Disciples Can Be Slow Learners

Welcome back to our study of Mark’s Gospel — Lessons in Discipleship. As I mentioned last week, this book isn’t just telling us what Jesus did — it’s also teaching us what our lives as disciples should look like.

And maybe this has you wondering: “How on earth is my life supposed to look like one of Jesus’ twelve disciples?” I’m not walking the dusty roads of Israel, listening to Jesus teach and watching Him perform miracles. I didn’t forsake everything in my life to travel and preach like Peter, James, or John. So how does my life resemble theirs?

Well, as we talked about last week —

We may not be physically following Jesus all over Galilee, learning from Him in person, but we learning from Him through the Word of God.

We may not face the same perils and persecution the original twelve endured, but make no mistake — our faith be tested through the trials of our own lives.

And while we may not be sent out as missionaries to preach the good news to every nation like the apostles, Jesus is still sending us. I want us to become more aware of the opportunities that we have everyday. We can have conversations about Jesus at work. We can talk about our church in the school pickup line. We can have spiritual conversations over coffee with old college friends.

And here is perhaps the biggest one: We can speak Jesus into the lives of people who are hurting. Because when people live apart from God, they inevitably reap the painful consequences of sin.

Look around — so many are carrying deep wounds:

Broken family relationships.

Divorce.

Addiction.

Abuse.

Sickness.

Death.

Grief. And the list goes on. Every single one of us knows someone walking through these valleys. These are the people we want to reach. These are the people who are watching our lives and see the difference God has made. These are the people who are most likely to listen — because deep down, they long for the hope that we have. People are desperate for hope in this broken and fallen world. And these are the people we have the best chance to reach.

I came across a clever one liner during my prep time, that I want to share.

“The cracks in people’s lives are the very places where the light of Christ can shine through.”

So, here is the point. Jesus is still sending us — not with sandals and scrolls. But He sends us out empowered by His grace and armed with His truth. We might not be following Him on ancient roads, but we can walk with Him everyday of our lives. And the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the message that He gives everlasting Life to whosoever believes in Him travels best across the bridge of relationships.

And at the beginning of next year, we are going to dive into greater detail on how we have these conversations, and really begin to focus as a church on reaching the people within our lives. But for now know this.

There are three elements of discipleship that are universal — true for every follower of Jesus, no matter when or where they lived:

Learning

Testing

Serving

Let’s briefly touch on each area.

1. Learning

All disciples must be learning from Jesus. For us, that comes through the study of God’s Word. We sit at His feet every time we open the Scriptures, letting His truth shape our minds and hearts.

2. Testing

All disciples will be tested. Just as the twelve faced storms, opposition, and doubts, we too will endure trials in our lives. The refiner’s fire is where our faith is strengthening and purified.

3. Serving

All disciples are called to serve. We carry on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ — proclaiming His name, and loving His people, until the day we die or the day He returns.

Remember, everything I’ve just said is discipleship truth. These are requirements to be a disciple of our Lord and Savior. This is what the Christian life looks like. These are not requirements to become a Christian. There is only one way to be born into God’s family and that is to believe in Jesus for eternal life. The second we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we belong to Him, and we are declared righteous by God. As Paul says, we are saved by grace through faith this is not of ourselves it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

When we talk about the areas of discipleship—learning, testing, and serving—we need to be clear: these are not requirements to get eternal life, to keep eternal life, or to prove we have eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift, received the moment we believe in Jesus. Discipleship, on the other hand, is about our faithfulness as followers of Christ. It’s about walking with Him day by day, so that when He returns, we’ll be found faithful and receive the rewards He promises in His coming kingdom.

Ok, with all that being said. Let’s start working our way towards our passage in Mark. Today, we are going to see the twelve demonstrate another very real aspect of discipleship, being slow to learn. This is one of the big takeaways from Mark’s Gospel, the disciples are slow to understand. In fact, in the coming chapters we are going to see Jesus teach things to HIs disciples repeatedly. And even then they don’t get it.

But here’s the encouragement: their slowness is not the end of the story. Jesus doesn’t give up on them. He keeps teaching, keeps correcting, keeps shaping them into the men who will one day turn the world upside down.

And if we’re honest, that’s good news for us too. Because discipleship is not going to be instant maturity — it’s about progressive growth under the faithful hand of the Master.

Jesus is patient with slow learners — and that’s good news for us.

