Scripture: Mark 8:15-21
As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out!
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t
brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you
arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your
hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have
ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000
with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up
afterward?” “Twelve,” they said.
“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets
of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said.
“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.
Message
Interestingly, this conversation took place after they left those
Pharisees who asked for miraculous signs from Jesus while the latter said: “I
tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” (Mark 8:12)
It is perhaps more interesting that the passage of ‘asking for signs’ appear
between the feeding 4,000 with seven loaves and the quoted conversation (Yeast
of the Pharisees and Herod). Jesus had performed miraculous signs, most of the
time in a silent and private way, and for the matters in our daily life (such
as a dinner). Yet, not only the Pharisees cannot recognize them, even His disciples
did not recognize them, either. Perhaps they were expecting something
astonishing and out of sudden, instead of those ‘piece by piece’ miracles. Perhaps
such kind of expectation is “the
yeast of Pharisees and Herod”.
Aren’t we the same? We often asked God to show signs to us but we
ignore many little wonderful things in our daily life. We ignore His miracles
in a normal, small, or daily form. Hence we forget that He cares for us and we
are lost in our worries. I love it when Jesus says: “Why are you arguing about
having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too
hard to take it in?” (Mark 8:17) I interpret it as saying: ‘Why are you arguing
about having no food? Don’t you know that I will take care of you and feed you,
as I have done?’
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for feeding us when need. Thank you for the
miracles in our daily life at which we should rejoice. Sorry that I often
overlook it, forgetting it is Your hands that hold me and caress me. Lord,
thank you for soften my heart so that I can recognize your miracles more often.
Strengthen me in daily base so that I will remember to rejoice your grace
instead of being worried. Blessed be your holy name. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen!
文章定位：
