Mark 8:1-26

At this point in Mark's gospel, we are approaching a turning point.

And he has turned his attention evermore to the development of his disciples.

And to prepare well, the disciples needed to see well. The episodes in front of us today were designed to help them see, understand, know, and comprehend.

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."

Repeat Episode?

Now, if this episode sounds familiar to you, it's because Jesus has already fed a large crowd of five thousand earlier in Mark (6:30-44).

And there are many similarities between this miraculous feeding and the first -- a deserted setting, Jesus' compassion on the crowd, the dividing of bread and fish, and leftovers of bread.

But there are also many differences between the two episodes -- the number of loaves they started with, the size of the crowd, and the type of people in this crowd.

4 And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" 5 And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Disciples' Question

Even when you account for the passing of time from the first miraculous feeding to this one, and even if we account for this being a Gentile crowd, a new target for Jesus' love, the disciples' density is shocking.

Our Question

But should we really be so shocked by the disciples at this point? Don't we often forget the previous manifestations of the power of God in our own lives? Aren't we often capable of displaying the same density?

Jesus Approached His Disciples

But let's consider one of the most significant differences between this feeding miracle and the last.

In this story, Jesus had to approach the disciples, and this only after the people remained with him for three days (2). The wording of Jesus is telling: "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat" (2).

1. Jesus' Compassion (8:1-10)

When Jesus saw this, he was moved with compassion for the crowd, and told his disciples about his compassion (1-2).

But for the four thousand, Jesus merely told his disciples about his compassion for the crowd.

You see, Jesus wanted them to be shaped by his compassion. I

When the disciples heard Jesus had compassion for this new crowd, they should have said, "If this is how Jesus feels about these people, we should serve these people. Let's get involved with Jesus' work. Let's live out the heart of Jesus."

I find compassionate love for the lost is often a hurdle for believers, partly because of our flesh, but partly because of our love for the truth. Christianity includes a set of doctrines and beliefs. The church, Paul said, is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

Jesus is right. The gospel is right. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father by any other means (John 14:6).

So, with sentiments like these as our backdrop, it can sometimes be a hurdle for us to demonstrate the compassion of Christ to people who are wrong about Christ, like this crowd.

But the truth, Scripture, the veracity of the gospel, does not need to be endangered by our compassionate love for others.

When we obey the prime commandment and love God, we are protected from error when we love our neighbor.

This is what Paul hopes for when he says that Scripture can make God's people "competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17). The expectation is that we would learn the truth of God's heart as we look into his word and that his nature would turn us into people who love well.

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."

13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. 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."

2. Jesus' Style (8:11-15)

They Wanted A Sign

Don't miss the underlying tones of hostility from the Pharisees towards Jesus. They came out like military men ready to engage in battle (11). They are there to argue with Jesus, disputing and opposing him (11). They didn't politely ask for a sign from heaven, but were seeking to take one from him (11). And they tested him, which means they were trying to trip him up, not discover if he had merit (11).

Of course, it seems ironic that the Pharisees wanted Jesus to perform a sign from heaven right after he miraculously fed four thousand people (11). They didn't want a miracle -- they knew Jesus was capable of those -- but a sign from heaven, or a sign from God, testifying to Jesus' identity.

They didn't realize that his presence was a sign from heaven, for he had stepped out of glory to minister to humankind.

Jesus' Response

Matthew tells us that Jesus pointed to his future resurrection at their request for a sign:

Matthew 12:40 (ESV) — 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

But Mark doesn't record that, and instead shows us how Jesus sighed deeply before rebuking their generation for seeking a sign (12).

These men were simply waiting for the wrong kind of Messiah.

A Warning About Leaven

Now, "leaven" is often used in the Bible as a picture of something evil. Since leaven permeates a whole loaf of bread, it is a perfect symbol for the decaying and permeating effect of evil.

Here, in the boat, Jesus warned his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod (15).

What Did Jesus Mean?

As much as Jesus wanted his disciples to watch out and beware of this leaven, it is actually difficult to define what Jesus is warning them about. The Pharisees were guilty of legalism and hypocrisy, and in Luke's gospel, Jesus said to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:2). But what is the leaven of Herod? And in Matthew 16, Jesus also warned against the leaven of the Sadducees? Was Jesus warning about the legalism of the Pharisees, the materialism of Herod, and the liberal theology of the Sadducees?

Perhaps these questions are answered when we consider where each camp converged when it came to Jesus. None of them believed. None of them placed their faith in Jesus as the Christ. Disbelief was like a little leaven that grew and grew within them.

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?"

3. Jesus' Power (8:16-21)

What They Heard

So Jesus had warned the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, and they worried that they had no bread (16).

Jesus' Response

Jesus was aware of their response, and he didn't appreciate it. So Jesus barraged his men with questions, the last of which was, "Do you not yet understand?" (17-21).

The feeding of the five and four thousand had not come home for these disciples. Jesus' work had not saturated their minds.

The past performance of Jesus should have stimulated their future faith.

We would all benefit from setting our minds on God's past care for us. Sorrows came -- and you are still standing. Financial pressures pressed -- and you got through. Sickness arrived -- and you endured. Temptations assailed -- and you still received God's grace.

Jesus' faithfulness in the past should help us endure our current season.

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

Ancient people sometimes considered the spit, especially from powerful people, as having medicinal value (23). Jesus took this man aside privately and applied spittle to his eyes. He was healed!

But the significant detail about this healing is its progressive nature. This is the only healing Jesus performed that occurred in stages. First, the man's vision was blurred, and people looked like walking trees (24). Second, after Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, he saw everything clearly (25).

The major emphasis of the healing is on the giving of sight. In the original Greek, there are eight different words used to describe sight in this brief passage. In stages, the man was given sight.

And, as I said earlier, I think Mark's placing of this miracle here was intentional. In our next study, the disciples are going to confess Jesus as the Christ, but they will also make mistakes about how they understand Jesus' mission. It's like they see Jesus partly, but Jesus is working hard to give them full vision, to see him correctly.

May he do the same for us. May we see his compassion, his style, and his power more clearly than ever before.