Mark 8:17-18 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? English Standard Version (ESV)
Our men's Bible study has been going through the book of John one passage at a time. One of the focuses as we've gone through John's gospel has been on the questions that Jesus asks, of the disciples, of Pharisees and of people that come across Jesus path in the course of life, questions like "do you love me more than these? and after He stated I am the resurrection and the life "do you believe this".
In today's passage in Mark 8 we have perhaps the most condensed group of questions that Jesus asks of anyone in the Bible. It is addressed to his disciples in the midst of performing miracles of feeding the four thousand in the beginning of Mark 8 and healing a blind man immediately following this exchange. The way this is done is in keeping with the gospel of Mark in general. It is a rapid fire book, going from encounter to encounter, often using the word "immediately" to join events together.
It is easy to read these questions in rapid fire order and not stop to think of what He is asking and what it meant to the disciples. It would not hurt, and perhaps we should ask these same questions of ourselves as a check up on how we are doing at following.
Looking at these questions, when was the last time you found yourself asking why you didn't have, why hadn't God given you something you "need", need being the operative word? Based on our Bible knowledge and Jesus' teachings how often do we not perceive or understand things as we fail to apply what we've learned in our lives? Could our hearts have been hardened, calloused by the world we live in? Don't we see in His Word and hear from in in sermons and yet fail to implement these things in our lives? Do we remember what we've learned and apply it in situation?
These thoughts brought me to the old hymn "Open My Eyes that I May See", I'll close with some of the words.
| Open my eyes that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key That shall unclasp and set me free. | |
| Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine! | |
| Open my ears that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wave notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear. | |
| Open my mind that I may read More of Thy love in word and deed; What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead? Only for light from Thee I plead. |
Blessings, Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Mark 8:14-21English Standard Version (ESV)
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."[a] 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
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