Bible Studies Jeanie C. Crain http://crain.english.missouriwestern.edu See Back to Galilee (2012)
Summary In Gentile territory, in the region of Decapolis, southeast of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus imparts bread to four thousand. Although Jesus has been up to this time manifesting authority in many ways, the Pharisees demand a sign from heaven. Jesus refuses. Jesus next speaks metaphorically about leaven ( yeast) bread to his disciples, who misunderstand. Jesus becomes vexed at his disciples for their worry about a lack of bread. And finally, Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida, not completely the first time, but only after laying his hands a second time upon him. Following this, Jesus' journey seriously turned from the north to Jerusalem. In spite of Peter's protest, Jesus now begins to teach his disciples about his true Messiahship and the cost of discipleship.
Remarkably, Jesus in much the same ways as he fed the five thousand in chapter six, now feeds four thousand in Gentile territory. This time, he takes seven loaves and a few fish versus five loaves and two fishes. Recall, in the previous feeding, the disciples found twelve baskets remaining after the people had eaten. Now. the basket used is big enough for a grown man to stand in. As Jesus imparts bread to the Jews, does he now impart bread to the Gentiles--with a demonstration that enough is left over for others. Is this already the universalizing of the Kingdom of God to all humankind?
Getting in a boat and journeying to Dalmanutha, a place not identified which Matthew replaced with Magadan, Jesus is confronted with Pharisees who begin to argue with him; they want a sign from heaven. As happens before, Jesus sighs deep in his spirit (whereas in contrast human beings ask in their hearts), knowing the Pharisees are testing him, and asks "Why does this generation ask for a sign?" He tells them this generation will not receive a sign then gets in a boat and leaves, cross again to the other side.
In the boat, Jesus, despite having in the disciples presence already fed both Jews and Gentiles, finds his disciples again concerned about bread. This time, they have brought with them only one loaf. In what seems to the disciples a non-sequitur, Jesus tells his disciples to beware the yeast of Pharisees; he goes on to say, be aware, also, of the yeast of Herod. In the first case, what may be alluded to is the hypocrisy or false religiosity of the Pharisees; in the second case, Jesus addresses irreligion. The disciples, apparently yet, do not understand that Jesus is using a figure of speech. They see a connection in their asking about bread and yeast, but they fail to understand what it means as applied to the Pharisees and Herod. Jesus now, perhaps impatiently, asks them, why are you still talking about bread?
Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? 19 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." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 Then he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
Jesus and his disciples next find themselves again in Bethsaida. When a blind man is brought to him for healing, Jesus takes him by the hand and leads him out of the village. The reader will recall that in the previous system Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. Jesus applied saliva in that case to get the man's attention, perhaps; this time, he uses a similar technique. In instances of healing, Jesus has placed emphasis upon the people's faith. This time, it takes two attempts for this man to recover his sight. On the first try, he reports he can see but that people look like trees walking. "25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, 'Do not even go into the village.'" Jesus sends this man back to his own home.
Jesus continues his journey from the north of Palestine, headed now to Jerusalem. Preparation now is for the transfiguration which is to come in the next chapter. Emphasis is upon instruction. As John Shelby Spong in Liberating the Gospels remarks, Jesus in Mark has been up until this point involved with accounts of forgiveness, devil possession, the unclean leper, the paralytic--or involved with the sick, distorted, and unclean, or the hated, in the case of Levi. The Jewish New Year, according to Spong, is a call for repentance, followed by the Day of Atonement with its concern for cleanliness; this is to be followed by Tabernacles and Dedication, leading to the Passover. Spong's credible argument is that Mark is organized for liturgical reading. Massive crowds, like those at Sinai, gathered around Jesus, who sends twelve on a mission in the same way Moses sends twelve men to spy out the new land. Just as Moses teaches on blasphemy, Jesus teaches on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Spong further argues that the parables of the sower and the seed growing, as well as the mustard seed, recall the fall festival. The story of transfiguration is told at the time of Dedication, the journey being reserved for instruction.
Certainly, in Caesarea, Phillipi, Jesus' tone to his disciples turns serious:
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." † 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
The disciples, the reader recalls, have sacrificed homes and livelihood to live in Jesus' presence, and they have taken up his message of the Kingdom of God. The time has come now for instruction in what this kingdom is to be. Previously, in chapter six, the question of who Jesus is had arisen with the context of Herod and John the Baptist:
Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." 15 But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
This time, Peter takes the initiative and declares that Jesus is the Messiah and is instructed not to tell anyone. Why the secrecy? Recall, the issue of Messiahship is fraught with political overtones. This political expectation included an agenda to expel the Roman legions from Palestine.
Against this expectation, Jesus begins now to reveal his real message: "the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." At least one follower, Peter, wants nothing to do with this new vision; Jesus rebukes him severely: "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
From this point forward, the message of Jesus is about the Kingdom of God as it must be realized on earth:
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, † will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Discipleship, like the Messiahship Peter wanted not to accept, must come, not by popular acclaim but by suffering, by taking up the cross. The cost of discipleship will demand abandoning self-centeredness, the loss of life--as mortal creatures, humans cannot avoid this--and possibly martyrdom, giving up any emphasis upon material goods, and a seeking of the God who, in chapter nine, will come with power.