Blindsided by the Teacher
Man, I dreaded a pop quiz back in the day.
You remember those pesky little buggers, don’t you? Your rear end has just hit the seat at school. But before you have a chance to hand that do-you-like-me-check-yes-or-no note to the cute girl behind you, the teacher blindsides you with an unexpected test.
No Cramming for the Exam
Put your books under your desk. Get out a blank piece of paper and a number two pencil. There were no laptops or tablets when I went to class in a previous millennium. Just you and what you knew stepping into the octagon against a handful of unanticipated questions.
You don’t have a chance to cram for this exam. That’s why they call it a pop quiz. It’s the teacher’s way of ambushing you in order to find out what you’re learning along the way.
Catching His Crew Off Guard
Did you know Jesus surprised His disciples with a pop quiz? Mark describes the day the greatest Teacher ever catches His crew off guard with eight questions while they’re taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (Mk 8:14-21).
The Lord isn’t looking to see how much they know. As the Son of God, He already understands that better than they do. He asks them these questions so that THEY will know what they DON’T know. As it turns out, they don’t know much.
Who Is Jesus?
You see, a huge theme in the second Gospel is who is Jesus. The first eight chapters of Mark are chockfull of encounters with all sorts of folks trying to figure out His identity. His family. His followers. The powerful. The powerless. The sick. The disabled. The demon-possessed. The hurting. Who is Jesus?
For just about everyone, it comes down to one possibility. Could He REALLY be the Hero from heaven God has promised to send for centuries? Can this radical Rabbi/Carpenter from the backwater village of Nazareth actually be the Messiah they’ve been waiting for?
A Galilean Boat Ride
We pick up the action with Jesus and His twelve disciples cruising in a fishing boat across a large freshwater lake in northern Israel. Since at least four of His closest followers are commercial fishermen, it’s no shock that this is the team’s preferred form of transportation.
Ganging up on the Son of God
Our Savior has just left an awkward confrontation with a group of Pharisees in the seaside town of Dalmanutha (Mk 8:11-13). It’s not their first dust up and certainly won’t be the last. These arrogant religious know-it-alls continually bully Jewish believers.
In their latest showdown, the Pharisees gang up on Jesus and demand that He put on some supernatural dog-and-pony show and prove He’s legit. If they’ve missed the miraculous signs He’s repeatedly provided, that’s on them. They’ll get nothing and like it.
“I Thought YOU Brought Lunch”
As the camera zooms in on the little ship, the Twelve suddenly realize they’ve got a problem. “But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat” (v14).
The boys have dropped the ball when it comes to lunch. There are no drive-thrus or convenient stores out on the lake. No one packed a cooler of snacks or sandwiches. All they have with them is a little bit of bread.
That won’t go very far with thirteen hungry guys. That’s equivalent to sharing a single bag of honey roasted peanuts with the rest of the passengers on a cross country flight. If you’ve flown lately, you know that’s too much of a stretch.
Mark’s Tasty Little Morsel
Like many stories about Jesus, this same incident gets some ink in more than one of the four Gospels. Matthew also describes the same event. But Mark is the only place we read the detail about the lonely loaf.
Where would the author get this tasty little morsel? Well, most members of the very early church believed Mark’s source for his bio of Christ is none other than the Apostle Peter. In other words, we could just as well call this document the Gospel of Peter as told to Mark.
Jesus Jumps in
While they’re trying to figure out where they’re going to grab some grub, Jesus jumps in and interrupts them. “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod” (v15).
Notice how the Lord issues a double barrel warning to the boys. He tells them not just to “watch out!” but also to “beware.” Whatever He’s talking about must be a big deal not just for the Twelve but for you and me as well.
Don’t Miss This!
Let’s take a quick look at both of these words of warning. First of all, “watch out” (Gr. οραω/orao) means to see either with your eyes or your mind. It literally describes staring intently at something.
Pay very close attention. Focus! Don’t miss this! It’s a lot like when an over-served friend asks you to hold their beverage and says, “Hey y’all, watch this!” You don’t want to miss what’s about to happen. It’s time to get out your phone and start shooting video.
