Old-time Revival April 9
Mark 8:1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,
The intersection between the spiritual world and the secular world occurs quite often if you think about it. A regular day is well under way, and someone suggests going to listen to a speaker who is supposed to be pretty good. The guy is some kind of modern day Messiah. And they say He heals people, and His words sound like they came from the Scripture itself.
They are hoping it will be an all-day event, so you get some bread, put some grapes in a bag, and get some water. And you join a small group of people heading into the countryside. Others join in the flow, and there is quite a crowd when you finally arrive.
People are covering the hillside. It’s like a massive picnic. This man, Jesus, is talking with people one on one. They are lined up to see Him. His helpers are keeping the line in order and interviewing people to see who should be next to talk to Jesus one on one.
Every now and then, Jesus stops what He is doing and speaks to the crowd for a few minutes. He says strange things, totally at odds with almost everything you have heard about religion.
That’s because He is talking about God, from Scripture and, more importantly, from experience. Theory and tradition have no place with Him.
You want to spend time with Him and this extraordinary group of strangers around you. Your secular being is unconsciously harmonizing with His Spiritual Being.
Compassion April 10
Mark 8:2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
The afternoon passes.
There are stories of healing, both of bodies and relationships.
There are stories of forgiveness and mercy.
There are words of love and grace.
And you see the evidence in the people around you. This is real.
People come and go, but a core crowd stays through the night, and the next day, and another night, into the third day. What you brought to eat was finished for breakfast yesterday. Someone shared some food later in the day.
Physical hunger is also real. It is undeniable.
The spiritual hunger that you had felt but could not identify is gone. You could stay here with Jesus for longer, but now you are physically hungry.
Jesus looks at you, and you see that He is aware of your plight. He has compassion.
This man, this Jesus, has offered so much, but what can He do about the physical hunger that surrounds Him?
Counting Blessings April 11
Mark 8:4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.
Numbers are often misleading. We like them because they are hard facts. Seven is the number after 6, so there is one more than 6.
In the Old Testament, a number is far more important as a quality than a quantity.
God is One, complete in the Oneness. Six is the number of Mankind, and also signifies incompleteness.
The number seven means complete. It is the summation of two numbers, a mathematical formula: 1 (God) + 6 (Mankind) = 7 (Completeness).
This is not to say that the story is untrue or the number of loaves is inaccurate. This only confirms that when God is added to the equation, the answer may appear miraculous.
Like the disciples, we see the number seven with a small “s,” a glass much less than half full. We have reduced the equation to two numbers, 7 divided by 4,000. The result is a very small answer.
Perhaps we have not rightly understood the question.
Setting the Table April 12
Mark 8:6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.
Jesus pauses the work He is doing, the healing of body, mind, and spirit. These three are one, and each part must be fed. He knows their bodies have been on a sustained fast, and it is time to break that fast.
His teaching has fed their minds, helped them to envision things greater than what the eyes can see. He has fed their spirits as the sun feeds the green plants, drawing them heavenward from their earthbound roots.
But the bodies grow weary from hunger. The mind grows dull without physical nourishment. Focus on spiritual things will grow dim.
Jesus commands that a physical inventory of available food stores be taken. This is for the purpose of showing not how much is available, but how little store they have from which to draw.
The concept of a feast is reversed – rather than more food than the guests can consume, there are more guests than there is food for them.
Jesus gives thanks for the loaves, and the bread is distributed. There are a few small fish, for which He also gives thanks before they are distributed.
Perhaps this is a lesson in perspective as to what constitutes an abundance. Or perhaps the lesson is in the perspective of what is needed to fill an emptiness.
The Remains of the Day April 13
Mark 8:8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
It is time to return home.
The great fest is over. Everyone has eaten – there is no indication of the source of the bread and fish. Jesus and His disciples seemed to have had an endless supply.
People have come and gone as they needed to do. Some could not remain but others arrived late. All there at the end were fed.
You turn back toward your home. Reality has not changed. Rome still rules, and their puppet, Herod, still plays the role of king of this small piece of the empire. The religious rulers still claim their right to a portion of your income.
And yet the world has changed. Now you understand the identity of God better. The words of the prophets as spoken by Jesus take on new meaning. The statutes of the Law as they were intended now make clear the character of God, and the character that He desires for us.
What is real? What is true? That which is true is real. The burden that men place upon one another, the lies they speak and the power they have for the moment, may destroy the lives of good men and women, but they do not destroy the knowledge of God and the hope that springs eternal from the truth of His character.
Your life will be changed for the better by this experience, and perhaps those whom you tell can also share in the peace that comes from truth and a direct relationship with the Creator.
