Mark 8:1-26

Read Mark 8:1-26

Helpful Background Information: 

• In Mark 8:1–10, Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish. This is different from the earlier feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6. The earlier miracle occurred primarily among Jewish people, while this one appears to take place in a Gentile region. The disciples, however, still struggle to grasp the lesson. Even though they had seen Jesus provide abundantly before, they questioned again how anyone could feed such a crowd in the wilderness. 

• In Mark 8:11–26, the focus shifts to the Pharisees demanding a sign, Jesus warning the disciples about the “leaven” (influence) of the Pharisees and Herod, and the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. Jesus’ warning about the “leaven” illustrates false teaching and sin spread like yeast in a dough. The two-stage healing of the blind man is interesting. At first, he only sees “people like trees walking,” and then Jesus restores his sight completely. This physical miracle is also a reflection of the disciples’ spiritual condition: they are beginning to understand who Jesus is, but their comprehension remains incomplete and will be clarified further later. Compare the healing of the blind man with the disciples' failure to realize that Jesus can feed the multitude.

Reflection Questions:

• Why do you think Jesus repeated a miracle so similar to the feeding of the five thousand? 

• Why do you think the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, even though He had already done many miracles (v.11).

• Jesus asked, “Do you not yet understand?” (v.21). In what areas of your life is Jesus asking you the same question?

• In what ways do you see yourself in the disciples’ slowness to understand and the blind man’s gradual sight?