So, in today’s text we are going to see Jesus perform another miraculous feeding. And it is similar in many ways to the feeding of the 5000 we saw back in chapter 6. Once again, Jesus has a crowd of people with Him in the wilderness listening to Him teaching, and once again they have nothing to eat. And as we will see in a moment Jesus is concerned about these people. In fact, Jesus tells His disciples that if He were to send the people away hungry, many might collapse on the journey home, since some had traveled long distances just to hear Him.

Now, you might think the disciples would have a light bulb moment here. Right. We expect them to say, “hey, we’ve been in this situation before. Here is this big hungry crowd of people in the middle of nowhere, let’s give a few loaves of bread to Jesus and he will be able to feed everybody”. But, do the disciples connect the dots? No. They certainly do not. Jesus expresses His concern for the crowd and the disciples just sit there and scratch their heads. They ask Jesus, “how can we satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

Now, some liberal scholars are so shocked that the disciples don’t seem to remember the previous feeding of the 5000 that they argue this can’t possibly be two different miracles. They conclude it must be the same event, simply recorded twice with slight variations. But this feeding is indeed another miracle, and as we move through the passage we will explore some of the key differences between the two miracles. But not only that, we will also consider why the disciples were so slow to understand that Jesus would feed this multitude again, just as He had done before.

But here is the takeaway: their slowness is not just a historical detail, it’s a spiritual mirror. Because how often do we, like them, forget what Jesus has already done in our lives, and doubt that He can do it again? Just like the original disciples we ourselves are slow to learn.

Ok, let’s get ready to jump into our text by praying for God to give us understanding. Let’s pray.

Mark 8:1–3 NKJV

1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

Now as we dig into the text, let’s talk about the very first thing Mark says, “In those days”. Well, what days was Mark talking about? He is referring to the days Jesus spent with the Gentiles. Remember Jesus has been in Gentile territory for some time now. His tour of Gentile country started back in Chapter 7 with the Syro-Phoenician woman. How long was Jesus teaching among the gentiles? I don’t think we can say from sure, but it was anywhere from several weeks or maybe even months.

And this is the first detail that separates this feeding from the one that occurred by in chapter 6. The feeding of the 5000 back in chapter 6 happened among the Jewish people. This is a different crowd. This crowd was made up of gentiles, which is important detail. Why? Because it let’s us know that Jesus’ kingdom would ultimately include the Gentiles as well.

These two miraculous feedings paint a vivid picture. First, Jesus comes to the nation of Israel, providing bread for His own people. But after ministering to them—and being rejected—He turns and feeds the Gentiles with bread. The symbolism is hard to miss. This predominantly Gentile crowd, fed in the wilderness, points forward to the church: a people drawn from every nation, fully satisfied by the bread that Jesus provides. In fact, Jesus speaks of other sheep that were not Jewish in John chapter 10. Listen to what He says in verse 16.

John 10:16 NKJV

16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

You see, the other sheep Jesus is speaking of, the ones “which are not of this fold” were gentiles. And here in Mark 8, the feeding of the four thousand gives us a living picture of that promise. This predominantly Gentile crowd in the wilderness represents those “other sheep” who would one day hear His voice. These gentile sheep together with believing Jews, they would form one flock under one Shepherd—the church. This is what this gentile crowd in the wilderness is pointing to, Christ’s church.

Now, I can’t move on without pausing to talk about the significance of the bread. You’ll have to follow me down a little rabbit trail here, but it’s worth it. If you’ve been paying attention over these last couple of chapters, you’ve probably noticed how often bread keeps coming up.

First, Jesus fed the Jewish crowd of five thousand with bread. Then, almost immediately, the religious authorities confronted Him, accusing His disciples of eating bread with defiled, unwashed hands. After that confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus left Jewish territory and entered Gentile country. And what’s the very first story we encounter there? A Gentile woman with a demon‑possessed daughter. And what does Jesus say to her? “It’s not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And now, still in predominantly Gentile territory, we see Him once again giving bread—this time to a Gentile crowd. Do you see the pattern? Bread is not just food in these chapters; it’s a symbol of something Christ first offered to Israel and then extended to the nations. Which begs the question.

What does the bread symbolize in these chapters?

I think the bread symbolizes Christ’s teaching and healing ministry. He first came to the nation of Israel, declaring Himself to be the Messiah and confirming His identity through miraculous works. Then after He is rejecting we see Him feeding the gentiles bread. But here is what we need to understand. The bread, is spiritual in nature—it represents what both Jews and Gentiles alike must receive in order to enter the kingdom. How does a Jewish person enter Christ’s eternal kingdom? By believing in Jesus for eternal life. How does a Gentile person enter Christ’s eternal kingdom? By believing in Jesus for eternal life. As Jesus ministered to both groups, He extended to each the same offer of eternal life. In other words, the bread He gave to both Jews and Gentiles alike was nothing less than His message of life.

