BLINDED BY PRECONCEPTIONS
Opening Prayer
‘Let me seek you in my desiring, let me desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you’ (Anselm of Aosta).
Read MARK 8:1–13
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have there been times when you have been surprised, and even confused, by God’s actions?Were you tempted to skip over this section? It looks remarkably similar to the feeding of the 5,000 in chapter 6. Is it necessary? Has Mark included it by mistake?
Be careful! Your preconceptions can make you miss the obvious.
Having seen Jesus feed the 5,000, how could the disciples imagine that he would not feed this crowd? Although the two feeding miracles are similar in many ways, there is one crucial difference. The first took place in a Jewish area, whereas this incident took place in a gentile area. The disciples expected Jesus to provide for Israel, but they didn’t seem to expect him to be Messiah for everyone else.
Jesus’ implicit claim to be the Savior of the world may have been behind the Pharisees’ demand for a sign from heaven (v. 11). Skeptical of Jesus’ claims unless substantiated by God, they believed that the true Messiah would smash Israel’s enemies. But Jesus kept moving on (vv. 10, 13) and would not be boxed in. The only way to understand Jesus is to keep moving with him, constantly open to new discoveries.
Apply
Do you have preconceptions that blind you to the heart of Jesus?
Closing prayer
Lord, wash the window of my mind so that I can see clearly again. Help me to be attentive to you and to catch the nuances of your voice.
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