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Sound & Season is a daily audio devotional designed to connect the routine moments of life to the rhythms of the Church seasons.
This is Sound and Season. It's Wednesday, 19th day of Lent. Our passage today comes from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8 verses 1 through 21. In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered and they all had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now 3 days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from far away.
Jeffrey Heine:And his disciples answered him, how can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? And he asked them, how many loaves do you have? They said, 7. And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took those 7 loaves and having given thanks he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish, and having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.
Jeffrey Heine:And they ate, and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, 7 baskets full and there were about 4,000 people and he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmenthua. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him, and he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.
Jeffrey Heine:And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. Now they had forgotten to bring bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat, and he cautioned them saying, watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand?
Jeffrey Heine:Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember? When I broke the 5 loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?
Jeffrey Heine:And they said to him, 12. And the 7, for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to him, 7. And he said to them, do you not yet understand? This is the word of the Lord.
Jeffrey Heine:Thanks be to God. Even with all of the healings Jesus had done across the different cities and villages, the Pharisees still sought a sign, as though one more miracle would change their hardened hearts. Where there is genuine trust, a sign is not required. We may be tempted to think a special sign would give us the confidence in Christ we desire, but that is not what transforms a heart to trust. What transforms the heart is the love of God poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Jeffrey Heine:Once again, in Mark's gospel, the compassion of Jesus is on display in the feeding of another large crowd. Even the disciples struggle to see the significance of what Jesus was doing and the danger of the Pharisees asking for a sign. The warning from Jesus is that the doubtfulness of the Pharisees is growing into a serious threat. And in the words of Saint Augustine, the Pharisees are seeking Jesus not to learn faith, but to seize him. Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come to you.
Jeffrey Heine:Let us pray. Gracious father, whose blessed son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the light of the world, will you ever more shine the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in our hearts? By your grace, oh Lord, grant us the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Christ our King, so we might love him, trust him, and obey him from our hearts. Oh lamb of God, who who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Jeffrey Heine:As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.