Tuesday 15 February 2011

Background

It is difficult to follow the thread of this passage and themodern reader is likely to ask many questions to which there are noobvious answers. Why was just one loaf a problem when more could bebought when the disciples completed their journey across the lake?How can they have forgotten that Jesus has twice fed a multitudewith just a few loaves and fish and could surely meet their needwith the one loaf they have? (See Mark6:30-44 and (so recently!) 8:1-9.) What is the connection between verses14 and 15? But we must not be distracted by all this from the mainpoints of the passage.

Because of its capacity in just small quantities to affect a largeamount of dough, yeast is used from time to time in the NewTestament as a metaphor for the influence a few people can have onmany others - sometimes for good (eg Matthew 13:33), sometimes, as here, for evil.The Pharisees are regularly portrayed as unable, or unwilling, torecognise that Jesus is from God. Perhaps Herod represents thosewho recognise the truth only too well, fear it, and try to suppressit, as he did with John the Baptist (Mark6:17-29). Such attitudes are contagious.

What is it that the disciples do not understand (verse 21)? Is itjust that Jesus is capable of feeding them if need be, or have theymissed a profounder point in the feeding miracles about who Jesusreally is and what authority he represents? But we are not told,and so verse 21 becomes a question to us as readers. Overalltoday's reading, part of a longer sequence contrasting those whosee the truth and those who do not, emphasises that even those whomight be expected to be closest to understanding may in fact missthe point.

To Ponder

Reflect on moments when for you 'the pennydropped' and you first realised a truth that now seems blindinglyobvious.

Identify present-day influences that may make itharder to see the truth about God?. How can we be on guard againstthem?