The Word This Week
Mark 8:1…
How difficult it is for us to simply trust Jesus in every situation.
Even the ones we’ve faced before.
In a possibly troubling passage exposing the fragile nature of human faith in Christ, we see yet another seeming failure of faith in Jesus’ creation power expressed by Jesus’ apostles.
Had they not very recently participated with Jesus in feeding five thousand men – not to mention women and children? Here we are now in a mostly Gentile region, and the situation faced before basically repeats itself.
What happened to the apostles’ faith on this occasion?
The same thing we witnessed before. A resort to practicality as their first thought.
With now four thousand men, (and women and children in addition to,) before their eyes – and this time after three days of teaching by Jesus rather than an afternoon – Jesus presents the idea of feeding all these people before sending them away. Jesus has compassion on this mostly Gentile crowd as He did His mostly Jewish audience He divinely fed before.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen.
They saw five thousand fed by Jesus before. What was their only hope for feeding four thousand? So why do you think they immediately began to think about how this might be accomplished by practical measures?
Again, Jesus would have them inventory their supplies on hand. This time they have seven loaves, and as it turns out a few small fish. The task Jesus desires is once again impossible.
Jesus commands the crowd to sit down. And the distribution of food begins – and continues until the whole crowds is fed, and until there are seven baskets full of food left over.
Can you think of all the times in your walk with Christ when your doubt in His creation power has been stronger than your faith – even though the situation you face is very similar to previous situations you have faced with Jesus?
It is not an act of presumption, but of dependency to trust Jesus with the outcome. We are left to wonder when it dawned on the apostles what was about to happen…
Pastor Bill
How difficult it is for us to simply trust Jesus in every situation.
Even the ones we’ve faced before.
In a possibly troubling passage exposing the fragile nature of human faith in Christ, we see yet another seeming failure of faith in Jesus’ creation power expressed by Jesus’ apostles.
Had they not very recently participated with Jesus in feeding five thousand men – not to mention women and children? Here we are now in a mostly Gentile region, and the situation faced before basically repeats itself.
What happened to the apostles’ faith on this occasion?
The same thing we witnessed before. A resort to practicality as their first thought.
With now four thousand men, (and women and children in addition to,) before their eyes – and this time after three days of teaching by Jesus rather than an afternoon – Jesus presents the idea of feeding all these people before sending them away. Jesus has compassion on this mostly Gentile crowd as He did His mostly Jewish audience He divinely fed before.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen.
They saw five thousand fed by Jesus before. What was their only hope for feeding four thousand? So why do you think they immediately began to think about how this might be accomplished by practical measures?
Again, Jesus would have them inventory their supplies on hand. This time they have seven loaves, and as it turns out a few small fish. The task Jesus desires is once again impossible.
Jesus commands the crowd to sit down. And the distribution of food begins – and continues until the whole crowds is fed, and until there are seven baskets full of food left over.
Can you think of all the times in your walk with Christ when your doubt in His creation power has been stronger than your faith – even though the situation you face is very similar to previous situations you have faced with Jesus?
It is not an act of presumption, but of dependency to trust Jesus with the outcome. We are left to wonder when it dawned on the apostles what was about to happen…
Pastor Bill