Today’s Reading: Mark 8:14-21, 27-30; Luke 9:18-20

SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. – Mark 8:14-16

The disciples were struggling with distinguishing when Jesus was speaking to them in literal terms and when he was speaking figuratively. He often spoke to them in parables but they still had not figured out how to relate the words of Jesus to real life situations. They were missing the meaning of what Jesus was trying to teach them because they were thinking in human terms instead of spiritual concepts.

Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them. – Mark 8:17-21

SPEAKING LITERALLY

Jesus must have been so frustrated with their lack of understanding and their simplistic thinking, but he took the time to meet them where they were at and help bring them to where he needed them to be. He understood their confusion and patiently went back to square one with them:

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. – Mark 8:27-30

So often we need a reminder of who God is when we are going through a time of uncertainty or confusion. Our Heavenly Father will reveal Himself to us if we will simply look beyond our earthly understanding to see things from God’s perspective. Not only will He help us understand who He is, He will help us understand who He is calling us to be.

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17-19

Peter knew who Jesus was because God had revealed it to him. He knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God Himself, and no one needed to tell him that. God had opened Peter’s eyes and given him understanding because He had a plan for Peter’s life and for the life of all of Jesus’ disciples — to build the church by spreading the truth about who Jesus is.

Lord, give us eyes to see who you are and give us a heart to pursue your call on our lives. Give us understanding and reveal the meaning of your word to us so that we can help others find their way to you. Amen.