Jesus - A Glimpse Of God Part 19

Jesus Teaches His Disciples 1

Welcome back to our series, AGOG – A Glimpse of God. We are on Day 19 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Mark 8:13-26 He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!” They had been discussing with one another that they didn’t have any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you catch on? Are your minds closed? Are you blind and deaf? Don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?” They told him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?” They answered him, “Seven.” He asked them, “Don’t you catch on yet?” As they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him. Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. He spit into the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. Jesus asked him, “Can you see anything?” The man looked up and said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and the man saw clearly. His sight was normal again. He could see everything clearly even at a distance.  Jesus told him when he sent him home, “Don’t go into the village.”

Jesus and His disciples have now crossed the Sea of Galilee. Jesus on the journey across the sea had warned them about the yeast of the Pharisees, Sadducees and King Herod. Why does Jesus include King Herod? Jesus mentioned King Herod because he was a fickle ruler who was mean and treacherous. Herod would do everything to compromise with others for his own benefit alone. Both groups had wanted further signs from Jesus! The Pharisees and Sadducees as we saw yesterday! Herod we discover later from Luke 23, had longed for Jesus to give him a further sign!

The yeast talked about by Jesus was their hypocrisy and evil. This was seen in evidence in our last study where they asked Jesus for a sign. Yeast in the New Testament is often used to illustrate evil. A little evil can spread a long way, much like yeast can in bread. Just as false teaching can decimate a church. Jesus was also warning his disciples to be convinced of the signs they had already seen, without coveting yet more signs!

The disciples however, were discussing between themselves the problem of not having enough food. They were thinking that the yeast Jesus was talking about was yeast which went into bread. Jesus knew what they were talking about. They had obviously forgotten that they had witnessed the great feeding of the masses, and that Jesus had the power to feed them. No wonder Jesus seems exasperated with them and rebukes them! It is as if he is saying to them “Look,guys! Don’t you realise who I am yet? Even though we have been together for a while now! Two times you have been with me and collected the leftovers after we fed the crowds together!”

Oh the disciples had seen and heard but they still were lacking spiritual discernment and were spiritually blind and deaf. Their hearts were still hardened towards him in that aspect for now. It was also an act of ingratitude towards Jesus, that having twice seen bread created from nothing, they were now showing anxiety about not having enough bread.

Then as if to exacerbate the point, Mark puts here a little story that isn’t in the other gospels. When they get to Bethsaida, a blind man is bought to Jesus. First Jesus heals his eyes in part. The man looks and sees people walking as if they were trees, so there is no clarity yet with his vision – but at least he can see in part! Then a second time, Jesus heals the man’s eyes fully and his sight is restored. Jesus didn’t want to be seen as only a healer and miracle worker, so he tells the man not to say anything.

Mark is making the point that the disciples at this time were like that blind man. They were like the man at the first stage of his healing. They couldn’t see the spiritual truths and lacked understanding. To the disciples at this time, Jesus was still only a miracle worker, wise man, prophet and healer. It would not be until later that they would fully see!

What about you? Again, I ask, who do you say Jesus is? What are you waiting for? Jesus is offering you free eternal salvation, by grace alone through faith alone! The choice is yours! Jesus loves you and because He loves you, He will not force you to love Him in return! But His love is compelling and He is calling you to come and take up His free offer of eternal life! It is not too late! Today can be the day of your salvation and new life! Are you going to acknowledge Him as your saviour or are you going to merely put him aside as a miracle worker or man of wisdom?

Come back tomorrow for Day 20 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together at that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We will see together, another example of Jesus teaching his disciples... See you soon!

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