Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome to Coronav Coragos. We're in chapter 8 of Mark's gospel. We've seen Jesus feed 4000 people in gentle land, he fed them with just a few loads of bread and a few fish. And then the pharisees come after he'd done that amazing miracle and asked for a sign from heaven. And now we're carrying on the story, and we're in verse 14 of Mark 8.

The disciples have forgotten to bring bread, except for 1 loaf that they had with them in the boat. Be careful to support them. Watch out for the yeast of the faraces and that of herod. They discussed this with 1 another and said, it's because we have no bread. Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them, why are you talking about having no bread?

Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember when I broke the 5 loaves for the 5000, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? 12, they replied.

And when I wrote the 7 loans for the 4000, how many basket forms of pieces did you pick up? They answered 7. He said to them, do you still not understand? It's strong stuff, isn't it? It really is Jesus, the teacher here.

Sort of rubbing in. You really haven't got this. I'm warning you about something very serious, and you really are gonna fall for, you know, for the fallacies, if you're not careful. Yeah. And it I mean, it's so it starts with them in the boat, doesn't it?

And as you say, it follows on from the feeding the 4000. And although we don't have a window into exactly what they were talking about. It's quite an interesting detail in verse 14, you know, except for 1 loaf, they had So, yeah, you can imagine the disciples sitting around, and they bring out this 1 loaf, and they're wondering, you know, how far is this gonna go between us. And it might have even been 1 of the loaves that were left over there with 4000 it's really cool. Yeah.

And and they're obviously a little bit nervous based on what g says next. They're obviously a little bit nervous about how exactly they're gonna be provided for in this situation. Yes. And and there's there's concern amongst them. And that's what prompts Jesus' warning in verse 15.

Be careful Jesus' warned them. Watch out for the yeast of the pharisees and out of herod. And that yeast seems to be what what we find in verse 11, which was the previous reading. The pharisees came and began to question, it was testing. They asked him for a sign from heaven.

And that that image of yeast is quite is quite personal because it's the kind of thing that may start small. And secretly work its way through the whole batch. And the yeast he's got in mind is is treating Jesus just like, you know, just just just wanting him to form the next sign, the next sign, the next sign. And not really having a faith that is based on his words or what he's done in the past. But always looking for a reaffirmation and a reconfirmation based on the next sign.

Yeah. And and and you see that. We'll we'll see that later on when we get to herod. You see how he wants miracles. Yeah.

So the sort of play thing, like magic trick thing. And, I mean, it is, I guess, underlying all of that. It's just sheer unbelief. It's because if you're asking Jesus for a sign when he's done these signs, it's just unbelief, isn't it? So who is this Jesus?

And surely, these signs that he's doing have proved that he is the son of man, the son of God. The rescuer, sustainer of his people. And they just won't get it. They just don't get it. And so I think this is the thing thing is, because sometimes we, if we're not careful, we sort of have the pharisees and the teachers of the law as the sort of the baddies that don't get anything.

And then the disciples are sort of sort of slightly different. But actually, in the end, the heart is the same, doesn't it? Unbelief is the same. Yeah. Will you believe in in Jesus and who he is?

Yeah. And Jesus is saying, even in you, my Cyples, there is potential for the yeast of of unbelief to grow. Yeah. And and yeah. And is and Jesus exposing that in in 1 of the 1 of the classic values by just stacking up questions.

You know, he often does that, doesn't he a discussion? He asks questions to expose what's going on underneath. And I don't know how many there are here. This must be 5, I think, or 6 questions. And they kind of ramp up in seriousness, don't they?

Why are you talking about having no brain? Do you still want to see and understand, are your hearts harder? Yeah. You know, so Jesus is really wanting to draw them out with these questions and to say, look, you you guys are still not getting who I am. You're not appreciating what you've already seen.

Your memory seems to be failing. You know, it says, do you not remember? You know, it wasn't that long ago that you saw me do these miracles to provide. And you you saw You know, he is sort of treating a lot like children, isn't it? How many did we pick up?

Yeah. You know, 12. Yeah. I mean, we pick up, you know, 7. Yes.

You know, it's like, for goodness, say that, that's, you know, yeah. And and it's I mean, we can often very much be like that, can't we? Because, you know, there are times when we might wake up in the morning. And we we may feel that we, you know, we know who God is, and we trust god. But by the time the evening comes around.

We've forgotten what we learned in the morning, and we're not trusting the autumn. We're trusting in ourselves again. And even though we learn, what really should have been enough to sustain us for at least that day in the morning, we've forgotten about already. Yeah. And our our memories when it comes to Christ and who he is, Just remembering his past faithfulness.

You know, it would be so slow to remember past faithfulness, God. I mean, is it interesting as Peter, who was here? In his letter in the new testament, he often uses that to remember. Let me remind you. Can I remind you?

Can I remind you? Can I remind you? No trouble to remind Yeah. It's no trouble to remind you yet again. I know you know these things, but I want to remind you.

And that is the Christian life, isn't it? Because I think the more we're not reminded of the wonderful truths of who Jesus is, what he's done for us, you know, the more we stray, and our hearts sort of are like quick drying cement. They dry quickly, unless they're kicked on getting water. That's good. Yeah.

Yes. And so, I guess, in terms of application, there there there is there is that warning to us. Isn't there? Firstly, that we you know, we mustn't fall into this trap of having a wordless Christianity, really, where we're just treating Jesus as a as a show pony. But also but also a warning not to forget not to forget God's faithfulness to us and to to keep to keep trusting him.

Yeah. What is that terrible phrase? I can't forget it now, something like Christianity, for France's of Aces or whatever. Oh, Yeah. Yes.

I need to look up back to come back. Come back to that. Yes. So there we are. So keep looking and seeing who Jesus is, see that he is the provider, see that he is the bread of life, see that he is the 1 that died for all about sins.

And refresh yourself in those on a daily basis. And know that. It's relationship with it, isn't it? It's not stale bread. This is fresh every day.

And so we'll come back tomorrow.