And we don’t have to guess about the meaning of the bread, because John’s Gospel gives us some insight. Right after Jesus fed the five thousand, John records what happened the very next day. Some of the people who had eaten that bread came looking for Him again—but they weren’t seeking Him as the Messiah. They were simply looking for another handout, more physical bread.

But when they come asking, Jesus redirects them. He tells them not to labor for food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. In other words, He urges them to be less concerned with physical bread and more concerned with the bread that truly satisfies forever. And listen to how they respond as we pick up the story in John 6, beginning in verse 34.

John 6:34–35 NKJV

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Here is the point. Jesus Himself is the bread of life. In that culture, bread was a symbol of physical life. People ate it everyday. Without bread they would starve to death. And Jesus plays on the physical life giving qualities of bread to present a deeper spiritual truth. In effect, He is saying to them, “you need bread to sustain your physical lives, but I’m offering you something much more important. You need bread that gives eternal life. And I am the bread of eternal life. In other words, bread gives you physical life, but I’m offering you eternal life. I am the bread of life. And he makes it unmistakable clear how a person receives the bread He offers. He says, He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. All of what Jesus is teaching here is a metaphor for how a person receives eternal life. How does that happen? They believe in Jesus for it. And just in case these verses are clear enough look what Jesus says a few verses later. These are some of my favorite verses in the Bible.

John 6:47–48 NKJV

47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.

Here is the point. Jesus feeds both the Jews and the gentiles bread while He teaches them. But, what they needed way more than the physical bread He fed them with was the spiritual bread that He offered through His teaching. And I have no doubt that when Jesus taught to both of these crowds, Jew and gentile, it included this Message. “He who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life”. Amen and Amen. So I will ask you a question have you received the bread Jesus offers? Have you believed in Him for eternal life? For once you do, Jesus says, you “will never hunger”. And what He means by that is, once a person believes they possess eternal life that can never be lost. Praise God for His mercy and grace!

Ok, let get back to Mark.

Mark 8:1–3 NKJV

1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

Look at what Jesus says in verse 2. He says, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days...” The three days is another detail that differentiates the first feeding from the second. In the first feeding back in chapter 6 the crowds had only been with Jesus for one day. But this crowd has been with the Lord for 3 days in the wilderness. They have followed the Lord for days and they have now run out of food.

Let me pause here and give another point on discipleship.

Following Jesus will often require us to get out of our comfort zone

Think about what is being pictured here. At the end of chapter 7 Jesus heals the deaf man could couldn’t speak, and this is a picture that these gentile ears had been opened. They are soaking up the Lord’s teaching for three days. In other words, they were willing to deal with all kinds of physical discomfort to follow the Lord and hear His teaching. They were sticking with him even though they were now experiencing physical hunger and lack of comfort. Jesus is worried if He sent them away, “they will faint”, on the way home.

You see, these Gentiles provide a powerful example for every believer who desires to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. These people were willing to pay the price—enduring physical discomfort and even going without food—just to hear Him teach. That is what true discipleship looks like, Church. It means following Jesus wherever that path may lead. It means stepping into opportunities to serve, even when the thought terrifies us. It means sacrificing our personal time and energy to sit at His feet and learn His Word. It means loosening our grip on worldly desires, passions, and plans in order to fully pursue Him. The gift of eternal life is free, but discipleship will cost us something. And let me go ahead and testisy here. It is worth every worldly thing you give up. In fact, there is nothing in this world that is worth pursuing over the Lord. This world is passing away, but the rewards Jesus will give His faithful followers in the next life are eternal. We are serving the Lord faithfully for eternal rewards in His kingdom that will never pass away. Don’t miss out on eternal rewards for temporary worldly pleasures.

Ok, I need to keep us moving. Let’s study the next few verses starting at verse 4.

Mark 8:4–5 NKJV

4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

Once again, this slowness on the part of the disciples makes us scratch our heads. I mean in our minds it seems impossible that they aren’t catching on here that Jesus was going to fed the multitude. But I want to point out a couple of things. Number one, the last miraculous feeding would have been several months before this one. And they would have constantly been around crowds that Jesus didn’t feed. But here is something else I want to point out. This crowd was full of gentiles, and these disciples had been trained there entire lives not to eat with gentiles. In fact, they might not have wanted Jesus to feed this crowd. Remember, Jewish people looked down on gentiles and eating with them was unthinkable.

