We jump into chapter 8 this Sunday morning as we continue our journey through Mark's Gospel. What are some of your thoughts, questions, observations...?
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, Mark 8:1
“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:2
If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” Mark 8:3
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Mark 8:4
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. Mark 8:5
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. Mark 8:6
They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. Mark 8:7
The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Mark 8:8 About four thousand men were present.
And having sent them away, Mark 8:9
he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:10
The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. Mark 8:11
He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Mark 8:12 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. Mark 8:13
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Mark 8:14
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” Mark 8:15
They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Mark 8:16
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Mark 8:17
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? Mark 8:18
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied. Mark 8:19
“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” Mark 8:20
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:21
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
oh, about the Pharisees wanting a sign - I just read in my Dallas Willard (Hearing God) book about signs! He mentions the many times that Jesus was asked to perform signs and miracles and He refused. Willard suggested that perhaps He refused because He knew that the miracle would be wasted on the doubters. If you're predispositions to believe you will, if you're predispositioned to doubt, the miracle will be scrutinized and do no good. More hardened hearts.
My question, if they picked up so much bread after the crowd left, why did they only have one loaf on the boat? And who has hardened their hearts? Were they just hardened because they refused to see? Did Satan harden them? In Genesis, didn't God Himself harden Pahraoh's heart? (I'm not sure about that. I guess I need to re-read Genesis) So many questions, so little time! I need to read more! :)
there go the disiples doubting again. but i can't help to think that i would, too.
maybe they were confused by the fact that he wouldn't show a sign to the pharisees, and weren't sure what kind of situation would have to be present for jesus to perform miracles.
maybe they only had one loaf because they were expecting another miracle but got thrown off track with the whole pharisees deal.
Interesting how Jesus says, "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod" when His most recent miracle was bread related.
Of couse He is dissapointed when all the disciples can think about is food!
He is trying to tell them not to worry about food. Reminding them of what they have just seen, Him feeding five thousand with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. And yet, there was always food left over.
I'm wondering if at this point He is having second thoughts about the disciples belief in Him. There he is asking his "inner circle" if their hearts are hard. Here, they had just seen this miracle of him taking food that would feed twelve and making it feed thousands. Yet, whan they are in the boat they cannot remember that it had been done? I can see how Jesus would be frustrated at his disciples.
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
I want to finish that sentence with - there will always be enough for you.
“Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.”
What good is faith if you need a miracle to believe? It's not faith at all if you have to see to believe.
It is incredible to me that the crowd would stay out there for three days without food. Or that they would travel a far distance to hear Jesus speak. Isn't that awesome! I want to believe that I would be one of those people or maybe I need to be one of those "kinds" of people now. How much are we really willing to give up and sacrafice just to hear Jesus?
I often read passages like this and get irritated with the disciples. Come on you actually get to see the miracles and hear Jesus speak everyday!! Yet, they still miss it. In all fairness I miss Jesus everyday. So many of things He tries to show me and I miss it. Some I catch later as I reflect others are gone forever.
Jesus is so much bigger than I think we can wrap our minds around. Thankfully he did not give up on the diciples no matter how diappointed he may have been. Which gives me a tremendous amount of hope.
I would also like to hear more about the hardened hearts.
Post a Comment