Mark 8:17- 21 “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? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" NIV
One thing is certain about Jesus He did not have any difficulty being direct when He chose to! This passage is not really focused on bread it is focused on having a hard heart! Many people get caught up with considering the miracles of the bread and what they state about Jesus but the point of Jesus’ commentary is His amazement that the disciples could see so much and understand so little!
Jesus is instructing His disciples about the need to protect their hearts from the corrupting influence of the Pharisees’ way of thinking. He has related it to the influence of leaven and as a result His disciples are now focused on their own mistake in forgetting to bring along the leftovers. How like us this seems to be. At times it is very comforting to see that the disciples struggled with the same issues that many of us struggle with 2000 years later. As Jesus begins to teach them, their discussion quickly turns to the question of whether this instruction is being given because of their failure to bring the remaining bread from His list miracle. Instead of seeing the point, their eyes are focused on their failure even though Jesus has moved on and is trying to teach them a different lesson already. How often do we do the same thing, carrying the weight of our self-chastisement along with us even though the Lord has already moved on to the next subject; His efforts to instruct us being blocked by our own sense of prolonged guilt!?
Jesus’ reaction is fascinating, much like a perturbed teacher who is growing impatient with His student’s failure to understand the material even after such obvious instructions. “Why are you talking about having no bread?” Jesus is trying to change their focus to the real issues but by implication they are still trying to resolve who is going to be blamed for failing to bring the bread along! Jesus wants to teach, we want to find someone to blame!
“Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” Jesus is saying “wow guys, you are missing the point entirely!” He then goes on to remind them that He has already multiplied the bread twice so why would He be worried about having enough bread! In other words “let it go guys!” Jesus wastes no time however in identifying the real issues at hand. “Men you have a heart problem!” After all that they have seen they are still thinking wrongly about who God is and how He thinks. That is the grievous nature of this heart issue that Jesus is confronting. Their conclusions in the midst of this exchange are an indictment against God and His character!
These men have witnessed both the generosity and power of God now on multiple occasions and they are still reacting to Jesus’ comments as if somehow they might be in danger of running out of supplies. Haven’t they witnessed enough to know that God is both willing and able to manifest His promises? Jesus is demonstrating what Paul will write in Phil 4:19 a few decades later “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” KJV Jesus is trying to get these men to guard their hearts and they are busy trying to guard the bread! Now do you see Jesus’ frustration?
God wants your heart. God is jealous for the purity of your inner man. He is longing for you to steward your heart as the foundation of all that you are. In Luke 12:22-26 Jesus emphasized a God confident life to His disciples. "…Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” God’s part is to provide. Our part is to offer Him a heart that is trained in righteousness. Let’s do our part and rest in God for everything else!
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