Mark 8

  8:1-21.  C. S. Lewis pointed out in Miracles that Jesus only does the sorts of miracles that the Father does all the time.  Jesus does “natural” things, only he does them in a supernatural way.   It is always God who multiplies loaves and fishes to feed a hungry world.  Pharisees always seem to show up after one of these amazing signs, sullenly demanding a sign (11-12),  But the disciples don’t have eyes to understand either (18).  Vv. 19-20 call special attention to the numbers twelve and seven as they relate to these two miracles of multiplying food.  Twelve stands for the covenant people, as in all the twelve sons of Jacob.  Ever since God rested from his completed work of creation on the seventh day, seven has stood for completion, all that is.  So these signs say, “I feed God’s people.  I feed all who eat”.  Then, after curing a man’s blind eyes, Jesus asks, “So who am I?” (29).

     8:22-26.   See notes at Mark  7:31-37.  That which comes from Jesus’ mouth cures our blindness. His touch removes the distortion of sin from our perspective better than any spectacles.

     8:27-33.  Peter has seen enough to know who Jesus is (29).  But he still sees with the distortion of sinful man (33).  The disciples cannot comprehend even the plain teaching of Jesus about the necessity of his suffering, rejection, and death (31).  Peter goes from confessing Jesus as the Christ, to rebuking Jesus for a lack of understanding in a matter of minutes.  We all have the capacity to be Judas (33).

     8:34-38.  The way of Christ is the way of the cross.  V.15 warned of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod (i.e. the leaven of the Sadducees, Mt.16:6, who were subservient to Herod).  We see the work of that leaven here in these verses.  The Pharisees will not let go of their own righteousness, deny themselves, and follow Christ.  They wish to save themselves (35a).  Herod and the Sadducees love power.  They wish to gain the whole world, even at the forfeiture of their souls (36).  The leaven of men is the leaven of moral cowards ashamed to be identified with Jesus, because he is a friend of sinners.  Ashamed of him, because he is meek.  Yet he is the sinner’s only hope, and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Ps.2).  Soon all will be faced with that inescapable reality (38).