Seeking a Sign Apr 14
Mark 8:11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
Still on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee in the land nominally Jewish, some of the religious leaders approach Jesus. They want to see a sign, a miracle, or some other ceremonial or supernatural proof of Jesus’ legitimacy.
Jesus sighed deeply in His Spirit. That is, He felt grief and distress.
Of all the people who should recognize the truth of Jesus’ words and actions, religious leaders should be the most able. Use of the word “should” expresses a contradiction between reality and theory, between actuality and intention, and between religion and spirituality.
The demand for a sign is the same as the adversary’s temptations in the wilderness in Matthew 4. Jesus must verify His identity by performing a miracle. He again rejects the temptation.
Jesus words and actions were evidence to be tested against Scripture rather than doctrine, against God’s recorded Word rather than man’s interpretation of Scripture.
But the Pharisees have taught the untruths they ardently believe, and a whole generation is missing the truth that stands before them. It is as though a generation of children were forced to hide behind a mask in fear of the Pharisees’ misinterpretation of reality. Fear masks truth.
Untruths cause distress of the spirit and of the Holy Spirit.
Do we see reality through the lens of Genesis 1 and 2 and Revelation 21 and 22, or through the lens of mankind’s rebellion?
Jesus teaches the peace of God that reigns in the beginning and at the end of the story. He teaches us how to have this peace even through the turmoil of the middle.
The Bread of Life April 15
Mark 8:13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
The sheep of the pasture know their Shepherd, but the owners of the land do not. When the sheep lose sight of their Shepherd, they become caught up in the care for the necessities of life. And to this the landowners add fear through lies and intimidation. The result is bondage. Thus it has always been. There is nothing new under the sun.
The disciples, the shepherds in training, are again at sea with their Teacher. Their understanding grows in spurts, and then retreats. In good weather on a calm sea, they forget the lessons of the storm. Indeed, they had overlooked a basic necessity of even a peaceful journey: food.
The single loaf of bread to be divided among thirteen people becomes an opportunity for another object lesson – or two – from Jesus.
Looking at the leavened bread, the shape grown by the fermentation of yeast, Jesus tells them, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
The disciples need food, and we can understand that both literally and figuratively. Looking at the single loaf before them, they take Jesus’ meaning literally.
There are many parables in life, literal events explaining reality when interpreted figuratively. Like the disciples, we take life’s seeming reality and neglect its underlying meaning. The Spirit will speak the true meaning as we listen.
Next day
Mark 8:1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,
The intersection between the spiritual world and the secular world occurs quite often if you think about it. A regular day is well under way, and someone suggests going to listen to a speaker who is supposed to be pretty good. The guy is some kind of modern day Messiah. And they say He heals people, and His words sound like they came from the Scripture itself.
They are hoping it will be an all-day event, so you get some bread, put some grapes in a bag, and get some water. And you join a small group of people heading into the countryside. Others join in the flow, and there is quite a crowd when you finally arrive.
People are covering the hillside. It’s like a massive picnic. This man, Jesus, is talking with people one on one. They are lined up to see Him. His helpers are keeping the line in order and interviewing people to see who should be next to talk to Jesus one on one.
Every now and then, Jesus stops what He is doing and speaks to the crowd for a few minutes. He says strange things, totally at odds with almost everything you have heard about religion.
That’s because He is talking about God, from Scripture and, more importantly, from experience. Theory and tradition have no place with Him.
You want to spend time with Him and this extraordinary group of strangers around you. Your secular being is unconsciously harmonizing with His Spiritual Being.
Compassion April 10
Mark 8:2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
The afternoon passes.
There are stories of healing, both of bodies and relationships.
There are stories of forgiveness and mercy.
There are words of love and grace.
And you see the evidence in the people around you. This is real.
People come and go, but a core crowd stays through the night, and the next day, and another night, into the third day. What you brought to eat was finished for breakfast yesterday. Someone shared some food later in the day.
Physical hunger is also real. It is undeniable.
The spiritual hunger that you had felt but could not identify is gone. You could stay here with Jesus for longer, but now you are physically hungry.
Jesus looks at you, and you see that He is aware of your plight. He has compassion.
This man, this Jesus, has offered so much, but what can He do about the physical hunger that surrounds Him?
Counting Blessings April 11
Mark 8:4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.
Numbers are often misleading. We like them because they are hard facts. Seven is the number after 6, so there is one more than 6.
In the Old Testament, a number is far more important as a quality than a quantity.
God is One, complete in the Oneness. Six is the number of Mankind, and also signifies incompleteness.
The number seven means complete. It is the summation of two numbers, a mathematical formula: 1 (God) + 6 (Mankind) = 7 (Completeness).
This is not to say that the story is untrue or the number of loaves is inaccurate. This only confirms that when God is added to the equation, the answer may appear miraculous.
