Do You Not Yet Understand?
Eric Durso
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted
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How long does it take for you to learn something? Maybe you pick up on things quickly. Whether it’s a board game or a language - you learn quickly. But what about other things - bigger, more important things: how quickly do you learn life lessons? How fast are you at picking up wisdom?
Are you sometimes discouraged at how slow you are to learn? And then, even after you’ve learned something, perhaps you forget easily?
Look at Mark 7:17. Jesus had just confronted the Pharisees over their false religion. It says the “disciples asked him about the parable.” Jesus' response was: “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him?” Here’s an example of Jesus comparing understanding and seeing. It is possible for us to see with our eyes while we are still blind in our hearts.
Which means that learning, growing, and changing is often much more difficult and lifelong than we think. Have you ever found yourself struggling with something and then thinking, “I thought I learned that lesson!” We may think we’re learning and growing and changing merely because we’re hearing sermons and seeing God work. But it may be that our hearts are not as affected.
And that’s what we’re going to encounter in our text this morning: Jesus has now started focusing on the disciples. The Pharisees had rejected him, and his primary focus from here on out will be these 12 men. But right now, they’re still pretty dense. And Jesus, in our section, is working to remove the veil, to help them see. To help them grow.
Let’s read the text.
Perhaps after reading this, you’ve just had deja vu. If you’ve been paying close attention, will sound eerily familiar. In verses 1-10, we have Jesus, in his compassion, miraculously feeding the multitude with the help of his disciples. Verse 10 is an abrupt departure in a boat. In verses 11-13, we have Jesus engaged in a conflict with the Pharisees. In verses 14-21, we see a private conversation with the disciples that includes Jesus reproving them for their lack of understanding. Does any of this sound familiar?
Take a look: Mark 6:30-44, Jesus, in his compassion, miraculously feeds the multitude with the help of his disciples. In verse 45, they depart abruptly in a boat. In 7:1-16, Jesus is engaged in a conflict with the Pharisees. In verses 7-23, Jesus has a private conversation with the disciples where he has to reprove them for their lack of understanding. It’s like a part 1 and part 2.
And then, both sections conclude with Jesus demonstrating his power - he heals the Syrophoenician’s daughter and then the deaf man, and here in part 2, this blind man. And many scholars say the blind man’s healing is illustrating the disciples’ faith. They are blind, and then they see but it’s all blurry, and then finally they see.
So our text this morning is an example of Christ’s longsuffering with his disciples. He endures with them.When I was in seminary I had Dr. Busenitz as a Hebrew professor. Perhaps one of the most patient men I’ve ever met. I guess he had to be trying to teach guys like me Hebrew. I can remember several times, at the beginning of class, him asking us whether we’re understanding the material, and our blank stares and long pauses revealed we were all pretty dense. And he would patiently, graciously, review with us again.
This is what Christ is doing with his disciples. They weren’t getting it. They weren’t grasping who he was. And Jesus, gracious, yet firm, patient, yet tough, circled back and began to review. I want to show you three lessons the disciples needed reviewed in this section.
# 1 They needed a lesson about the compassion and power of Jesus.
The thousands are there. This is not as big a crowd as the previous feeding. The previous feeding was much bigger. What’s fascinating though, is that according to 6:52, the disciples completely missed the lesson they were supposed to learn about the loaves. “For they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Jesus, ever the perceptive teacher, knows they need to see it again. Perhaps this time they’ll get it. These are probably more Gentile crowds, since they’re likely still in the region of the Decapolis (7:31). Even here we see that Jesus is a savior for the whole world, not just Jews.
Verse 1 he “called his disciples to him” - it’s like a huddle. “Feed the multitude on 2.” From here on out, the Pharisees have summarily rejected Jesus and Jesus is now focused on preparing his disciples. So they huddle up and Jesus says, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”
Jesus opens a door and lets his disciples into his heart and shows them around. We need to take a look at what we see here in Jesus' heart. The most important thing in our lives is to know God - and so Jesus wants to show them his heart. He doesn’t want them to go hungry or faint.
The word “compassion” here is used only to describe the heart of Jesus Christ. The word is “splagchnizomai” which is from the root “splagchnon,” which literally refers to someone’s guts. The idea is that Christ feels deeply the pain and suffering of those around him. Compassion is something innate to Jesus. It is not poured out to those who deserve it, but those who do not. It is not earned, it is not purchased. It is who he is.
This compassion, you’ll notice, flows freely to all people. These crowds have not repented, they have not embraced him as their Lord, they have not trusted him for salvation. They are not what we’d call “Christians” and yet Christ, in his compassion, feeds them. Jesus says in Luke 6:35 that God is “kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” These crowds do not know him; he feeds them.
God is compassionate to people who are not Christians. If you are not a Christian, this feeding of the crowds demonstrates a profound reality I want you to see. You may not have loved God, but he has been kind to you. He has fed you. He has nurtured you. He has given you sunrises and sunsets. He has given you life and breath. You have deserved none of it, but he has continually shown you grace.
