Steps on the Path

Hearing and understanding are not always simultaneous acts.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.” -  Mark 8:11-26

All this talk about bread and yeast has the disciples confused.

They have trouble understanding Jesus, and Jesus gets more than a little frustrated with them.

He tells the Pharisees he will not show them any signs, and yet he has feed thousands with a few loaves, and he makes a blind man see.

So, is it that he refuses to show them signs, or is he saying the signs are there and they refuse to see?

How often do we fail to see something at the time and later it dawns on us how important that moment was?

So it must have been for the disciples around Jesus.

At the time, while he was with them, they were too awed by what he did to see why he did these things.

They were blind to his mission, thinking this journey was all about rising to power, taking one's place as king, defeating oppression.

But Jesus had a larger purpose, and that is what they couldn't comprehend.

All would benefit form the signs he performed, not just the few who witnessed them.

The signs point to his true nature, and that is what the world needed to know.  God has become one of us, and is showing us the way home.

I think we need to ponder that for a moment.  

If our job is to follow the path to God, what is our first step going to be?

More to come...