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February 15, 2022“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees… and the yeast of Herod.”
In yesterday’s brief gospel (Mark 8:11-13) Jesus is challenged by some Pharisees to provide some sort of sign from heaven to prove the truth of what He is teaching. He is exasperated by their lack of faith and gets into a boat with His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee. Today’s gospel (vv. 14-21) follows immediately on this scene.
Jesus is warning his disciples against the corrupting influence that is the lack of faith, narrow mindedness, and legalism of the Pharisees.
But because the disciples happened to have forgotten to bring bread with them into the boat, they take Jesus literally and think He is speaking about their lack of bread. Jesus, again frustrated, reminds them rather forcefully of the two different occasions when He has multiplied loaves and fishes. He presses them on the details and how much was left over on each occasion. The lack of bread to feed 12 people in the moment is hardly a
matter of great concern for Jesus. And He has just reminded his disciples why.
Today’s passage ends with Jesus’ question to the disciples,
“Do you still not understand?”
More so than the other three evangelists, Mark does not hesitate to point out the shortcomings of the apostles.
On one hand, this can be consoling. If eyewitnesses were so slow to
understand, then there is both room and hope for us!
On the other, their slowness and sometimes narrow-minded viewpoint can invite us to examine our own moments of myopia (tunnel vision).
It’s a well-known fact that one can find a scripture verse to validate
virtually any moral or behavioral position or stance. Certain gospel verses can seem to contradict others. There are several reasons and explanations for this, but if we insist on focusing on only one or two verses, there is room for confusion and differing interpretations.
In such moments, I find Jesus in today’s exchange with his apostles
offering us a healthy perspective: stepping back and looking at the larger
picture.
Which is of greater import? A temporary lack of something to eat or the
influence of legalism on one’s thinking concerning any number of issues?
The issues of primary importance to Jesus in His life and teachings are very obvious and admit of no confusion: love of God and neighbor,
compassion, forgiveness, mercy, reconciliation, inclusiveness, equality, and others I need not enumerate.
Looking at the example of the apostles in today’s gospel, I am reminded of something I learned from my fourth grade teacher that has stayed with me,
“A wise person learns by others’ mistakes. A fool has to make his/her own.”