Like the disciples, we see the number seven with a small “s,” a glass much less than half full. We have reduced the equation to two numbers, 7 divided by 4,000. The result is a very small answer.
Perhaps we have not rightly understood the question.
Setting the Table April 12
Mark 8:6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.
Jesus pauses the work He is doing, the healing of body, mind, and spirit. These three are one, and each part must be fed. He knows their bodies have been on a sustained fast, and it is time to break that fast.
His teaching has fed their minds, helped them to envision things greater than what the eyes can see. He has fed their spirits as the sun feeds the green plants, drawing them heavenward from their earthbound roots.
But the bodies grow weary from hunger. The mind grows dull without physical nourishment. Focus on spiritual things will grow dim.
Jesus commands that a physical inventory of available food stores be taken. This is for the purpose of showing not how much is available, but how little store they have from which to draw.
The concept of a feast is reversed – rather than more food than the guests can consume, there are more guests than there is food for them.
Jesus gives thanks for the loaves, and the bread is distributed. There are a few small fish, for which He also gives thanks before they are distributed.
Perhaps this is a lesson in perspective as to what constitutes an abundance. Or perhaps the lesson is in the perspective of what is needed to fill an emptiness.
The Remains of the Day April 13
Mark 8:8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
It is time to return home.
The great fest is over. Everyone has eaten – there is no indication of the source of the bread and fish. Jesus and His disciples seemed to have had an endless supply.
People have come and gone as they needed to do. Some could not remain but others arrived late. All there at the end were fed.
You turn back toward your home. Reality has not changed. Rome still rules, and their puppet, Herod, still plays the role of king of this small piece of the empire. The religious rulers still claim their right to a portion of your income.
And yet the world has changed. Now you understand the identity of God better. The words of the prophets as spoken by Jesus take on new meaning. The statutes of the Law as they were intended now make clear the character of God, and the character that He desires for us.
What is real? What is true? That which is true is real. The burden that men place upon one another, the lies they speak and the power they have for the moment, may destroy the lives of good men and women, but they do not destroy the knowledge of God and the hope that springs eternal from the truth of His character.
Your life will be changed for the better by this experience, and perhaps those whom you tell can also share in the peace that comes from truth and a direct relationship with the Creator.
Seeking a Sign Apr 14
Mark 8:11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
Still on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee in the land nominally Jewish, some of the religious leaders approach Jesus. They want to see a sign, a miracle, or some other ceremonial or supernatural proof of Jesus’ legitimacy.
Jesus sighed deeply in His Spirit. That is, He felt grief and distress.
Of all the people who should recognize the truth of Jesus’ words and actions, religious leaders should be the most able. Use of the word “should” expresses a contradiction between reality and theory, between actuality and intention, and between religion and spirituality.
The demand for a sign is the same as the adversary’s temptations in the wilderness in Matthew 4. Jesus must verify His identity by performing a miracle. He again rejects the temptation.
Jesus words and actions were evidence to be tested against Scripture rather than doctrine, against God’s recorded Word rather than man’s interpretation of Scripture.
But the Pharisees have taught the untruths they ardently believe, and a whole generation is missing the truth that stands before them. It is as though a generation of children were forced to hide behind a mask in fear of the Pharisees’ misinterpretation of reality. Fear masks truth.
Untruths cause distress of the spirit and of the Holy Spirit.
Do we see reality through the lens of Genesis 1 and 2 and Revelation 21 and 22, or through the lens of mankind’s rebellion?
Jesus teaches the peace of God that reigns in the beginning and at the end of the story. He teaches us how to have this peace even through the turmoil of the middle.
The Bread of Life April 15
Mark 8:13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
The sheep of the pasture know their Shepherd, but the owners of the land do not. When the sheep lose sight of their Shepherd, they become caught up in the care for the necessities of life. And to this the landowners add fear through lies and intimidation. The result is bondage. Thus it has always been. There is nothing new under the sun.
The disciples, the shepherds in training, are again at sea with their Teacher. Their understanding grows in spurts, and then retreats. In good weather on a calm sea, they forget the lessons of the storm. Indeed, they had overlooked a basic necessity of even a peaceful journey: food.
The single loaf of bread to be divided among thirteen people becomes an opportunity for another object lesson – or two – from Jesus.
Looking at the leavened bread, the shape grown by the fermentation of yeast, Jesus tells them, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
The disciples need food, and we can understand that both literally and figuratively. Looking at the single loaf before them, they take Jesus’ meaning literally.
There are many parables in life, literal events explaining reality when interpreted figuratively. Like the disciples, we take life’s seeming reality and neglect its underlying meaning. The Spirit will speak the true meaning as we listen.
Next day