Be Wary of Potential Danger
Jesus backs that up with “beware” (Gr. βλεπω/blepo). This Greek verb paints a picture of seeing clearly, getting a good look at something or someone in order to process and understand what’s going on. To beware is to be wary of potential danger.
The Lord basically tells His team to pay close attention and focus not once but twice. Do you see what’s going on? I mean what’s REALLY going on?!? Do you understanding what you’re seeing? Do realize the potential danger of the situation?
Be Fully Present
It’s a powerful encouragement to somebody like me who has a tendency to wander through life obliviously. Too many times, I simply am not paying attention to what’s going on. My mind is somewhere else.
Jesus wants every one of us to be all there. Be fully present. Pay attention. The very name of God is Yahweh, which means “I Am Who I Am” or “I Will Be Who I Will Be” (Ex 3:14).
One of the things that’s so great about the Great I Am is that He is ALWAYS fully present. Since He made us in His image (Gen 1:26-27), we need to be fully present wherever we are.
See the Big Picture
That means seeing the big picture. That means not living in the regret of yesterday or the worry of tomorrow. Wherever you are, be all there.
Henry David Thoreau puts it this way. “It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” Don’t just open your eyes but engage your brain and your heart. Pay attention to your current situation and surroundings.
Going Gluten-Free?
Back in the boat, Jesus is NOT wanting His team to pay closer attention to the sanitation grades of local eating establishments or the expiration dates on loaves of bread. He wants them to see what’s REALLY going on.
But the boys believe when the Lord warns about yeast that He’s talking about bread. Wrong. He’s not giving the guys His two-cents worth when it comes to artisan loaves or going gluten-free. Not even close. He wants them to zoom out and pay attention to the bigger picture.
Do You Smell What Jesus’ Is Cooking?
The key to Christ’s words here is the phrase “the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod” (v15). No, these religious leaders haven’t gone into the bakery business with the king. But Jesus wants His team to smell what they’re cooking.
At first glance, who can blame the boys for thinking about bread. The word we translate “yeast” (Gr. ζυμη/zume) literally means leaven. For those of you who don’t know their way around the kitchen (and that includes me), it’s the essential ingredient that causes bread to rise.
A Little Science Lesson
Before we get into what Jesus IS talking about, let’s take a moment to discuss the science behind yeast. Don’t worry. This will NOT be on any pop quiz. I promise. But it will help us understand the Lord’s warning.
Yeast is a tiny critter which contains an enzyme that’s a catalyst in both baking bread and brewing beer. It’s essential ingredient which basically speeds up the transformation of sugar into alcohol and CO2.
A Chemical Catalyst
It’s what scientists call a catalyst. That’s a substance which increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing permanent change. In other words, it’s a tiny ingredient that radically changes everything except itself.
In other words, yeast is a small quantity with a much larger impact. It doesn’t take much but it’s permeates everything. It remains unchanged. It breaks stuff down. In the Bible, yeast is used to describe something small with a huge influence.
An Itty Bitty Beast
Jesus actually uses yeast as a positive metaphor for what God’s up to. He compares the beginning of God’s kingdom to how a baker uses a tiny amount of yeast to cause bread to rise (Mt 13:33; Lk 13:21). Something so small that makes a massive difference.
But most of the time, the writers of Scripture see yeast as an itty bitty beast. Paul uses yeast as a way to warn the Corinthians that even the tiniest hint of sexual sin in a church can have disastrous effect (1Cor 5:6-8).
In a letter to believers in Galatia who’ve allowed religious hucksters to derail their faith, the apostle sounds the alarm. “This false teaching is like a little yeast (Gr. ζυμη/zume) that spreads through the whole dough!” (Gal 5:9). As Tullian Tchividjian likes to say, Jesus plus anything equals nothing.
A Hard Look in the Mirror
Back in the boat, the Lord wants His disciples to know the hidden dangers of this so-called yeast. Over in Luke, Christ tells a big crowd that the Pharisees’ yeast is actually hypocrisy (Lk 12:1). That’s when you get more concerned about your image that your heart.
