JORAS - Nigerian Journal of Religion and Society

Mark 6:30–34 is a summary report providing a transition to a larger unit of the feeding miracle in 6:35–44, which is a reminiscent of several OT passages such as the miraculous feeding of the people in the wilderness (see Exod 16; Pss 78:18–30; 105:40) and the feeding miracles of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kgs 17:8–16; 2 Kgs 4:1–7, 42–44). But this designation places too much structural weight on Jesus' teaching (6:34) as the concluding element in tandem with the disciples' report of their teaching in 6:30 rather than recognizing the former as an integral part of 6:35–44. This division also fails materially to correspond to the change in subjects from the disciples in 6:30 to Jesus in 6:34 where it is stated, “He began to teach them.” Jesus' teaching then becomes a superscript for a miracle (see 1:21–27; 6:2) indicating the didactic force of Jesus' miracles for Mark (see 6:52). His teachings focus on situations that distort the divine image which every human being bears. Jesus' compassion towards the crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd and his move to give them the right 'food' by teaching them brings out his being a teacher par excellence. Some argue that the most in?uential people in any society are its teachers. By the principles they teach and by the patterns they set, they shape society. This presupposes the fact that Nigeria, also, cannot grow without a determined effort by citizens to “build” it. This article studies the teaching ministry of Jesus in Mark 6:30-34 in the Nigerian context. To do this, the work employs the literary critical and contextual methods of biblical exegesis.

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