"And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?"
Today's lesson demonstrates how hard it was during the ministry of Christ for some to believe in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
The Pharisees, leaders of the most prominent Jewish sect during the ministry of Jesus, were always very sceptical of Jesus, even though He had proven His divine power over and over through all manner of miracles. He had even restored life to someone that had been declared dead.
In this quote, the Pharisees, ignoring the miracles they had already witnessed, requested that Jesus give them yet another kind of sign that would establish His divine authority. When Jesus rebuked those Pharisees and declared that there would be no other sign, He warned His apostles about the negative influence the Pharisees might have on those who might believe. The apostles confused that warning to be about their own failure to bring bread for the trip. By being confused the apostles demonstrated a total lack of understanding of what Jesus' message was all about. In frustration, Jesus said, that had they demonstrated even a tiny bit of faith, they could have piled up enough bread to feed thousands, just as He had already done.
Today's "churches" should take this lesson to heart because, just like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, and even His own chosen apostles, we suffer all manner of bad times simply because our lack of understanding and lack of sufficient faith, keeps us from relying totally upon God through Jesus Christ, to fulfill our every need.
He has promised that if we ask in faith, our prayers will ALWAYS be answered. "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11:22-23)~
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