Day 36, Mark 8
Good day and we kick off the Month of March today!
Time is moving on and so is the Gospel of Mark!
We have been in section II the Mystery of Jesus — and in the middle of this chapter we enter into section III Called, “The Mystery Begins to be Revealed”
I see three miraculous points here:
- Compassion Makes Miracles
- Disciples Don’t YOU GET IT?
- For the Gospel
1- Compassion Makes Miracles -
Chapter 8 begins right away with the Feeding of the Four Thousand — right after talking so much about what goes into the body and that in the new covenant it will not be what goes into man’s body that defiles him but what comes out of his heart!
So what can transform our heart? The Eucharist of course and the multiplication of the loaves! All the disciples had were seven loaves this time — and that fed four thousand.
Now what is amazing here is that we really get to see in detail the compassion of Jesus and it is with this pity He has for us ,that moves Him to make this miracle of love!
He is showing us that in the new covenant this will be the food to eat! This will be the proper nourishment!
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.”
OK first of all — three days listening to JESUS and NO FOOD? We can’t go a few hours let alone three days!!!
Second — what gets me here — is why after the first miracle of feeding the five thousand — did the disciples still not think – hey Jesus… how about another miracle?
Had they already forgotten?
He asks the disciples what they have —
and this time an offering of the seven loaves –
He also took some of their fish — and blessed it and all were fed
Seven baskets were leftover — hmmmm good ole number seven!
What I am most blessed about is seeing Jesus say that His HEART is moved with pity —
It is so worth reflecting on the Heart of JESUS today — He always provides and is always concerned for us!
Even when we are not taking care of ourselves — even when others who should be taking care of us are not — this goes for old people, and young!
Jesus is always watching and thinking about us… see how He is always one step ahead — these people hadn’t thought about the fact that they needed to think about food so as not to collapse on the way home –
No they had put God first and wanted to be with and hear Jesus preach!
As a result His compassion for them provided them with food to eat –
God will do the same for us — His sons and daughters!
2- Disciples Don’t YOU GET IT?
This next point is how we see Jesus for the second time works the same kind of miracle — and I told you that I was wondering why they did not think of him performing that miracle again?
Well — Jesus starts to ask them if they are getting it?
When Jesus gets into the boats with the disciples after running into the Pharisees who are demanding a sign –
Jesus tells them that they must “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”
OK at this point the disciples think that Jesus is talking about this because they had forgotten to bring bread on the boat —
JESUS realizes this and says…”Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?”
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him “TWELVE”
He continues,
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him “SEVEN”
Jesus said to them… “DO YOU STILL NOT UNDERSTAND?”
I wanted to break this up for you and for me — because I think that we move so fast in this world that we don’t take time to understand JESUS and God’s will!
WE think we know everything like the pride of the Pharisees –
we think that we have things all planned out — and we know exactly what we want or think we need to make us happy!
I mean if I really reflect on all the actions taken everyday and how fast it all goes — and then stop and wonder — Jesus is not moving that fast –
and then we have so many people who don’t understand — and I don’t understand and we want to know where is JESUS?
How many times do you hear people say with the natural disasters Where is God?
The next time someone says that to me I’m going to say — which God do you mean? Do you know my God?
This whole example is showing us that even being a disciple and being on the inside there are still going to be times that we don’t understand -
yes — but we have to be as attentive as possible and LISTEN — as much as we can!
Constant Conversion is what is needed so that we will not have the hard hearts — the ones that can’t think or hear or listen —
The Disciples were too focused on what they didn’t have – the bread they forgot –
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE DON”T HAVE — or
ON WHAT WE FORGOT TO DO OR BRING WITH US on the journey and then we miss what Jesus is saying to us at the present moment —
Don’t live in the past or the future but be present –
the word remember — means to make present something that already happened —
so when we remember we are making present JESUS – as in the Mass — but if we remember negative things from our past — we are making them present over and over —
that distracts us from listening to JESUS –
He will say the sames words to us in love as HE did to the disciples!
and in love He will ask those same questions…
I mean can you believe how specific HE was to ask them about the two miracles — that blew my mind!!
Jesus wants us to see and hear — so in the last chapter we saw a man healed and his ears were opened and he could hear — this chapter right after Jesus is having this conversation with the disciples — we see Him healing sight!
Thank you Jesus!
SO now again it is about JESUS touching the blind man’s eyes — and this time again with his own spittle -
the spittle as in the last chapters healing of ears and tongue represent new creation — same way God created
the word touch– original translations in Greek I think mean power going out-
- here we see Jesus laid his hands on him and asked…
Do you see anything?…. amazing that He said…
“I see people looking like trees and walking”
That just blows me away — why he would say trees — and why Jesus asked at this time? When other times He simply healed a person immediately!
This healing of sight — to me shows participation — we have to focus on something — we have to try to see — and then JESUS will help us — He puts his own saliva on the ears and eyes — to help us see and hear as HE DOES!
There is no coincidence that this miracle healing of ears and eyes happens right at this time!
Praise the Lord and may He give us ears to hear and eyes to see HIM!
3- For the Gospel -
Now we enter section III THE MYSTERY BEGINS TO BE REVEALED
Peter confesses about Jesus — and then JESUS gives the first prediction of the PASSION!
Good thing that he was shaking them up before — don’t you get it? He had to do that because now He is about to share with them the upcoming walk to Calvary in bits and pieces and they can only understand if they can see and hear him — spiritually!
This moves right into conditions of discipleship right after Jesus has to rebuke PETER –
So where did all the love and compassion go — I mean Jesus had to get in their faces about the truth!
Isn’t that what happens to us once in a while — we have to get the truth about our situations and where God is leading us sometimes because we are in denial and we don’t want to see or hear –
for us as Catholics it is easy to hide behind a beautiful liturgy -
- some good music and a nice trip to the adoration chapel where we can pray a nice rosary or two — and that is all good to do –
- but are we putting it into action?
Are we acting out the liturgy – the MASS? Are we really being a disciple of Jesus or is this just a nice story?
We’ve got 28 days until Passion Sunday! Do you want to be ready for the HOLIEST WEEK OF THE YEAR?
Let’s really start looking at those things we need to change and look and listen to start that process -
- but look here again about what Jesus is saying about the condition of discipleship!
What really struck me this time were the words
“whoever loses his life for my sake and that OF THE GOSPEL will save it”
How can we possibly save our lives by losing them for Jesus or THE GOSPEL when we don’t know who JESUS is or what the GOSPEL SAYS?
I know you get this — and I am sure it makes you think about all those people who do not know JESUS – let alone the Gospel –
It makes me really think about the people I meet every day who tell me that they don’t believe that the Gospel is inspired by God and that it is just a book!
This is so important that we realize — what grace we have received to even believe in the GOSPEL — and to even desire to be a follower of Christ!
And then there is the last verse that cuts right to the chase —
“Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Again what I don’t remember seeing is “and of my words” So the WORD of God of course is included because it is JESUS!
Thingk about how much the WORD of God is distorted?
We must defend the authenticity of the WORD of God and live it!
That is why it is so wonderful that you are here and studying it with us!
May God break open His WORD to you and fill you with HIS understanding!
Please share your thoughts on this action packed – fill in the areas that struck you about This WORD!
