“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, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 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.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 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. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 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.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 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? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 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.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 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?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.””
One of the themes running through Mark’s Gospel is that people often see Jesus without truly understanding Him.
That theme appears several times in today’s reading.
Jesus feeds another large crowd, once again demonstrating His compassion and His power to provide. Yet before long, the disciples are worried because they forgot to bring enough bread. Even after witnessing two miraculous feedings, they are still focused on what they lack.
Jesus warns them about
“the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
He isn’t talking about bread at all. He is warning them about unbelief. The Pharisees had seen His miracles but refused to believe. Herod had heard about Jesus but was more interested in protecting his own power than seeking the truth. Both had eyes to see, yet remained spiritually blind.
The disciples are not there yet, but they are struggling to see clearly as well.
That is why the final miracle in this passage is so significant.
Jesus heals a blind man, but not all at once. At first, the man sees only blurry shapes. Then Jesus touches him again, and his sight is fully restored. It’s not that Jesus couldn’t heal the man completely the first time. This was intentional.
This miracle is more than an act of compassion. It is a picture of the disciples themselves. They have begun to recognize who Jesus is, but they do not yet see Him clearly. That fuller understanding will come as they continue to listen to Him and witness His saving work.
The same is true for us.
Faith grows as Jesus opens our eyes through His Word. The more we come to know Him, the more clearly we see not only who He is, but also the hope and life He has come to give.
If you’re just exploring Jesus and the Bible in this series of videos, maybe you identify with this. You’ve started to see who Jesus is and kinda get it, but aren’t quite sure yet. Keep going. The more time you spend reading the Bible and the more you hear of what Jesus has done, the more you’ll see and understand. And what’s to come is amazing!
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Open my eyes to see You more clearly. Guard me from unbelief, deepen my faith through Your Word, and help me trust You even when I do not yet understand everything You are doing.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
