Mark 8:11-21 "The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign..."

 “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ 13And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.' 16They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ 17And 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? 18Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ 20‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ 21Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’”  (Mark 8:11-21)

Question:

This text has always puzzled me. It says the disciples brought no food, but also that there was a loaf in the boat. Since Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life, I wonder if he is that loaf. I also wonder about the yeast of the Pharisees being negativity. I'd like to learn other metaphysical interpretations, though, since I feel this is a key verse in understanding what Jesus was trying to teach.

Comment:

I share your appreciation of this intriguing and important passage. I think it shows us Jesus at the very core of his ministry—trying to replace old beliefs of lack and limitation with the new dimensions of possibility inherent in our innate Oneness with the Allness of God. The disciples have just witnessed a stunning demonstration of that possibility as Jesus expressed his Christ Power to transform the appearance of limitation into an experience of abundance through the feeding of the 5,000. His hope and intention clearly was that they would “go forth and do likewise.” And yet here they are, days later, looking at a loaf of bread and saying “There's not enough food.” They are still trapped within a five-senses understanding of the world as defined by religious law (the Pharisees) and practical regulation (Herod). So long as those two “yeasts” were active in their consciousness, they would be unable to find and express the universal spiritual truth he was teaching and demonstrating. No wonder Jesus "sighed deeply in his spirit!"   Blessings!

Rev. Ed