Sometimes as we read the New Testament, it’s easy to judge the disciples as clueless, but how often do we find ourselves frustrated or fretting over something we know with God’s help we can handle because He’s helped us with it in the past?!
The reason they didn’t have the faith to see Jesus was going to feed the 4000 and didn’t understand his teachings and didn’t like what he predicted for the future was they were more in tune with this world than the invisible Kingdom of God.
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This episode was filmed in India where those who follow Jesus are sharing about the One True God to people who believe in many gods much like the Christians in Rome that Mark was writing.
Video:
Mark 8 Notes:
Jesus has compassion on the crowd that’s been with him for 3 days so he decides to feed them. Even though the disciples had experienced the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, they still seem a bit perplexed or frustrated with Jesus who is wanting to feed the 4000 people even though they seemingly don’t have enough food. Once again Jesus miraculously multiplied the little they had into an abundance to where there was much left over.
Jesus then warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees using yeast as an analogy because of the way it can spread. The disciples thought he was talking to them about the fact they didn’t have any bread.
Sometimes as we read the New Testament, it’s easy to judge the disciples as clueless, but how often do we find ourselves frustrated or fretting over something we know with God’s help we can handle because He’s helped us with it in the past?!
Jesus heals a blind man with a two step process which is interesting because we know He can heal instantaneously. I don’t think Jesus didn’t try hard enough the first time. Perhaps it’s a reminder that sometimes healing is not always complete in the moment but sometimes take time or even a process.
Peter declares Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus then let’s them know the Messiah came to suffer, die, and rise from the dead.
That’s not what the disciples wanted to hear so Peter takes him aside privately and rebukes him. To which Jesus says:
“Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mark 8:33 NIV)
Yikes! Peter didn’t realize it, but he was more in line with the thinking of the darkness of this world than having his mind and heart concerned about the new kingdom and the ways of God!
So Jesus then explains that all who follow Him must be willing to lay down their life for others.
The reason they didn’t have the faith to see Jesus was going to feed the 4000 and didn’t understand his teachings and didn’t like what he predicted for the future was they were more in tune with this world than the invisible Kingdom of God.
Are we caught up in our human concerns?
How can we have a more fuller picture of God’s ways and His kingdom in our lives?