Now you’re here. And what he wants you to know that he, in his compassion, offers you the spiritual provision you need. You have sinned against him. You are guilty. But God is merciful. Jesus, in his compassion, volunteered to die in the place of sinners. To pay their debts. To absorb the righteous judgment you deserved. He rose again, and calls you to turn and trust him.
How grateful should we be that Christ is compassionate! His compassion is not a cup, it is a flowing spring, constant toward the week and needy
But what is compassion without power? Without ability? Here, Christ’s compassion is matched by his power. Verse 4 “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” They’ve forgotten his power. Jesus doesn’t rebuke them - not yet at least. Instead, he takes action. He commands them to sit, he gets seven loaves, he thanks the Father and breaks the bread and then gives it to the disciples and they start handing it out.
The disciples are made part of the miracle. The seven loaves and the few fish are multiplied, and verse 8: “they ate and were satisfied” - that is, they ate to their heart’s content. Several baskets left over. And v 9, he sends them away, and v 10, they hop in the boat and move on.
There are two reasons Jesus did this miracle. His compassion for the crowds, and his love for the disciples. He fed the crowds with food and they were satisfied. But he gave the disciples something else: another chance to learn the power of his love, another chance to see the wonder of his power, another chance to marvel and his wonderful grace.
Listen church, we are forgetful. We are gospel-amnesiacs. And thus we are continually in need of reminders of his compassion of power. Jesus does not give up on his slow-to-learn disciples. He starts over and teaches the lesson again.
And all our lives, if your eyes are open, if your ears are listening, you will see lesson after lesson after lesson that our Lord is in fact compassionate. You will see that every morning there’s a bundle of new mercies to rejoice in. You have been cared for. You are satisfied with good food. There’s a roof over your head. The sun has risen. You sleep in a bed. God gives you a sunset every evening. We enjoy our families and friendships. We are full! None of it deserved!
And in church we together remember that our Savior not only feeds us but that he lived for us, died in our place, took our judgment, rose from the dead, and lives now, interceding for us, and will return one day to set all things right and establish his kingdom. And then we look around and we see that Christ is so kind to all of us, working in all of us, meeting our needs.
Church, this morning, looks afresh at the compassion of our Savior! You and I are forgetful, but Jesus wants us to be reminded of his compassion and grace this morning. You and I are slow-to-learn, and Jesus wants us to see his patience.
# 2 They needed a lesson about the danger of unbelief.
Verse 11: “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him” - these are likely some remnant of the Pharisees in chapter 7 who were still upset about how Jesus eviscerated their false religion. Rather than repent, they want to discredit Jesus, so they come to argue with him.
“Seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.” They could not deny his power. If you remember from chapter 3, they could not deny the miraculous power Jesus was demonstrating. But instead of recognizing his divinity, they claimed his power came from Satan. Now, they’re demanding some sign that would prove that his power is from God. A “sign from heaven” means some sort of public, definitive proof that God is the source.
So apparently, healing multitudes, feeding thousands with a boy’s lunch, casting out demons - none of that was enough. They ask for more. Of course, it would never be enough. The Pharisees rejected Jesus not because they didn’t have enough proof. They rejected him because he was a threat to them, their system, their power, their authority.
John 12:37 says, “Though he had done many signs before them, they still did not believe in him” Jesus knew they were not honestly seeking to believe in him. They were established in their unbelief, and no sign would persuade them. So he “sighed deeply in his spirit” - this is a deeply emotional moment of grief and indignation. And he says, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Unbelief is asking for more proof. More proof. More proof. Unbelief likes to act as if the problem is lack of evidence. But it’s not. The signs are all there - do you believe it?
In this exchange, the disciples see up close a demonstration of hard-hearted unbelief. No miracle is enough for these guys. So they get in the boat, verse 14 mentions how they forgot to bring bread, and Jesus uses this exchange with the Pharisees to continue teaching the disciples. It says, “And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
The words “Watch out!” are meant to grab attention. You say “Watch out” when you’re at Dodger Stadium and the foul ball is flying directly at your friend who’s not paying attention. “Watch out!” Pay attention! Perk up! Imminent danger. What does Jesus want them to watch out for? The leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
Leaven - it’s yeast. You put it in bread dough and it makes the bread rise. Leaven, in both the Jewish and Gentile mind in the first century represented the subtle influence of evil. Jesus said, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” - the idea that a little sin ruins it all.
How could the Pharisees and Herod influence them? Interestingly, both asked for signs. Both recognized Jesus' power. Remember Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead - in other words, he knew something supernatural was going on. And yet, while they recognized his power they refused to submit to him, to believe in him.
In other words, what Jesus is warning against is this: beware of seeing what I do, seeing my power, seeing my authority, seeing my miracles, seeing my mighty works - without understanding who I am and what I’m here to do. Don’t be like the Pharisees, who acknowledge my power but do not hear my message. Do not be like Herod, who acknowledged my power but ignored the message. The disciples were in danger of seeing miracle after miracle, close up, but never fully opening their hearts in genuine faith.
The most dangerous place in the world to be is in a church, week-in, week-out, where you hear God’s word from the Scriptures, where you see God’s work in his people, and think you’re learning and growing because you’re gaining information, but you’re heart, deep down, remains cold, calloused, and untouched.
