At about this time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, "This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they'll faint along the way - some of them have come a long distance."
His disciples responded, "What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?"
He asked, "How much bread do you have?"
"Seven loaves," they said. (8:1-5)This story has always baffled me. What do the disciples think they should do about it?!? Seriously?
Two short chapters ago, they saw Jesus feed a hungry crowd of 5,000 people, which He then followed up by walking on the sea and healing a demon-possessed girl and a deaf, mute man. Hello?? The disciples' response seems remarkably strange. Were they really that dumb or just forgetful?
I recently heard a very helpful lecture that gave me a new perspective on the disciples' expectations and responses.
When Jesus fed five thousand (Mark 6), He was in Galilee, which was Jewish territory. At this point in the gospel of Mark, Jesus and the disciples were traveling in the Decapolis, the district of the Ten Towns (7:31). The Decapolis was a league of free cities whose culture was Greek, not Jewish. Jesus was doing ministry among the pagans.
Jesus' twelve Jewish disciples were so steeped in the message that the Messiah was for the Jews alone that they still had a hard time grasping Jesus' ministry to the lost, both Jew and Gentile. Because of this assumption, they were blind to the fact that Jesus could - and would - work a miracle by feeding 4,000 pagans as He did for 5,000 of the Chosen People.
Once I understood more of the Jewish expectations and culture of the day, I understood how their faulty worldview could prevent them from grasping what Jesus was sent to do. But Jesus was obviously trying to make a point to His followers by doing ministry and performing miracles in this and other pagan regions. He wanted His disciples to know - and experience - that He was the Messiah for all the nations, not just Israel.
Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus over-heard and said, "Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don't you see the point of all this? Don't you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?"
They said, "Twelve."
"And the seven loaves for the four thousand - how many bags full of leftovers did you get?"
"Seven."
He said, "Do you still not get it?" (8:16-21)This story makes me think about the people I've given up on, the ones I don't pray for anymore or have no hope of coming to the Lord. In this way, I'm just like the disciples, thinking God won't break through these people's apathy or work miracles to bring them into relationship with Him. Based on incomplete information, I have made many cultural assumptions that certain people - like my Iranian neighbors and my hippie neighbors, for instance - wouldn't be interested in a relationship with Christ.
Yet we've all heard those stories, the "you'll never believe this!"stories, when those far from Christ embrace Him in fledging faith, and He begins the process of sanctification. One couple in particular come to mind. They're the ones I NEVER thought would come to know the Lord, but God did it. He drew them into relationship with Himself and now they follow Jesus.
Lord, give me the faith to trust that You're pursuing the hearts of those who seemingly have no interest in You, especially when I see little or no evidence of fruit. May I not put You in a box and decide for myself who You will reach and what You want to do in people's lives. Give me eyes to see my numerous cultural biases and to embrace Your larger story of drawing all nations to Yourself. Help me to "get it," Lord. Thank You that despite my blindness You will fully accomplish Your plan and bring glory to Your Name.
2 comments:
That background information provides great insight, Cici. Thank you for sharing it and helping me see the greater story behind the story.
I feel like Jesus is saying "Do you still not get it?" to me a lot. So much about Him and His purposes that I'm missing because of my mental and emotional boxes that I want to squeeze Him into.
this stuck out to me too. how come i didnt realize Jesus kept feeding the thousands over and over again? and his disciples kept not knowing that would happen. thanks for sharing some of the location details and expectations. amazing how much that matters!
really moved today by how Jesus reminds us over and over again of what He can and wants to do for us, the miracles in our lives, reaching the lost, providing, showing up, everything - no matter how much we doubt. He is good and He is for us. He came for me.
an interesting though! at a womens cross cultural conference once the leader asked 2 women of different cultures to read Jesus responses in some of the passages where the disciples are doubting, forgetting or just not expectant of Jesus working miracles. an american read it as a gentle reminder tone. an asian read it in a yelling annoyed tone. reading His Word reminds me to think about what kind of attitude Jesus had/has and reminds me of His grace, not condemnation. oh, so good for my heart when i so often forget His power and goodness!
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