Gary Eugene Howell uses the Berean Standard Bible. The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. The Text of the Berean Standard Bible was dedicated to the public domain as of April 30, 2023.

Verse 1-2

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Commentary

Perhaps Herod had some guilt or regret about having killed John the Baptist, because it appears that John the Baptist weighed heavily on his mind.

Verses 3-12

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a prophet.

On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give to her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted and sent to have John beheaded in the prison. John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.

Commentary

Herod arrested John merely for having told him that he shouldn’t be sleeping with his brother’s wife. Herod wanted to kill John but was afraid of the people because everyone regarded John as a prophet.

I’ve always wondered whether the little girl (the daughter of Herodias) grew up, became mature, and then realized in hindsight the opportunity she had missed and how horribly selfish her mother had been. That little girl could have asked for money and resources enough to be wealthy for the rest of her life, and Herod would have given it. She went to her mother to ask for advice, but that selfish scumbag of a mother told her to ask for John the Baptist’s head; something that was of no benefit whatsoever to the little girl. Herod reluctantly agreed and had John beheaded.

Verses 13-21

When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns. When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” “They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.”

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

“Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said. And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Commentary

In the feeding of the five thousand men, besides women and children, we see that although God rested from all his work after the creation week, he still continues to create physical things out of nothing. And on this occasion, he did so to provide for the people. The same was true of the manna from heaven documented in Exodus chapter 16. God created something out of nothing for the sake of people’s provision.

However, I don’t believe this is how God normally operates. Instead, God most often works through other people, giving both the receiver and the giver the opportunity to be blessed. One of the takeaways, however, from reading about the feeding of the five thousand should be that nothing is impossible for God when it comes to taking care of you.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was, on one occasion, at the home of my spiritual mentor. We were sitting in his living room, and at one point he got up and went to the restroom. During his absence, there was a knock at the door. Figuring my friend was otherwise occupied, I went and opened the door. Two men stood outside and said, “We’ve brought you some groceries.” I assumed these were some acquaintances of my friend, so I invited them in, and they brought in several bags of groceries, set them on the counter, offered their departing farewells, and left. A few moments later, when my friend emerged from the bathroom, he looked at all the groceries on the counter and asked, “What’s all this?” I told him about the two men, and he asked, “Who were they?” I said I had not asked for their names, but I described what they looked like and described the vehicle they drove. My friend, however, had absolutely no idea who they might have been and was in no way expecting anyone to deliver groceries. But it’s worth noting that my friend had been praying for God’s provision because he didn’t have enough money that week for groceries.

Verses 22-24

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Commentary

Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. He didn’t pray for 30 seconds. He was up there on the mountain praying until evening came. The amount of time he spent in prayer was enough for the disciples to row far from land against rough waters and with the wind against them. So I’m guessing that Jesus prayed for at least an hour or more.

I suspect that most people seldom pray, and of those who do, I presume many pray with brevity. I encourage you, however, to form the habit of spending quality time with Jesus in prayer. By no means am I suggesting that correct prayer is defined by its length. However, what I am suggesting is that if you have never spent an uninterrupted half-hour in prayer with our Lord Jesus Christ, you are missing out on the most essential aspect of a relationship with Him.

Organize your prayers in a text document, preferably on your phone. Start by writing down “Praise God,” or if you prefer, write “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” Then write down every reason that God is worthy of praise, including everything which God has done for you.

In your prayer list, write down the names of each of your family members. Pray for them individually. Then write down the names of your friends. Pray for each by name. Write down the prayer requests you’ve recently received. For example, you’re at a Bible study and a person asks that everyone pray for his daughter. You write that on your prayer list so that you can remember to pray for her.

Lastly, write down your own needs, concerns, and worries, and then pray about those as well. And finally, don’t forget to take a little time to be quiet and listen. In your prayer, say, “Lord, I’m going to be quiet now and listen for your voice. If there’s anything you want to say, I’m listening.”

Something else I recommend that can readily extend the duration and quality of your prayer life is to go on a prayer walk. When you’re at home trying to pray, the dog may be barking, the children may be screaming, the cat may be pressing against you asking for attention; it is very hard to remain focused while at home. But if you plot a walking course that you know will take 20 or 30 minutes to traverse, starting at your front door and ending at your front door, you’ll find you have plenty of time for quality prayer in solitude: just you and Jesus.

Verses 25-33

During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.” “Come,” said Jesus.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”

Commentary

I’ve heard scholarly people try to explain away the miracle of Jesus walking on water. Some say he was walking on ice. Others say he was walking on a sandbar. Pessimists such as these are merely searching for any excuse to say that nothing miraculous happened and that Jesus was no one special. So then, how did Jesus walk on the surface of liquid water, on top of a lake that is 140 feet deep?

There is an insect called a water strider. They are common in freshwater creeks and streams. They readily walk on the surface of water by means of the water’s surface tension. I suspect that when both Jesus and Peter walked on the surface of the Sea of Galilee, God had miraculously altered the surface tension of the water in such a way that it was able to support their body weight, much the same way a water strider is able to walk on the surface of a pond.

Regardless of how the miracle occurred, the disciples in the boat rightly agreed that Jesus was the Son of God.

Verses 34-36

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding region. People brought all the sick to Him and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

Commentary

Contrast the people of Gennesaret to the people of Nazareth.

Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:54-58)

Meanwhile, the people of Gennesaret brought all the sick to Him and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

What does this contrast tell you? Your belief is what welcomes God to do His will and work in your life. Your unbelief is what pushes God away from blessing you.