It is easy to marvel at the miracles performed by Jesus and yet not be personally moved or even end up being somewhat demotivated to even try. When we put our feet into the sandals of the disciples, we can identify with their plight, their shortcomings and their failures.
As we walk through Mark 8:1-21 and look at the story of ‘Feeding the 4000’ from the perspective of one of the disciples, our focus will be on the disciples and their humanness.
This will give us perspective on our life as followers of Jesus.
We can feel inspired by their humanity and on what they achieved. We can relate to their less than perfect record of praying for God to work miraculously. And we can be encouraged by the fact that they never gave up.
“Being human is OK”
1 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?” (Mark 8:1-4, NIV)
1. Expect God to act!
The disciples had experienced the ‘Feeding of the 5000’ – so why did they not see this coming?
They had no presumption on how or whether he would do it this time, since Jesus did not always intervene miraculously (see John 4:8 – disciples getting food while Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at the well). Even if they anticipated a miraculous intervention, why didn’t they assume that it would happen in a similar way again? Even though having seen Jesus doing this once, it still takes faith to expect him doing it the next time.
Like each of us experience in our walk with God:
It takes faith, but it gets easier to believe the second time.
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 (Mark 8:5-7, NIV).
2. God loves to work with what we have
Jesus could do almost anything but he chose to work with what they had.
All they had were a few small fish.
He still does that today in so many ways. Jesus works with our availability, our willingness, our giftedness, even our dimness, and you – exactly as you were made, without mistake.
8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfulls 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 (Mark 8:8-10, NIV).
3. Be faithful with the little things
Jesus, the miracle worker, could have waved his hands and made the rubbish disappear, but he didn’t. The disciples had to clean up what was left over. Jesus was testing the character of the disciples.
Serving at church is not always glamorous, i.e. putting out the chairs, cleaning up after the service, doing administration etc. If you want greater responsibility, show yourself faithful in little things. Then we qualify for doing greater things.
Let your character shine through.
As we read on, this passage is not about the disciples, but necessary for us to understand the end of the story.
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 (Mark 8:11-13, NIV).
4. Signs are no substitute for faith
The Pharisees requested a sign. A sign was a special coincidence between a prior prophecy and a subsequent event, or a token performed at once to verify a certain proposition. Primarily, it was the evidence of trustworthiness, not of power.
Jesus’ miracles were not considered signs. Miracles were rather ambiguous actions that ‘needed’ to be confirmed by a sign, thus the Pharisees were ‘testing him’ in order to be sure of his legitimacy. The Pharisees saw his mighty works and attributed them to the devil.
Jesus was grieved, and rejected the request for a sign; a sign is a denial of the summons to radical faith which is integral to the Gospel.
“We have to walk by faith, since signs (miracles) are no substitute for faith!”
The following passage is of profound significance:
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.” (Mark 8:14-16, NIV)
5. Don’t be defined by your failures
The disciples realized they had forgotten to get bread for the trip, and they were worried. They had only one loaf!
When Jesus made his statement, they immediately concluded (incorrectly) that Jesus was upset with them forgetting the bread. How familiar is that? How quickly do we conclude that something is happening or being said because we have done something wrong or poorly?
In this case, it is not true, and it is not true in most of our circumstances. The disciples had a sense of failure, and sometimes, we let our failures capture us.
With his warning referring to the yeast of the Pharisees, Jesus meant their unbelief and their demand for a sign. This is a fresh call to faith and understanding apart from signs. He is trying to teach the disciples to step out in faith!
Step out into the hands of God who wants the best for us!
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 basketfulls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfulls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:17-21, NIV).
6. Focus on Jesus not your circumstances
Despite their continued exposure to Jesus’ teaching and miracles, they still did not understand the significance.
Even though Jesus takes them back to the example of bread, it is not about the bread. Confused by their circumstances and clouded by their own sense of failure, they could not see that standing before them and speaking to them was Jesus – the very son of God.
Jesus was trying to teach them to have faith and to put their trust in Him.
For us it is the same today:
Focus on Jesus, not your circumstances.
We gain great comfort from the relatable humanity of the disciples and we feel inspired by their humanity. We look at their humble beginnings and we see what they became.
Be encouraged, if you stumble and fall. If you miss an opportunity, if you pray for a miracle and it doesn’t happen, you are in good company. Keep going – the difference between success and failure is not that you tried something and it didn’t work, it is whether you learn from that and try again.
Keep going - never give up for the goal set before you.
