The cross above Good Shepherd Chapel

Day

19

His Patience

Lent 2020

Read Mark 8:1-21

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." 4 And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" 5 And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. 14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Sometimes I wonder who Jesus might have been more frustrated with: the disciples or the Pharisees. Maybe the question isn’t that tough to answer. After all, Jesus was greatly angered with the Pharisees who put enormous burdens on the people with religious laws that had nothing to do with God. The Pharisees hypocritically walked around with a false piety.

On the other hand, time and time again the disciples struggle to “get it.” They seem slow to pick up on who Jesus is, what he can do, and what he is teaching them. And yet the same compassion that led him to heal the sick and feed the crowds who had gathered to hear him, now responds to his “hard-hearted” disciples with patience and more instruction. It is that same compassion which is also patient with us in responding to our hard heartedness and slow understanding, for he is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Thanks be to God!

Prayer

Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to know and understand the fullness of the Father’s grace and mercy along with Your power and presence in our lives. Amen.

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