No Further Explanation Given

Scripture: He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" Mark 8:21

Observation: Jesus makes a somewhat cryptic statement about the "yeast of the Pharisees", the disciples misunderstand it to be a reference to a lack of bread, and Jesus reminds them that he has multiplied bread in the past. He ends his correction of the disciples with this question. Of course ... Jesus never does explain his original cryptic statement.

Given the imagery of yeast in other contexts, it makes sense that the "yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod" has something to do with how a little deception or misinterpretation can create a change in an entire society. Jesus uses this same metaphor in positive ways, as an example of how just a little faith can work its way through a person's life. However, referring to the Pharisees and Herod, Jesus is certainly addressing things like the misapplication of the law as a thing that can affect all of society.

And yet, when the disciples do not understand this, Jesus does not explain it. He calls out their misunderstanding, but does not give them a new, correct understanding. There is no new information. Instead, the disciples are simply told they are failing to see and understand, reminded of other events, and left to reconsider the teaching.

Application: Jesus doesn't always spell out our lessons for us. In my life, there are certainly times when I know I have been corrected, and yet and I don't know necessarily what to do about it. This is likely a matter of faith - the first step is to change or stop what I am doing wrong, and God will later give me what I need to do differently. When I don't understand, that may mean I have missed the mark. It may also mean that I am simply to record the lesson and learn how to apply it later.

Prayer: Lord, I do not understand everything, despite all you have done and shown me. I hope that's okay. It may be that my heart is hard, but it is also that I am just limited as a human. I have prayed over and over for a softer heart, and I know you have been answering that prayer. May I continue to seek your direction and path, even when I don't understand, as I place my total faith in you. Amen.