So, the disciples slowness here was probably once again tied to all the religious baggage they were carrying. And if you go back and study the feeding of the 5000, it was the disciples who came to Jesus and said we need to send these people home. They are hungry and they’ve been with us all day. In other words, they were concerned about the Jewish crowd. But this time around it is Jesus who was concerned about the crowd. It says, Jesus had compassion on them and was worried about them having no food after three days. The point is the disciples don’t seem overly concerned with whether or not this crowd has food or not.

The disciples were undeniably slow to grasp what was about to happen, but it is very possible that their religious upbringing had blinded them to the Lord’s plan to care for this non‑Jewish crowd. Their cultural training had conditioned them to see Gentiles as outsiders, unworthy of fellowship, let alone of sharing a meal. Yet Jesus was about to shatter those barriers, demonstrating that His bread wasn’t just for Israel, but for all people.

And this brings us to the title of today’s lesson.

Disciples can be slow learners

You see, all of us just like these disciples can be hard headed and slow to learn. Let’s face it, we can all be stubborn at times. And we all bring strongly held opinions to the Bible, and a lot of times we’re convinced the Bible says this or the Bible says that, but we’ve never really searched the scriptures ourselves to see if that is what the Bible actually says. And frankly, the more I study these accounts of the disciples, the more I convinced that all the religious training they had growing up made extremely difficult to understand. At times they were like that deaf and mute man. They just couldn’t hear and understand because it was going against everything they had been taught their entire lives.

Legacy, we aren’t going to be those people anymore. We are going to study our Bibles and find out what the Bible actually says, and we are going to discard every bit of religious tradition that contradicts the Bible. We all have baggage, and we are all going to learn together, but each of us as individuals have the responsibility to get in the word and make sure what we are being taught lines up with the Bible. Here is another one of my favorite verses.

Acts 17:11 NKJV

11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Let’s read on.

Mark 8:6–7 NKJV

6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

Ok, another huge discipleship lesson here. I want us to pay close attention to the how Jesus feeds the crowd. Look at the end of verse six. It says, He gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

Now don’t miss this—this is the heart of the lesson. How does Jesus feed the multitude? He places the bread in the hands of His disciples, and then the disciples place the bread in the hands of the people. That is discipleship. Jesus gives to us, and we in turn give to others.

Jesus offers His bread to the world through the hands of His disciples.

“Jesus feeds the world through the hands of His disciples. He gives to us, so we can give to others. He places bread in our hands, so we can place it in theirs.”

Church, we are entrusted with the message of Life. We are given the bread as we study the word of God. And just like the original twelve we are sent to give it out. Show others the reason for the hope you have. Let the light of Christ shine through you to all the hurting people around you. Reach the people in your lives. Tell them about the eternal life that Jesus offers simply by believing in Him.

Last read our last few verses for the day.

Mark 8:8–10 NKJV

8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

I want to close this morning this an amazing detail. The disciples bring Jesus seven loaves to feed this crowd. And notice it says, so they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. In the previous feeding of the 5000 the disciples take up 12 leftover baskets.

What do the number 12 and 7 symbolize?

Well, the 12 baskets tie directly to the twelve tribes of Israel. In other words, God’s bread was sufficient to feed the nation of Israel. But what about these seven baskets? Here is an interesting detail, the nation of Israel was once inhabited by seven Gentile nations. That is was back in the OT when it was called the land of Canaan. Well, given the fact that this was a gentile crowd we can say that these seven baskets symbolize that God’s bread would be sufficient for the gentile nations as well. In other words, the bread of Jesus is not limited to one people group; Jesus’ bread is for whosoever will believe. Amen.

And here is one more little detail. In Scripture, seven often symbolizes completeness, fullness, or perfection (Genesis 2:2–3; Leviticus 4:6; Revelation 1:4). Here, the seven loaves point to the sufficiency of Christ’s provision—He is the Bread of Life who fully satisfies both Jew and Gentile.

The seven loaves and seven baskets symbolize the fullness of Christ’s provision for the Gentiles, just as the twelve baskets symbolized His provision for Israel. Together, the two feedings proclaim that the Bread of Life is more than enough for the whole world.

Isn’t God amazing? Let’s pray.