It almost seems as if Jesus has promoted another situation similar to the one where he fed 5000 people, almost certainly for the benefit of the disciples. The crowds have been with him a long time and they need feeding. When he speaks to the disciples it is as if he is goading them to remember the last occasion where this happened - but to no avail! They have short memories! So once again Jesus meets the needs of this large mass of people supernaturally, and everyone receives sufficient to feel fully satisfied, just as before.

When we consider this story it seems that Jesus deliberately sets up teaching situations for his disciples. They didn't learn on the first occasion so let's see if they will on the second occasion. If they didn't learn previously they might learn this time. Jesus knows that we need to hear things again and again before we really start taking it in. He knows we are slow to learn, so He allows us to go through the same thing again and again until we get the message!

D. Application?

1. Ask the Lord to help you become a quick learner so you don't have to

have "repeat lessons"!

2. Ask Him to enlarge your understanding of Him and His ways so that you

will be able to cope better in the tests He puts your way to mature you.

Chapter: Mark 8

Passage: Mark 8:11-13

A. Find Out:

1. What did the Pharisees come to do? v.11a

2. Why did they do this? v.11b

3. What did they ask him for? v.11c

4. What did he do? v.12a

5. What answer did he give? v.12c

6. What did he then do? v.13

B. Think :

1. What impression have you got previously of the Pharisees?

2. What does that say about their likely motive now?

3. How does Jesus respond to them.

C. Comment :

In these few verses we have some important lessons. First we see human blindness and obstinate opposition. Jesus has been healing thousands of people and had been casting out hundreds of demons, has performed at least two amazing miracles in feeding the large crowds, and these Pharisees ask for a sign!!!

Before replying Jesus "sighed deeply" or "sighed within his spirit" i.e. a sigh came from deep inside him. He anguished for these silly men. There were times when Jesus was angry at the foolishness of stubborn men but here he simply anguishes for their foolishness.

In giving a reply he simply says that no sign will be given for them. For a people who cannot see the very things going on under their noses, no sign can be given, they are incapable of seeing signs, and so Jesus simply leaves them. We sometimes feel we have to keep on and keep on trying to get through to hard people. Perhaps we need to follow Jesus' example, and step back and leave such people to come to their senses. The chief lesson that should come to us here is that "seeing" is a matter of heart attitude. If we have "hardened" our hearts because we don't want to see, we won't see, whatever happens!

D. Application?

1. Ask the Lord today to reveal to you any areas of "blindness" in your life

- but you had better be prepared to accept it before you ask!

2. Thank the Lord for what he HAS shown you so far.

Chapter: Mark 8

Passage: Mark 8:14-21

A. Find Out:

1. What had the disciples forgotten? v.14

2. What did Jesus warn them to avoid? v.15

3. What did that prompt the disciples to do? v.16

4. What did Jesus ask if they still had? v.17c

5. What does he say they're not doing? v.18

6. What does he then remind them about? v.19,20

B. Think :

1. Who initiated discussion?

2. How?

3. With what purpose?

C. Comment :

History is about to repeat itself it seems. There is a shortage of food - again! Now, we have recently had two episodes involving feeding large crowds, so the disciples should have learnt something!

By way of a discussion starter Jesus makes a comment about yeast that needs some thinking about. Leaven or yeast is the element that goes into bread mix, which spreads right through it to blow it up and make it something more than it was to start with - rather like sin in some ways. What was it in the Pharisees and in Herod that was like that? Unbelief and self-centredness. That produced hard hearts that could not receive anything new.

The disciples still haven't learnt much about Jesus' way of teaching and they still don't understand what he is getting at, so he reminds them what has recently been happening. "Surely", he is saying indirectly, "if I was able to feed five thousand and then four thousand, you don't need to have any worry about me looking after you, do you!". The poor old disciples ARE still suffering from hard hearts that are slow to learn, just like the Pharisees and Herod. Hard or fixed hearts are unreceptive when it comes to Jesus' new teaching.

D. Application?

1. AM I open to learn the things that Jesus is trying to teach me?

2. Ask the Lord to open the eyes of your heart so that you can receive His

teaching more and more.

Chapter: Mark 8

Passage: Mark 8:22-26

A. Find Out:

1. What did the people want Jesus to do? v.22

2. Where did Jesus take the man? v.23a

3. What two things did Jesus do? v.23b

4. What did the man say he could see? v.24

5. How was the man enabled to see properly? v.25

6. How did Jesus instruct him? v.26

B. Think :

1. Why do you think Jesus took this man outside the village to heal him?

2. What does this miracle teach us about the way healing sometimes

happens?

3. What should it teach us if we are praying for someone's healing?

C. Comment :

This is the only "two-touch" healing recorded in Jesus' ministry and it is therefore of particular interest. The people bring a blind man and want Jesus to touch him. It is interesting that again and again people associated touch with healing.

Jesus then took him outside the village, perhaps for the man's sake so that he is not the object of people's stares, perhaps for his own sake, so that fewer people see it and tell others.