We all need to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we more concerned about who we appear to be than who we really are. Over and over, God’s Word makes the point that real and lasting change doesn’t happen from the outside in, only from the inside out.
Take off the Mask
The Gospel is anything but fake it until you make it. Be real. Be honest. Take off the mask. Stop pretending you’ve got it all together. Admit you need help. As the old saying goes, the first step to getting help is admitting I’ve got a problem. And I’ve got a BIG problem!
Playing the Blame Game
The Lord’s warning triggers a rousing round of the blame game among the boys in the boat. “At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread” (v16). I thought YOU were going to bring it! Why do I ALWAYS have to take care of lunch?
We’re not sure how long the great bread feud goes on but Jesus jumps right in and drops the first question of His pop quiz. “Why are you arguing about having no bread?” (v17). He wants them to know they’re fighting over something that doesn’t really matter.
Missing the Point of the Mission
How many times do we do that? We get all bent out of shape squabbling over an issue that doesn’t mean a hill of beans from the eternal perspective. We totally miss the point of our mission and tear into each other over trivial things.
I hate to say it but this is how denominations get started. It happens when we argue over stuff like worship style, how to baptize, what communion means, just to name a few. Shouldn’t we be way more concerned with telling folks about the life-saving message of Jesus than the color of the church carpet?
Three Huts
It reminds me of the story about the man discovered living alone for years on a deserted island. Think Tom Hanks in “Cast Away.” His rescuers ask him why are there three huts if he’s all alone.
The man explains, “This is where I live. The next is where I go to church. The other one is where I USED to go to church.” Yeah, it doesn’t take much for us to get upset at what goes on where we worship that we take our ball and go to a new church.
Stopped in Their Tracks
It appears something else has joined them aboard the boat. Crickets. Jesus’ first question stops the disciples in their tracks. Can’t you just picture them staring blankly at each other? Now that the Lord has their full attention, the infighting has stopped.
Question Number Two
Christ doesn’t waste any time before dropping the second question of His pop quiz. “Don’t you know and understand even yet?” (v17). The first question is about the bread. The second is about the head. What’s going on upstairs, gents?
Notice how the Son of God teams up a couple of similar words here. He wants to them to slow their roll and help them realize what they “know and understand.” Better yet, what they DON’T “know and understand.”
Putting the Pieces Together
The first word here is the Greek verb νοεω/noeo. It means to comprehend on the basis of careful thought and consideration. To understand. To think over a matter with care. Gents, stop arguing for a Mississippi minute and engage your brain.
The word the NLT translates as “understand” is συνιημι/suniemi. The term is similar to the first but goes a step further. It describes being wise and applying what you know. It literally means to set or bring things together. Think of assembling the pieces of a puzzle.
We need to remember that these boys aren’t the brightest bulbs in the biblical box. We see them as superstar saints. The truth is they’re just average Joes like you and me. Jesus only uses average, broken, and sinful people. Why? It’s all He has to work with!
From the Head to the Heart
Question three of the quiz drops eighteen inches south from the noggin. “Are your hearts too hard to take it in?” (v17). Christ wants them to realize that when we repeatedly fail to wrap our heads around who He is and what He’s doing, we’re in danger of cardiac calcification.
The longer we want things our way and fight for our own point of view, we become harder to move. Our hearts slowly and steadily start to stiffen. Before you know it, we’re not going anywhere. When that happens, I suddenly become the newest member of the Hard Hearts.
Eyes and Ears
Next Christ asks questions four and five. “You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?” (v18). Is He worried that His twelve closest followers are suddenly now both visually and hearing impaired?
Not so much. It’s the Lord’s way of pointing out to His team that if they had really been watching and listening, they wouldn’t be worried about lunch. They looked but didn’t really see. They heard but didn’t really listen.
A Little Digital Detox
In doing so, Jesus dusts off an OT warning from God made to His people through Jeremiah 600-plus years before (Jer 5:21). If they had been paying attention, they wouldn’t have been blindsided by their all expense paid trip to Babylon.
