Bede

“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

“And he said to them: Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? They are rightly reproached, who were afraid with Christ present, since certainly whoever adheres to him cannot perish.”

And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.

“And they began to ask him to depart from their region. The Gerasenes, aware of their own frailty, judged themselves unworthy of the Lord's presence, not grasping the word of God, nor yet able to bear the weight of wisdom with their still weak minds.”

And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years.

“And a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years. The woman flowing with blood, but cured by the Lord, is the Church gathered from the Gentiles, which was polluted by the innate flow of carnal pleasures and was already separated from the…”

And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.

“(ubi sup.) Because they chose rather to laugh at than to believe in this saying concerning her resurrection, they are deservedly excluded from the place, as unworthy to witness His power in raising her, and the mystery of her rising; wherefore it goes on, But…”

and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic.

“(ubi sup.) Again, by the two tunics He seems to me to mean two sets of clothes; not that in places like Scythia, covered with the ice and snow, a man should be content with only one garment, but by coat, I think a suit…”

And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.

“And he said to them: Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. In Matthew it is written thus: Whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave (Matthew 10).”

So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous…

“(ubi sup.) For Herodias was afraid, lest Herod should repent at some time, or be reconciled to his brother Philip, and so the unlawful marriage be divorced. It goes on, For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy.”

On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

“(ubi sup.) The only men whom we read of, as celebrating their birthdays with festive joys are Herod and Pharaoh, but each, with an evil presage, stained his birthday with blood; Herod, however, with so much the greater wickedness, as he slew the holy and…”

And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

“(ubi sup.) His oath does not excuse his murder, for perchance his reason for swearing was, that he might find an opportunity for slaying, and if she had demanded the death of his father and mother, he surely would not have granted it.”

So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison.

“Now Herod was not ashamed to bring before his guests the head of a murdered man; but we do not read of such an act of madness in Pharaoh.”

When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

“Upon hearing this, his disciples came, took away his body, and placed it in a tomb. Josephus reports that John, being bound, was taken to the fortress of Machaerus, where he was beheaded.”

Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught.

“And the apostles, gathering together, reported to Jesus all that they had done and taught. Not only did the apostles report to the Lord what they had done and taught themselves, but also what John suffered while they were engaged in teaching, or his own…”

And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.”

“(ubi sup.) How arose the necessity for giving rest to His disciples, He shows, when He adds, For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat; we may then see how great was the happiness of that…”

By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.

“(ubi sup.) Again, in a mystical sense, the Saviour refreshes the hungry crowds at the day's decline, because, either now that the end of the world approaches, or now that the Sun of justice has set in death for us, we are saved from wasting…”

And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves.

“Now those who ate were five thousand men. Because there are five senses of the outer human being, the five thousand men who followed the Lord signify those who, though still in a secular condition, know how to use well the external things they possess.”

After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.

“(in Marc. 2, 28) Not every man, however, who prays goes up into a mountain, but he alone prays well, who seeks God in prayer.”

for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

“And immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.”

Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded,

“And they were even more astounded within themselves. For they had not understood about the loaves. For their hearts were hardened.”

As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was.

“(ubi sup.) But they knew Him by report, not by His features; or through the greatness of His miracles, even His person was known to some.”

Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.

“(ubi sup.) Or he is deaf and dumb, who neither has ears to hear the words of God, nor opens his mouth to speak them, and such must be presented to the Lord for healing, by men who have already learned to hear and speak…”

“I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

“(ubi sup.) The typical difference between this feeding and the other of the five loaves and two fishes, is, that there the letter of the Old Testament, full of spiritual grace, is signified, but here the truth and grace of the New Testament, which is…”

And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set…

“And he commanded the crowd to recline on the ground. Earlier, during the feeding of the five loaves, the crowd reclined on the green grass; now, when they are to be fed with seven loaves, they are commanded to recline on the ground, because through…”

The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

“And they ate and were satisfied. They eat of the Lord's loaves and fishes, and are satisfied, those who, hearing the words of God and observing examples, hasten to be stirred and to rise to the advancement of a more correct life through these things.”

Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.

“(in Marc. 2, 33) The Pharisees, then, seek a sign from heaven, that He, Who had for the second time fed many thousands of men with a few loaves of bread, should now, after the example of Moses, refresh the whole nation in the last…”

Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

“(ubi sup.) For a sign from heaven was not to be given to a generation of men, who tempted the Lord; but to a generation of men seeking the Lord, He shows a sign from heaven, when in the sight of the Apostles He ascended…”