Jesus then lubricated the man's eyes and prayed for him (put his hands on him) and asked him what he saw. Jesus appears to question whether the man was being healed completely and asks the extent of what has happened. The man says he can see a little so Jesus prays again and the man's sight is then fully restored.

A lesson on not assuming to much in healing and in persevering to bring the full healing. It doesn't have to all happen at one moment. From what happened here, we perhaps can receive some guidance when we pray: find out what is happening and if not so much as we thought, pray again until the healing fully comes!

D. Application?

1. Do we have the faith to pray for people's healing?

2. Are we real as we pray, to see just what healing has taken place?

Chapter: Mark 8

Passage: Mark 8:27-33

A. Find Out:

1. Who were the people saying Jesus was? v.28

2. Who said, "You are the Christ"? v.29

3. What 4 things did Jesus say would happen? v.31

4. What did Peter think about this? v.32

5. What was Jesus' response? v.33a

6. Why? v.33b

B. Think :

1. What was Jesus obviously looking for by starting this conversation?

2. What does Peter show us about our thoughts?

3. How would some of Peter's words act as a temptation to Jesus?

C. Comment :

For a fuller version of this read Matthew 16:13-23. Jesus initiates the discussion by getting the disciples to say who people think He is, and then challenges them about who THEY think he is. It is forthright Peter who comes out with the tremendous declaration that Jesus was the Messiah. In Matthew's Gospel Jesus acknowledges that that was revelation from his Father. Peter has hit the high spot!

When Jesus goes on to tell them what is going to happen to him at Jerusalem this upsets Peter. It doesn't fit into his ideas about Jesus and so he assumes Jesus must be wrong. Foolishly he speaks against it, only to be rebuked by Jesus. Peter has now hit the low spot! We prefer a triumphant Jesus than one who submits to death, even today! We see the amazing opposites of which we are capable. We can get amazing revelation one minute and then make foolish blunders the next. This is us! But we also see Jesus, so obviously in control of what is coming. He knows what is going to happen and so it will be no accident, no mistake when it happens, but his carefully thought out plan.

D. Application?

1. Acknowledge today with thanks that you are capable of receiving great

revelation from God.

2. Acknowledge also that you are prone to "human thinking" (against God's

plan). Ask His forgiveness.

Chapter: Mark 8

Passage: Mark 8:34-9:1

A. Find Out:

1. What 3 things did Jesus say you must do? v.34

2. Who did he say would save his life? v.35

3. What danger does he warn against? v.36

4. What will shame in us for Jesus produce? v.38

5. How did Jesus describe the present people? v.38

6. What promise did he make to those with him? v.1

B. Think :

1. Who was Jesus speaking to?

2. What did he say was the key to life?

3. What might our temptation be?

C. Comment :

These few verses are a dynamic summary of the cost AND benefit of following Jesus. First of all Jesus spoke to both his own disciples and the whole crowd, as if to warn not only those who already followed him, but also those who might be thinking about it.

He gives the criteria for following: to give up any claim to your life (if you carried a cross you were on the way to your death, you had no future!). He then enlarges on this by saying that if you try to save your life, you in fact lose real life. If you don't hold onto your life then you will find real life. This is the incredible paradox of the Christian life. Strive for live and you miss it; give up your life to Jesus and you will find it.

Next, adding one brick to another in the wall of discipleship, he then warns about aiming for worldly values but loosing your soul in the process. Such a person will be ashamed of Jesus and will not be accepted by Him in eternity. Nevertheless, His kingdom was about to come in power and they would know it (at Pentecost?) To follow Jesus means laying down your life (to His purposes). As you do that you receive real life in its place - as Jesus said, life to the full! (John 10:10)

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord today that He laid down His life for you, that you might

have abundant life.

2. Today commit yourself fully into His hands, give Him your future.

RECAP: "Blindness" - Mark 8

SUMMARY :

In these 6 studies we have seen:

  - Jesus feeding the four thousand

  - the Pharisees asking for a sign & Jesus' refusal

  - the disciples' confusion when Jesus speak about yeast

  - a blind man who needed a second touch

  - Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Christ

  - Peter challenging Jesus over his death

  - Jesus laying down the criteria for following him

COMMENT :

A chapter, in some ways, about blindness. First the "blind" disciples fail to understand the situation when confronted with another food shortage. This is followed by the blind Pharisees and the blind disciples again. Then comes a turning point, when a man who is really blind is healed by Jesus. Suddenly blind Peter "sees".

Did the disciples need the second feeding of a large crowd and a healing miracle before their eyes could be opened? Do we??

LESSONS :

1. We can often be quite blind to the truth about Jesus and we often misunderstand his

words.

2. When we pray for people we may need to keep on praying before we see the healing

completed.

3. Despite our weaknesses God brings us great revelation about himself.

4. Even when we receive great revelation we often still remain blind in our general

thinking.

5. The Lord calls us to lay down our lives to him.

PRAY :

Pray for real heart understanding of these things.

PART 4 : "Revelation and Misunderstandings"

In this next chapter we will see misunderstanding despite amazing revelation. Watch for Peter's confusion, the disciples' helplessness, arguing and unnecessary protectiveness as again and again they fail to take in who Jesus is and what he calls them to.