Mark 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
In the second miracle of the multiplying of the loaves and fishes recorded in Mark chapter 8, Jesus is angered by the religious leaders from the Pharisee, Sadducee and Herodian sects, who tempted Him and challenged Him for a sign from heaven. These religious frauds, like any hard hearted skeptics, had no intention of believing that Jesus was their Messiah. They only sought to question, disrupt, and discredit Who He was. Jesus called their poisonous belief systems leaven. But Jesus was also bewildered by His very own followers, who had yet to really understand the meaning of the miracle. Upon returning to the Galilee area via boat, the disciples only brought one loaf of bread. Jesus then warned them about the leaven or corrupt influence that these religious groups held. As soon as they heard the word leaven, they thought that Jesus was rebuking them for only bringing one loaf of bread. Obviously, the two miracles of the loaves and fishes had yet to sink in. Though the miracles of Jesus were proof that He was from The Father, miracles in and of themselves do not produce saving faith.
Jesus Christ ended this conversation with His disciples with one final question. It is best to see it not as a continuation of the rebuke, but as a searching appeal to the disciples. He said to them in verse 21, “Do you still not understand?” That is, “Now that I have reminded you that there were twelve bushels left from the Jewish feeding and seven from the Gentile feeding, do you still not understand that I am the Bread of Life for the whole world?” This is a question for our own hearts this morning as well. Is The Lord Jesus Christ your Bread of Life this morning? If so, the meaning and purpose of our lives now revolves around feasting and focusing on Him, not ourselves. If so, we need to remember that our assignment here on earth is found in the marching orders of Jesus: “…as The Father hath sent Me, so send I you.” (John 20:21b) We are called to re-present the life and gospel of Jesus Christ, The Bread of Life, in a lost and dying world, knowing that whatever is needed to complete that task, He is able to provide. Selah