Jesus is saying, “Don’t just see my miracle, respond in faith! Don’t just see the power, trust in it!”
How dangerous it is to sleep in church! I don’t mean to actually snooze; the best of us will do that. I’m talking about the one who sleepwalks to church. The one who is awake in the flesh, but in the spirit is drowsy. Their eyes are open and they see what’s going on. Their posture is attentive. But they are dead to the realities of heaven and hell, everlasting life and everlasting torment, the glory of God, the supremacy of Christ, the excellence of the gospel. They are asleep to those things! They have a good ol’ religion; they go through all the right motions, but they don’t live as if God is immeasurably compassionate and infinitely powerful. Their life is consumed with petty fears and petty trivialities and petty delights.
This is why the Puritans preached like they did. They were earnest. They believed it. This is why Richard Baxter exhorted preachers” “Speak to your people as men that must be awakened, either here or in hell.” It is possible that the leaven of the Pharisees infiltrate our hearts - the learning and the hearing and the seeing is not accompanied by faith, devotion, or worship!
Jesus gave a warning! And I am here to issue this warning to you: See it, hear it, know it, believe it. Have you become a sleepy, drowsy, Christian? Going through the motions? Like a Pharisee? Cast yourself at the feet of Christ. Set your heart before him. Ask him to wake it up and make it alive again.
And this leads us to the last thing the disciples needed: They needed a rebuke for not having learned their lessons.
So Jesus issues this urgent warning about not becoming like a Pharisee or like Herod. He uses the metaphor of leaven. Verse 16: “And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.” It’s like he tells you “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” and you start thinking, “My chickens? I don’t have chickens. Do I have chickens?” They miss it.
Jesus issues this urgent warning, uses this leaven and bread as a metaphor. And they completely miss the point and focus on the bread. They must’ve been hungry. It’s like they nod, “Yeah, Jesus, we get it. We’ll beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. But speaking of leaven, man I’m hungry. Do we have enough bread?” And they begin discussing whether the fact that there’s only one loaf and 13 men. Typical men, right - they’re hungry and all they can think about is whether there’s enough food.
But the second reason for Jesus’ rebuke is that they’ve not learned the lessons yet. Verse 17: “And Jesus, aware of this, said to them” - he asks them a series of questions. These questions are meant to expose their hard-heartedness and lack of understanding. 8 questions.
‘Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” The disciples, sheepishly, “12.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” “7.” Verse 21: “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus expects his disciples to learn from these dramatic, miraculous displays. Both of the feedings of the multitudes were intended to strengthen their faith and help them see his truth and power. But they did not learn these lessons. They should have, but they didn’t. And they are morally culpable for failing to learn.
There are times when a student’s failure to learn is the fault of the teacher. I have had many teachers who made learning more difficult. This is not one of those cases. The reason, we see from Jesus’ questions, for the disciples misunderstanding is their own hard-heartedness.
I wonder if any of us need these rebukes. I think some of us do. God has provided. God has been patient. God has been kind. God has demonstrated his power. God has provided your income. All your bills have been paid. You’ve never had to skip a meal. Your worst fears have never actually materialized. And yet, week after week, month after month, you worry about the same things!
And what Jesus would say to you this morning, I think with a smile on his face and his arms extended: “Do you not yet understand?” Every good gift you’ve ever enjoyed is from me. You’ve eaten 3 square meals every day of your life. You’re here this morning because you’re able bodied and healthy. I am taking care of you. And every ounce of pain, every time I’ve said no, is ultimately for your good.
And then he would say to us, “Do you not understand that I went to the cross for you? That I love you, that I wanted you to be mine? That I purchased you with my own shed blood? That I am your brother, that God is your Father, and that all is well? Don’t you realize that if I have already given my life for you, that I will not hesitate to graciously give you everything you need?
Do you realize that if you’re a Christian, you’re reconciled to God, that your salvation and blessing is as secure as God himself? If someone or something could unGod God, then you’d be in trouble. But that will never happen, so you are eternally secure, Christian!
How slow we are to learn these lessons! This week the car will break down and you will be tempted to worry. This week you’ll be pushed to your limits and will be tempted to act as if God is not compassionate or powerful - that he withholds from you. This week you will be tempted to fear that things will never get better. You may be tempted to act like a Pharisee and say, “God, prove to me that you are who you say you are!”
And Jesus says to you this morning, “Do you not understand?” And verse 18: “Do you not remember?” Have you forgotten the way Christ has cared for you? Have you forgotten the way he has saved you? Have you forgotten that he died for you? Have you forgotten that he now lives and intercedes for you? Have you forgotten that you are loved to immeasurably beyond what you can fathom? Have you forgotten that this life is a vapor, and soon we will be entering eternity? Have you forgotten that when we see Jesus face to face, all our perplexity will fade away, and melt into unending everlasting joy? Do you not understand all this, church?
All our worry does is prove that we have not quite yet understood the greatness of the compassionate care of our Savior.
Do not see, without seeing, or hear without hearing. Come afresh, even now, and trust this compassionate, powerful Savior.