Mark wrote how Jesus' “disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand? have you your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? and do you not remember?When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say unto him, Twelve”, and in chapter eight and verse twenty of his book, Mark shared how Jesus asked His disciples about “the seven among four thousand” where we read:
And when the seven among four thousand,
how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said, Seven.
The verse reads, “And when the seven among four thousand, ...” Mark began with the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “the seven” which refers to “the seven loaves composed of flour mixed with water and baked” “among four thousand” which means “toward the five thousand men who were in the multitude”. Mark shared how Jesus reminded His disciples of the time He fed “four thousand” people.
The verse continues, “how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said, Seven.” Mark added the words, “how many baskets full” which means “what was the number of wicker baskets filled” “of fragments” or “with pieces and remnants of food” “took you up” which means “did Jesus' disciples gather and collect”? “And they said” or “and Jesus' disciples uttered, declared, proclaimed and answered” “seven” which means “seven wicker baskets full”. Mark shared how Jesus questioned His disciples concerning the number of “baskets full of food” they collected after He fed the “four thousand” people to which they answered “Seven”.
When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus employ another memory from the past to provoke His disciples to remember who He is and what He has done. This time, He used His feeding of the “four thousand” where the “disciples” gathered “seven baskets” of pieces of food after everyone had eaten. Reminders of the past provision of God give us hope for His provision in the future, and because God loves people so much, He sent His Son Jesus to die for their sins and three days later was resurrected from the grave so they might live with Him forever. Jesus' works among people should show every reader how He will provide for them even after death, and those who are wise will “believe and trust” in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Mark shares how Jesus asks His disciples, “how is it that you do not understand?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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