Mark 8:14-21 (ESV) 14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
I’ve been studying John chapter six, the feeding of the five thousand in particular, and it occurred to me Jesus did nothing but feed the people and leave. This seemed odd to me since miracles in the Bible are done to either endorse the person God is using to perform the miracle or the message he carries. John mentioned neither of these. God often uses the “odd” things I run across in my studies to teach me. I pursued it.
The simple answer is that Jesus did teach the people according to another passage about the miracle in Mark:
Mark 6:34 (ESV) When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
During my research, though, I discovered the passage in Mark chapter eight above. It mentions the miracle of feeding the five thousand, so I thought there was more to learn here. There certainly is.
How often do we hear a promise of God and treat it with unbelief. This one, for instance:
Eph 4:19-20 (ESV) And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
The disciples knew Jesus could multiply the bread if need be. They had seen Him do it, yet they argued about what to do about the bread. I see myself so much in this. I look at the problem before me rather than the Problem Solver beside me. From the initial passage above, it seems Jesus was getting a little frustrated by the disciples looking at worldly solutions to life’s little problems, and missing a meal was a little problem.
Jesus wanted them to see the greater picture, the evil the Pharisees were teaching. I think this was a lesson Jesus repeated often to His disciples, but it didn’t sink in. There they were looking at material problems again. “Do you not yet understand?” may be an indication of Jesus’ frustration with these guys.
Why is this important?
How often do we stare aimlessly at some physical problem when Jesus is asking “Do you not yet understand?” Our job is not to sit on our hands but to deal with spiritual problems, the teaching of others, uplifting and encouraging others, sharing the gospel with others, in short: loving others. Instead, we’re looking at short term problems of this world rather than eternal consequences of obeying the God we serve. Though God knows in advance all we do and will do, it may still not set rightly with Him that we hear His promises to provide but don’t really listen or apply them to our lives.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 