life, for even if he were to gain the whole world, it is all useless. Salvation cannot be purchased with any wealth. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:37
Otherwise, he who gained the whole world but lost his soul would give it all away when he is burning in the flames, and would thus ransom himself. But such a ransom is impossible there. Here the mouths of those who, following Origen, say that the condition of souls will change for the better after they have been punished in proportion to their sins are also stopped. Let them hear that there it is in no way possible to give a ransom for the soul, and to suffer only to the degree supposedly needed to make satisfaction for sins. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:38
It is not enough to have inner faith alone: a confession of the lips is also required. For since man is twofold, his sanctification must also be twofold, that is, the sanctification of the soul through faith and the sanctification of the body through confession. Therefore, whoever "is ashamed" to confess the Crucified One as his God, him He also "will be ashamed of," recognizing him as an unworthy servant of His, when He "comes" no longer in a humble appearance, not in the abasement in which He appeared here before and for which some are ashamed of Him, but "in glory" and with an Angelic host. — Commentary on Mark
Marcos 8:38
[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For that faith which only remains in the mind is not sufficient, but the Lord requires also the confession of the mouth; for when the soul is sanctified by faith, the body ought also to be sanctified by confession. Him then who shall have confessed that his God was crucified, Christ Himself also shall confess, not here, where He is esteemed poor and wretched, but in His glory and with a multitude of Angels. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas