Scripture: Mark 8:15-21

As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

Message

Interestingly, this conversation took place after they left those Pharisees who asked for miraculous signs from Jesus while the latter said: “I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” (Mark 8:12) It is perhaps more interesting that the passage of ‘asking for signs’ appear between the feeding 4,000 with seven loaves and the quoted conversation (Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod). Jesus had performed miraculous signs, most of the time in a silent and private way, and for the matters in our daily life (such as a dinner). Yet, not only the Pharisees cannot recognize them, even His disciples did not recognize them, either. Perhaps they were expecting something astonishing and out of sudden, instead of those ‘piece by piece’ miracles. Perhaps such kind of expectation is “the yeast of Pharisees and Herod”.

Aren’t we the same? We often asked God to show signs to us but we ignore many little wonderful things in our daily life. We ignore His miracles in a normal, small, or daily form. Hence we forget that He cares for us and we are lost in our worries. I love it when Jesus says: “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?” (Mark 8:17) I interpret it as saying: ‘Why are you arguing about having no food? Don’t you know that I will take care of you and feed you, as I have done?’

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for feeding us when need. Thank you for the miracles in our daily life at which we should rejoice. Sorry that I often overlook it, forgetting it is Your hands that hold me and caress me. Lord, thank you for soften my heart so that I can recognize your miracles more often. Strengthen me in daily base so that I will remember to rejoice your grace instead of being worried. Blessed be your holy name. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!