Monday, April 3

Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Mark 8:14-21

"Do you not yet understand?"  The Gospel of Mark is TOUGH on the disciples.  Over and over again, including this passage, we see Jesus' frustration that the disciples are not grasping his purpose, which ultimately is to become their purpose (and ours).  I find a lot of comfort in these passages.  These 12 guys were with Jesus day and night, some for as long as three years, and even they were clueless sometimes.  They seemed especially confused about his prediction that he would die and rise again (… for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:30-32).  If the disciples didn't "get it", surely we can be excused from having all of the answers all of the time.  In fact, I think that might be the reason Mark reveals the disciples' confusion to us: It gives us permission to look at the amazing mystery of God and admit that sometimes we just plain don't know what the plan is or how it works.  Instead of being ashamed or embarrassed about that, let's rejoice in a God whose ways are higher than our ways.  Especially during the Lenten season, let's take some time and bow before the mystery of Jesus, divinity incarnate, who came to die that we might be reconciled with God.  Then, having admitted to not fully comprehending what it all means, let us be about the work of reconciling the world to God's Kingdom.

Heavenly Father, we admit that we don't always understand.  In fact, we rejoice that we don't always understand the ways of a God whose thoughts are higher than our own.  We thank you for giving us models in the disciples who show us it's OK to lack certainty in all things.  In this freedom to be uncertain of your thoughts and ways, may we be certain of and dedicated to the things which you have made clear: that we would love you with all of our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbor as ourselves.  We pray this in the name of the mysterious Christ, Amen.

Ben Kohns