Mark Chapter 8 Verses 11 – 12

• It’s interesting that the translators here in the NKJV would choose to say that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him…if you’re reading the ASV or the NIV or the KJV or the CRV (wait that’s a Honda), anyway other translations take that Greek word syzeteo and translate it, “question.” Which is actually a more accurate translation in my opinion. Why? Because for one, literally the definition of the word is to question or to reason with and two, that word is used a total of 10 times in the New Testament and 8 out of 10 times it’s translated as “question.”
• So one would say, (and I would conclude) that the best translation is probably the NIV or the ASV in that verse 11 in the Greek most literally says, “Then the Pharisees came out and began to question Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing or tempting Him.” (Same situation with that word “testing” there. Better translation is “tempting”)
• I know what you’re thinking, “So what?” I would agree, doesn’t matter because the point is, the truth is, the theological alarm clock is…to do anything other than to simply trust God because He is good, because He is King, because He is Lord…man that is to stand on the very high-cliff border of disputing with Him. “God give me a sign…lemme fleece this question…show me, prove to me, convince me that You’re not a fraud”…is actually what you’re saying…when you are seeking answers to questions that are clearly here in His Word.
• Look relationship demands conversation so praying about which restaurant to eat at or which car to buy or which church to join or which mission organization to support…that’s all good! What I’m talking about is questioning, disputing, demanding that heaven would return your call and give you a sign on something that has already been put to rest by God’s Word.
• God should I forgive her? Should I give him another chance? Should I go to church? Should I give to a ministry, any ministry? Should I stay married to him? Should I wait until I’m married? What you’re really asking is not any of those questions…what you’re really asking is, “Lord, should I trust You?” Notice Jesus’ response…
• He sighed deeply in His spirit…crazy word here…anastenazo. Where we get out word anesthesia…He goes numb for a moment with grief man…this is it, only one place in the entire Bible that we find this word and its right here and it is extreme because after all that Jesus has done, they still won’t believe and even if Jesus pulled an “I am God” sign out of his toga, doesn’t really matter what He does, they won’t believe!
• So why not right? Why not just make a frog talk or something? Maybe point at a rock and have it address them, “Yo wassup money!?” Just give them a sign already, what’s the big deal? Well a) we just talked about this…it wouldn’t work…they’d use it against Him somehow and b) Jesus was not interested in using His power to prove Himself…what He wanted to do and what He still desires today is simply to heal people man. One is on the way…and he will perform signs and wonders to astonish the people and gain advantage…all the way to global rule (the AntiChrist) and the Bible says that many will be led astray because of him….
• We need to be careful that we do not seek signs and wonders but that we are anchored deep to the Word of God! The answers…they are all here…they are not all easy to accept, but they indeed are all here…

Mark Chapter 8 Verses 13 – 21

• Folks and scholars over the years have disputed about the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 actually being one event told twice in order to increase the pomp…you know that old saying right, “Grow the story, grow the glory!” That fish was THIS big! HA! But it’s clear here and we can put that question to bed here because Jesus calls them out separately!
• And the scene is an intriguing one. All Jesus said was, “Beware, or be wise to…look out…keep clear of the leaven or the sin of the Pharisees…” which was what? One could argue a bunch of things but primarily the Pharisees were jerks! They were hard hearted man…not willing to reason and to change. Stuck in their ways and stuck in self righteousness. Caused them to be cruel and elitist…to take advantage of the people…Jesus simply says here, “That stinks, don’t do that and if you see that creeping in man you gotta do something about it immediately!” (Because they would no doubt…it creeps in)
• And the “leaven of Herod,” which was what? Domineering power and political authority…which is not power or authority at all! True power and eternal authority is found within the heart of one who is the servant of all. Jesus’ words not mine. And oh by the way, was Herod confident? Successful? Wise? He was none of those these even though he lorded power over people…that actually made him fearful, a loser and dumb! HA! So contrary to the way the natural man thinks right?
• Fathers often show themselves harsh to their children seeking to instill in them values and work ethic…good luck with that! Never works! Being the example and being a big softie with them, that will build them up in love and security man! Husbands…, “Well, I’m the man you know and so my wife should serve me!” Ladies, does that work? HA! NOT! (I’m bringing that back I told you! That and psyche!) But if we husbands would put ourselves out there and love our wives as Christ loved the church, giving ourselves our lives our needs our desires our passions our plans our priorities…putting all of that aside and making her wellness and joy our life our need our desire our passion our plan and our priority…then guess what? She’ll naturally LOVE to let you lead man!!!
• Even pastors! Oh well if I just make myself untouchable by the people…you know keep my distance and all then they’ll really listen to me then…they’ll really look up to me then…I don’t buy it! Jesus was all up in the mix. Bearing His heart. Making Himself accessible, touchable, harmable! Vulnerable, why? Because He loved them more than Him…and guess what? Thousands came to hear Him. Everywhere He went they came out in droves and disciples were never lacking…they came from everywhere. New ones each day.
• And so the point. What you’re trying to accomplish…what you want…beware of the sin of Herod man…trying to do it your way. It doesn’t work. Allow God’s Word to be the way in which you conduct your everyday life and just watch what you want, what you desire, what you need in your heart of hearts…love, security, acceptance, safety, joy…watch it just arrive man and you know what…when it does and you’ve chosen God’s way…even though that is the hard path, the narrow path, the lonely path…the suffering path…when all that wonderful love and joy and life appears, guess who gets the glory? See why that’s the way, the truth and the life? God gets the glory ONLY in that situation…
• And so Jesus was just hooking them up with good truth man but they didn’t get it…they missed it…they were worried about their next meal…and Jesus says to them is your heart hardened? Do you not remember? And that is the case really in our lives sometimes…in my life sometimes…I get so drowned out by the current days troubles that I forget what God has done in my life in times past and I start to worry, fret…my heart hardens, why? Because I forgot…
• I forget how He saved me. I forget how he healed my marriage. I forget how He provided and provided and provided for me in the past…that’s precisely what the disciples do here and they reasoned among themselves rather than simply receive a good teaching from God. I mean after seeing 9,000 men, not counting women and children all fed to the point of being crazy full by the total equivalent of one super sized extra value meal from McD’s…you’d think they would say, “Welp, got this food thing covered…let’s worry about something else.” But they didn’t. And so many times neither do I and I miss some good stuff God has for me…Don’t miss what God has for you…