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Mark: Do you still not understand []
Stand for the reading of the word of God []
Repetition is a wonderful and effective teacher.
Sometimes on the first, second, and even the third attempt we fail to get it.
If you’re a slow learner like me it may be in the double digits before the lesson finally sinks in.
Well, if you’re like me in that way don’t be discouraged, you’re in good company.
The disciples of Jesus were the same way.
If upon reading this section of scripture you have a sense of deja vu or feel we’ve been here before in our study of Mark, you’re right.
Chapter 8, the beginning of it anyway, parallels the same type of events in chapter 6-7.
Now they are not the same events, but the same type of events.
For example
Feeding of a great multitude 6:30-44||8:1-9
A boat trip 6:45-56||8:10
Confrontation with the Pharisees 7:1-23||8:11-13
A conversation about bread 7:24-30||8:14-21
A miraculous healing 7:31-36||8:22-26
A significant confession 7:37||8:27-29 [we didn’t read]
While these events likely happened in this order, I believe Mark is using them in this way for the purpose of theology [the study of God], especially as it relates to discipleship.
The lesson Mark is laying out for us is this...
Remembering what we have seen the Lord do in the past should help us trust Him in the present.
It’s s simple but useful lesson, unfortunately, we often still don’t understand do we??? Sometimes we forget and are even hard-hearted, in spite of seeing the Lord work in the past, often think He can’t handle the present.
Sometimes we just don’t get it!
The next four events in Mark prepare us for the great confession of Peter, “you are the Christ.”
Which is a turning point in Marks gospel, we said at the very beginning of our study through Mark that is the turning point or second half of the gospel’s message…that Jesus is the Christ.
We’ll get to that next time.
But for today’s study, we’ll kind of fly over these 26 verses at a distance, we won’t get into every detail but look at them as a whole lesson preparing us for the great confession.
Jesus has the solution, but we tend to focus on the problem []
The first 10 verses are on the feeding of the 4,000.
This is different than the feeding of the 5,000.
Some skeptics say this is the same event, but just a glance at the detail and you’ll see it’s not the same event.
For example,
Feeding of the 5,000 Feeding of the 4,000
Feeding of the 5,000 Feeding of the 4,000
5,000 men [15,000-20,000] 4,000 people total
5 loaves and 2 fish 7 loaves and a few small fish
1 day in the wilderness 3 days in the wilderness
spring time/North Galilee no time/SE of Galilee [Decapolis]
12 baskets leftover 7 baskets leftover
one prayer two prayers
mostly Jews mostly Gentile
and finally Jesus clearly states there were two feedings in .
I think the two different feedings are significant theologically as well…yes Jesus is the long awaited Jewish Messiah…but He’s also the savior of the world.
Now there’s a simple lesson learned from this feeding that also points out that sometimes as followers of Jesus we still don’t understand Him.
The lesson…Jesus has the solution, but we tend to focus on the problem.
How true is this?
How often do we focus on the problem and not on Jesus?
I did it while I was stuck in New York trying to get my passport.
I was trying to focus on Jesus but all I could see was the problem…and while I was in the airplane flying to Tel Aviv, I prayed “Lord forgive me for doubting you and focusing on the problem and not you.”
We’ll the disciples did the same thing, even though they had seen Jesus solve this problem before they still focused on the problem… “how can we feed these people in this wilderness?”
On one hand they were right, they couldn’t, but Jesus could, because Jesus cares.
Those two words are music to my ears…Jesus cares.
As we sing in our hymnals, Jesus knows all about our struggles; He will guide till the day is done.
There’s not a friend like Jesus, no not one.
Not only does he know and guide, he cares and has compassion.
Jesus own words, I have compassion on these people.
He knows their need just as he knows our need…Jesus cares, and...
Jesus own words, I have compassion on these people.
He knows their need just as he knows our need…Jesus cares.
Jesus provides.
Once again Jesus involves his disciples in the problem.
It’s another teachable moment.
Sometimes Jesus involves us with the problem so we may learn to trust His provision.
We may not like that, but Jesus cares for us to much to leave us where we are, he wants to bring us to where He is.
Praise God for that.
So Jesus calls the disciples to himself, tells them his heart [compassion], explains the situation, and the twelve respond in unbelief…how can we do anything.
And the irony is that’s a good place to be, to be in the place were we say, “Lord I can do nothing…you are the only hope.” are you in that place?
Or are you still trying to solve everything in you’re own power…surrender to Jesus…surrender to His care, thank him for daily provision and trust him as you sole and sufficient provider…he will provide for you need.
Jesus satisfies.
there’s a wonderful sentence in verse 8, “they ate and were filled.”
Those who followed Jesus were not just provided for they were satisfied.
Jesus satisfies all who follow him.
However, even though Jesus satisfies there are still some who don’t get it and reject Him as Lord.
Unbelievers demand a sign but reject the word of God []
Mark abruptly interrupts this miraculous event with the religious Gestapo-the Pharisees.
We’ve seen this before in Mark, in chapter 2, 3, and 7 these self-righteous men once again a thorn in Jesus side.
In spite of the numerous miracles, and teachings that give overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah…they reject the living word of God.
In reality they’re stance is, “our minds are made up about Jesus and the facts will not get in the way of that.”
There are those today who still have that mindset.
Refuse to believe the overwhelming evidence of Jesus as Messiah.
So what do they do...
They test the Lord.
Mark says they began to argue with Jesus and test him…they wanted a sign from heaven.
Well the reality is they didn’t want a sign, Jesus had been performing signs all over the place, they wanted to discredit him before the people.
It’s one thing to put the Lord to a test in faith [I’m going to trust you in this].
It’s quite another to test the Lord in unbelief [prove to me who you say you are], that’s what these guys are doing.
Jesus doesn’t play those games.
Teachers know if a student asking a question has a legitimate desire to know a thing or if they’re just trying to waste the teachers time and make the teacher look foolish…Jesus knew what these men were about as well.
You see a contrast between Jesus’ response to the crowd which was compassion and Jesus response to the Pharisees which was frustration.
If you come to the Lord looking for reasons not to believe him don’t be surprised when you get nothing from Him. Jesus doesn’t play games.
They grieve the Lord.
For the second time in two chapters it’s recorded that Jesus sighed with deep emotion.
If we remember when an emotional response like this is recorded about Jesus, it’s rare, it’s usually because of the effects of sin upon humanity.
Here Jesus is grieved by those who refuse the evidence, who refuse to hear, who refuse to see, and remain hard-hearted towards the Lord Jesus.
Remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus?
The rich man died and was in hell and asked the Lord to warn his family…but the Lord told him…they have Moses and the prophets, if they won’t believe them they won’t believe even if someone would rise from the dead.
i.e. they have the word of God and if they won’t believe the word of God no miraculous sign will convince them either.
Faith comes by the word of God.
When God’s word is truly taught then God’s voice is truly heard.
Do you believe that?
I do!
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