Mark 8:9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha………….
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still 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 fragments did you take up?”
They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
And they said, “Seven.”
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Isn’t it extraordinary how we are no different? The leaven of the Pharisees was the sin of unbelief manifesting as their hypocracy. These disciples had just seen Jesus feed the four thousand, and earlier five thousand, and in truth if you count women and children it could have been in excess of ten thousand He fed. And now the disciples are in the boat with one loaf between them and a long crossing ahead of them and they are fearful they will be hungry as they don’t have enough to eat! No wonder Jesus shows exasperation towards them and warns them against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. How easily we fall into the same unbelief, even when walking closely with the Lord.
Can we get this knowledge of God’s ability to meet our every need in Christ, can we get it from our heads to our hearts? Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
A little later in Mark we have the account of the transfiguration. Afterwards Jesus explains how He is to die and what will happen. Listen to the conversation …….
Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Satan will use your eyes to stare down the Lord and he will use your mouth to speak lies directly to the Lord, let alone to each other. But Jesus rebukes him. Satan’s response to Jesus through Peter was just another variant of the original question in the garden; “did God really say?”
The gospel accounts are full of miracles. Nowhere do the scriptures say these things are finished but many theologians would speak with the mouth of Satan and the pen of Satan and explain away the things the Lord has shown us in His word.
- Mark 10:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
And He says the same to us. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees. Lord I believe, help my unbelief. Amen.
