Don't Miss The Lesson
In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? Mark 8:1-21 (KJV)
Jesus had fed about 4,000 people and the disciples did not understand how it could be done. He did it and included his disciples in the miracles, this being the second time He had fed a multitude like that. Although it had been done more than once, the disciples just didn’t get it. They reasoned in their minds about supernatural things. They could not perceive it or understand it. They had eyes but they could not see. They had ears but they could not hear. There was something to be learned in those miracles, but they had not learned it. They were trying to understand spiritual truths with natural thinking.
If we walk only by what we can see, hear, feel, taste or smell, and not by the spirit, we will miss the lesson to be learned in each situation in life.
Jesus wanted them to understand that when we face a need, we can’t go by our five senses, but we must go by faith in who Jesus is and what He can do. We must not try to figure things out in the natural, but walk in the supernatural by following Jesus’ instructions to see God perform a miracle. When we limit God to the natural, we miss out on the great miracles He wants to perform. We must hear God, trust Him, act on His instructions, and receive the miracle. Jesus provided supernaturally before and He’ll do it again. That was the lesson the disciples missed. Will you miss it too?
