John 6:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They did not even shudder to call Him a Samaritan, Jn 8:48. They dishonored Him somewhat more decently by calling Him the carpenter’s son, Mt 13:55. But among those who believe in Him, He inspires reverence as wonderworker and God, as the performer of marvelous works. Indeed, listen to the pious aim that guided those who followed Him: “because,” it is said, “they beheld the signs over the sick.” For this reason they thought it right to follow Him fervently. From the works being performed, they came to a knowledge corresponding to the One who performed them. Through divine omnipotence they understood the Son, who is clothed with it by nature. By this same path the Savior commanded us to come to faith in Him, when He said: “For the works which I do, the works themselves bear witness of Me” Jn 5:36. And again: “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. But if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works” Jn 10:37-38. Just as from “the greatness and beauty of created things their Creator is contemplated” as God, Wis 13:5, so from divine signs, by exactly the same reasoning, the performer of the signs is contemplated. The faith of His followers, therefore, rightly ought to revere Him. But I think that in these words there is also hidden a subtler and more complex meaning. Let us notice that, according to the Evangelist, those who followed Christ were not merely spectators of “signs” in general. He also indicates the particular “signs” before which they rightly stood in reverence, for he adds: “which He performed over the sick.” Through this he shows the opposition of thought between the Jews and those who followed Him. The former are impiously indignant because He healed the paralytic. The latter not only marvel at this when He is present with them, but also gather to Him as He departs, as to a wonderworker and God. Therefore let us flee the folly proper to the Jews. Confessing Christ as our Master, let us cleave to Him unceasingly. The wisest disciples patiently did this, never allowing themselves to fall behind Him or be separated from Him. At last, by their very deeds, they boldly cried out what Paul said: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Rom 8:35. Let us follow Him even when He is persecuted and withdraws from the stubbornness of His enemies. Then we too may ascend “the mountain” and sit with Him there. That is, let us be raised to the most glorious and radiant grace through reigning together with Him. As He Himself said: “You who have followed Me in My temptations, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” Mt 19 and Lk 22:28. Such contemplations, I think, are contained in the saying that the disciples remained with the Savior and, having ascended, sat with Him on the mountain.

Seeing that withdrawal was useless, the Lord turned to the people with teaching about the kingdom of heaven and mercifully healed the sick. The day was already passing, but the people did not leave Him, while they remained without food.

All the first three evangelists say that, when Jesus Christ came ashore, He met a multitude of people. Although He was now seeking solitude and rest, He had compassion on the people.

He began to heal the sick and for a long time set before those gathered the teaching about the kingdom of God (Mt 14; Mk 6:34; Lk 9:11).

The Evangelist John depicts the beginning of the event in this way: “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples” (v. 3). “Lifting up His eyes and seeing that a multitude of people was coming to Him, He says to Philip,” and so forth (v. 5).

This depiction clearly arose from the brevity of his account. He omits the circumstance that stands between the coming ashore and the fact of the miraculous feeding.

Mk uses symposia symposia in v. 39 and prasiai prasiai in v. 40, a Hebrew manner of expression instead of ana symposia and ana prasias.

John gives this indication, on one hand, to define chronologically the event he describes here. On the other hand, perhaps he means to explain why such a multitude gathered around Jesus in a deserted place.

At that time the people were already beginning to assemble at known places and form caravans, so as to go up to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover.

This boy was probably a sort of camp provisioner. This sum was probably in the common purse kept by the apostles (Jn 12:6; Lk 8:3).

Drawn by the growing fame of the great prophet, they turned aside from the direct road and joined the other hearers. Christ was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep having no shepherd.

When He came ashore, He and His disciples went up the slope of the mountain and waited there until all the people had gathered. Then He went down to the people, taught them, preached about the kingdom of heaven, and healed the sick.

This is the miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Even this miracle John describes briefly (vv. 1-21), using it as the occasion for a detailed exposition (vv. 23-71) of Jesus Christ’s discourse with the people “on the bread of life,” that is, the Mystery of Holy Communion.