Once again, these questions should cause us to slow our 21st Century roll. I admit I’m rather addicted to all my devices. I’m so busy sticking my nose in the nearest screen that I miss the reality all around me. It’s probably time for a little digital detox. Care to join me?
Question Number Six
This brings us to question number six. “Do you remember anything at all?” (v18). Jesus isn’t asking them to recite the book of Leviticus or if they can name all the Caesars in order. He just wants the guys to remember what they’ve seen over the past few days!
Weren’t the disciples right there in the suburbs of Tyre when Christ healed the daughter of a desperate mom (Mk 7:24-30)? How about the time He used His supernatural spit to restore the hearing to the deaf dude near the Ten Towns (Mk 7:31-35)?
The Math Portion
But what about those two major league miracle meals? Did the Twelve blank on those as well? Jesus cuts to the chase with the next couple of questions in His pop quiz. You’ll see that we’ve come to the math portion of the exam.
“When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” (v19). Notice that Jesus wants His team to remember what He did and what they did (Mk 6:30-44).
Our Savior fed the 5,000. Not the disciples. Not anybody else. He wants them to never forget the mental picture of the all the leftovers. He wants them to remember how blown away they were by the abundance He created.
The guys answer, “Twelve” (v19).
Bigger Buckets
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He brings up His second all-you-can-eat-bread-and-seafood buffet. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” (v20).
He not only wants them to remember the details of His amazing encore including how they used bigger buckets the next time
around.
The guys answer, “Seven” (v20).
It’s NOT about the Bread
Christ closes the quiz by asking His crew one last thing. “Don’t you understand anything yet?” (v21). He uses the same word (Gr. συνιημι/suniemi) we saw back in question number two. After everything you’ve seen, have you put anything together yet?
Don’t you get it, guys? It’s NOT about the bread. If they have a clue, they would realize that the one loaf they do have is more than enough when they give it to Jesus.
Engage Your Brain
God wants us to engage our brains as part of our trust in Him. Don’t make the mistake of believing we must check our minds at the door whenever we accept the Lord’s invitation to follow. In the opening chapter of Isaiah, He encourages us to brainstorm with Him. “Come now, let us reason together” (Is 1:18 ESV).
Let’s make sure we don’t get cocky. Stop being a Bible know-it-all. When we do, we’re just being 21st Century Pharisees. That’s EXACTLY what Jesus is warning against with the boys in the boat.
A Humble Former Pharisee
None of us will have a full grasp until we join Jesus in eternity or when He makes His spectacular encore, whichever comes first. Paul puts it this way. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in the mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1Cor 13:12).
If the dude who wrote a big chunk of the NT has the kind of intellectual humility, who are we to think we’re hot stuff? Don’t forget that the Apostle Paul is the Pharisee formerly known as Saul (Acts 23:6; Phil 3:5).
The Littlest Danger
The purpose of Jesus’ eight question pop quiz is help the Twelve realize how much they don’t know. He wants us all to know what really matters. First, it’s NOT about the bread. He’ll provide everything we ever need. Remember that whole daily bread thing (Mt 6:11; Lk 11:3)?
His bigger point is all about the littlest danger. We need to beware of the hidden beast of hypocritical yeast. Don’t ignore the risk of something so seemingly insignificant that has the power to do so much damage.
A Computer Virus
I wonder if Jesus were teaching this same lesson today if He might use the picture of a computer virus. Allowing the most minuscule malware onto a hard drive can take it all down.
Sin may seem small but it has the power to infect our personal operating system and corrupt our relationship with Christ. As followers of Jesus, let’s regularly allow the Lord to scan our hearts and minds and remove the virus (Ps 139:23-24).
Our Teacher’s Point
Okay, I’m still not crazy about pop quizzes, but I understand the Teacher’s point. He wants me to keep me on track. He wants me to realize what I don’t know. He wants His best for me.
Any questions?
©2018
Jay Jennings
