The Good News

Dedicated to the good news of Jesus Christ

Vol. 1 Issue 24

Do You Still Not Understand?

Sea of Galilee – This report is being written while at sea with Jesus and his disciples in a small boat. It has been a long, tough, turbulent journey for Jesus and his disciples, but it is rather quiet now. Most seem to be thinking about what the rabbi has just said. "Do you still not understand?" (Mark 8:21 NIV)

Since we last wrote, these disciples have seen Jesus feed a crowd of five thousand with just five loaves of bread and two fish. On another occasion he fed four thousand with seven loaves of bread and just a few fish. Each time many baskets of leftovers were collected. They have seen Jesus walk on water and heal hundreds of people. They have witnessed the faith of a Syrian woman and the miracle of her daughter being freed from the demon that possessed her. They were there when a deaf and mute man received hearing and the ability to speak. They have seen many wonders that Jesus has done, and yet they seem to be lacking an understanding that their master expects to find in them. They seem to have no more understanding than the Pharisees, whom Jesus just left standing on the shore after a confrontation over the Pharisees asking for a sign.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." 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? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

"Twelve," they replied.

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

They answered, "Seven."

He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

(Mark 8:11-21 NIV)

Page Two

Dull Disciples Lesson 27 in the Look at the Man series by Tim Woodroof and Glen Gray

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