The events closest to the miraculous feeding of the people were the sending of the Apostles to preach, and their return to Jesus with news of their success, Mk 6:7, 30; Lk 9:2, 10. Another circumstance connected with the preaching of the disciples was the alarm of Herod Antipas. By his will the Forerunner was beheaded, Mt 14:12. This Herod was a ruler in name, but in reality the obedient servant of a wanton woman. He was as superstitious as he was sensual, as vain as he was soulless. Hearing of the preaching and miracles of Jesus, he anxiously said: “This is the Baptist risen from the dead.” Passionately attracted to the marvelous, he wished to see Jesus in order to be an eyewitness of His miracles, Lk 9:7, 9. It is understandable that the Lord Jesus wanted nothing to do with such an empty man. And so, both so that His disciples could rest in a solitary place and so that He might not meet the soulless Herod and his servants, He withdrew beyond the Sea of Galilee, Mk 6:14-16; Mk 6:31; Mt 2:13, a misprint in the original, more correctly Mt 14:1-2. The Slavonic translation, “He went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, of Tiberias,” is as inaccurate and obscure as the Russian: “He went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the region of Tiberias.” Before this, Jesus had been in Nazareth and its environs, Mt 13:54; Mk 6:5-6. Tiberias is four and a half hours northeast of Nazareth, and three hours south of Capernaum. All these places were on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Since Tiberias lay on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Plinius, Hist. 5, 15, Jesus could not, after crossing to the eastern shore, have been “in the region” of Tiberias. The Slavonic translation followed the thought of Zigabenus: “to the other side of the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias.” But in the original text there is no ητοι, “or.” Holding strictly to the text, one translates: Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, opposite Tiberias. According to St. Luke, Jesus withdrew to a deserted place near Bethsaida, Lk 9:10. John points out a mountain in this wilderness, where the disciples and the Savior rested, Jn 6:3. Bethsaida on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee was otherwise called Julias. It is known not only to Josephus, De bello Iud. 3, 10, 7, but also to Pliny, Hist. nat. 5, 15. Being in lower Gaulanitis, it belonged to the tetrarchy of Philip, Josephus, De bello 2, 9, 1; Antiq. 18, 2, 1. Consequently it was not under the authority of Herod Agrippa, the wretched murderer of the Forerunner. “And a great multitude followed Him.” According to St. Mark, “they ran there on foot from all the cities and arrived before them” Mk 6:33. Jesus and the disciples crossed to the eastern shore in a boat, Mt 14:13. The people went around the lake by land, yet arrived at the place before Jesus. “So great was their desire, so strong was their thirst, that they overcame every obstacle,” says Chrysostom. “Because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were sick.” In saying this, the Evangelist John assumes that his readers know from the other Gospels about the healings performed by the Savior before this time. And indeed, according to Lk 9:27 and following, and Mt 9:35 and following, many miracles had just been performed. Almost all of them consisted in the healing of the sick. In the wilderness of Bethsaida, according to Luke, the Savior “spoke” to those who came “about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.” St. Mark depicts the reality more precisely and vividly. “When Jesus came out” of the boat, “He saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them” Mk 6:34. John notes: “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.” Why is this noted? Most likely to explain why there was now such a large crowd around Jesus. People went to Jerusalem for Passover in whole caravans. These pilgrims, of course, hoped that the great Teacher would also go to Jerusalem for Passover, and that they would accompany Him. Yet the law prescribed celebrating Passover in Jerusalem. None of the circumstances that, according to tradition, exempted some from the Passover journey applied to Jesus Christ: illness, old age, blindness, or lameness. Nevertheless, Christ Jesus was not in Jerusalem for this Passover. In Himself He showed the Lord of the Sabbath and of the Passover. Or, as Chrysostom says, He did this “taking as the occasion the corruption of the Jews.” The miraculous feeding of the people that followed is described by all four Evangelists, Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:35-44; Lk 9:12-18. John supplements the description of the others with several particular details, though he also omits some things.

This is shown very clearly by the fact that the Lord spoke this in the synagogue at Capernaum, v. 59. There the leading and influential men were certainly Pharisees and scribes.

Although these “Jews” were at first moved by the Lord’s words, as we shall see below, the word was choked in them, or was snatched away by the enemy of mankind. Therefore they withdrew from the Lord, below vv. 60 and 66.

But the simple, untaught people followed Jesus in crowds, knowing in their hearts that He is the Lord. We note here that the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish took place twice.

The first time involved five loaves, Mt 14:13 and following; Mk 6:30; Lk 9:10. The other involved seven loaves, Mt 15 and 16:9-10. On the basis of the Lord’s clear words in Mt 16:9-10, we cannot confuse these two miracles.

The Evangelist John relates the first miracle, with the five loaves. Passover: see Jn 6:1.