Mark 8:13-19: a reflection

13He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. 14They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 16They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.” 17Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”

When Jesus warns his disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod, they miss his meaning entirely, thinking he is talking about their lack of bread. Jesus responds with a striking series of questions that expose their spiritual dullness: Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember? Their failure was not merely a misunderstanding, but a dullness of perception, a hardness of heart that failed to see and understand what was plain.

Notice what Jesus exposes: a spiritual dullness, a hardness of heart that fails to perceive. The disciples had seen Jesus feed thousands from a few loaves, twice; yet they worried about bread and missed his meaning. Jesus names the problem as a hardness of heart, eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, a failure to perceive and understand what should have been plain. It was not a lack of information, but a dullness of spiritual perception, a heart not yet soft and seeing enough to grasp what God had done and was saying. Spiritual dullness kept them from perceiving.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can suffer from a spiritual dullness that fails to perceive what God is doing and saying. We can have eyes that do not truly see, ears that do not truly hear, a heart dull and slow to perceive what God has done and is saying, missing what should be plain, as the disciples did. Jesus's questions are for us too: don't you perceive? Is your heart still hardened? Do not let your heart grow dull and hardened, failing to perceive what God is doing and saying; ask God to soften your heart and open your eyes to see and understand. Pray against the spiritual dullness that fails to perceive, asking God for a heart that sees and understands what he is doing, rather than being dull and slow like the disciples, whom Jesus asked, having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Seek a soft, perceiving heart, alert to what God is doing, rather than a dull and hardened one.

Lord Jesus, when you warn your disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod, they miss your meaning entirely, thinking you are talking about their lack of bread. You respond with a striking series of questions that expose their spiritual dullness: why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember? Their failure was a dullness of perception, a hardness of heart that failed to see what was plain. Show me what you expose: a spiritual dullness, a hardness of heart that fails to perceive. The disciples had seen you feed thousands, twice; yet they worried about bread and missed your meaning. You name the problem as a hardness of heart, eyes that do not see, a failure to perceive what should have been plain. It was not a lack of information, but a dullness of spiritual perception. Take that to my heart, for I too can suffer from a spiritual dullness that fails to perceive what you are doing and saying. I can have eyes that do not truly see, a heart dull and slow to perceive, missing what should be plain, as the disciples did. Your questions are for me too: don't you perceive? Is your heart still hardened? Keep my heart from growing dull and hardened, failing to perceive what you are doing; soften my heart and open my eyes to see and understand, Lord. Help me pray against the spiritual dullness that fails to perceive, seeking a heart that sees and understands what you are doing.