JESUS CAUTIONS HIS DISCIPLES

Mark 8:14-26 / Keywords 8:21

He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

 8:14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”

Footnotes

a. Mark 8:26 Some manuscripts go and tell anyone in

1. A sense of history (14-21)

The harassment of the Pharisees caused the disciples to become scatterbrained, forgetting the baskets of bread. Then Jesus warned them to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees, who only wanted to plant doubt in their hearts. They did not understand and focused on their bread problem. So he gave them a history lesson to review how he had miraculously fed the crowds and how they had more leftovers than they could use. The Pharisees’ persecution hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes to see how much Jesus had provided for them when they served others with a compassionate shepherd’s heart and faith in him. We should not be discouraged by others’ criticism and forget the acts of Jesus’ grace in our lives.

 

2. Jesus heals a blind man (22-26)

When they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him. First, Jesus spit on his eyes and put his hands on him. Like the disciples’ spiritual eyesight, this man’s vision was dim and needed to be made clear. Jesus placed his hands on his eyes, and his sight was restored.

 

Prayer Lord, forgive my forgetfulness and help me to clearly see your wondrous grace time and again.

One Word Don’t forget Jesus’ grace