Do the words of Jesus challenge us in our lives and in our faith growth? Today I spent time studying through Mark, chapters six through eight. I was thinking in particular about Mark 6:37-38. Jesus made two statements in these verses, the first being, “You give them something to eat!” The second was, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” These were said to the twelve with a great emphasis placed on their action. I suppose when we look at these statements, we might process the thought of, “well they should be doing something, after all they have been around Jesus long enough to see what He does.” This is where I began contemplating a bit more on the statements of Jesus.
Sure, the twelve had seen Jesus operate in the miraculous, so they have an expectation that He can do anything He wants. But how about if we look at the response of these twelve men. Their suggestion was to send the people away so that they could buy themselves something to eat. The people the disciples desired to send away had followed Jesus (actually they had run ahead to get where He was going – Mark 6:33). Sending people away who had wanted to hear Jesus? Whoever would do such a thing? These are the things in God’s Word that challenge and actually at times when pointed out to people can make a pastor unpopular. Do our actions send people away from Jesus or draw people in? The disciples were learning, so we must see that Jesus is desiring to teach them. His Word, which is “alive and active,” is designed to teach us. Thank you, Holy Spirit.
I am going to push on a bit further here into chapter six. Ponder what the inspired, inerrant, always perfect Word of God says. “For they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened” (Mark 6:52). This statement was made as the disciples feared why they were in the boat and thought that Jesus was a ghost walking on the water. They saw the signs, they were called out by Jesus to take action in the lives of those seeking Him, and now they were in fear, and without trust. How are we operating in our faith? Mark 7 takes up that very question. Do we operate in a way that we expect Jesus to do all the lifting, thus being disobedient to His call on our lives (I am not talking about salvation or a works-based salvation), but rather the fruit of our supposed belief in Jesus Christ? Remember that James spends time addressing that.
Let me summarize here what Mark 6-7 can lead us to apply to our lives. Jesus has showed us who He is. We, operating in that knowledge are called to show Jesus to the world, and to those seeking Him. Is your faith all about you, and what you want, and how you want to operate? If so, compare it to what Jesus has spoken. Make a list of the fruits that highlight your involvement in the lives of others as Jesus calls. Remember, not just those who you are comfortable being around, but about all “neighbors” (see the Greatest Commandment). As we operate in the Word of God, we begin to live in a way that represents what Christ said, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” I know that none of us want our hearts hardened in pursuit of knowledge of Jesus and in serving Him as He calls. But as Jesus addresses in Mark 7, we have to look inside and see if our actions paint a picture of hypocrisy and a soiled heart or rather paint a picture of a heart fully committed to Jesus and to the mission of to which He has called His church.