Am I Amazed, Or Do I Understand?

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake. But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them. [Mark 8.11-21]

There is much revealed in this passage from Mark's Gospel.

I want to point out that Jesus said He would give no miraculous sign. What? That stands in contradiction to all the miracles Jesus performed, doesn't it? It certainly does unless one does not see miracles of healing, restoration, and provision as "miraculous." Jesus made very clear that a heart that is not hard would see His works not as miracles, but as normal Kingdom work! This is why Jesus asked, "Don't you understand yet?"

It should be noticed that religious people were seeking signs. To the contrary, Jesus was just out doing Kingdom works in obedience to the Father and scolding His disciples for being amazed and doing nothing instead of understanding and doing likewise.

Am I amazed, or do I understand? (Hint: the proof is not found in words but in actions)

Father, help us to "get it" when it comes to the work of the Kingdom. Help us to simply be about Your Kingdom business as was Jesus, our example - intent on looking only like Him so that only He receives the glory.