Mark 8:14-21 14And they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he ordered them, saying, “Watch out, look for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16And they began discussing with one another that they did not have bread. 17And knowing this he said to them, “Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? Do you not yet learn or understand? Are you hardening your hearts? 18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember 19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20“Then seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Food seemed to have been a big issue for the disciples. They must have been so excited about what happened that they forgot to bring the seven large baskets of leftover pieces. Or, perhaps those pieces did not look very edible after 4,000+ people nibbled on them. All they had was one loaf between them. Had they learned their faith lesson yet after watching Jesus feed over ten thousand people with just a few lunch sacks? Could they trust him to provide both physical and spiritual nourishment? As they embarked in the boat again, Jesus used the one loaf as a teaching opportunity to bring the events they had just experienced to a close and application. A good teacher will use available resources to summarize and apply the lesson to the students, as Jesus did in this episode.
Jesus warns the disciples about the bad influence of the Pharisees and Herod. Leaven was a symbol of evil for the Jews (Leviticus 2:11; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Fermentation takes place as leaven works through a batch of dough. Herod and the Pharisees both misunderstood power: true power is spiritual power, not earthly power. The legalism of the Pharisees was all human effort and devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit. Mark does not say what this leaven was, but in a similar passage in Matthew 16:12, it is described as the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Luke 12:21 calls it hypocrisy. Herod wanted power and used his position and influence to abuse, harm, and even get rid of his enemies, like John the Baptist. Both the Pharisees and Herod used human resources and thinking to deal with their challenges.
The disciples had to be careful they did not do the same thing. They missed the deeper meaning of what Jesus was talking about and were thinking on the earthly/physical level, while Jesus is talking about spiritual/heavenly level. They were in danger of hardening their hearts like the Pharisees. Verse 18 gives a good definition of a hardened heart: seeing and hearing about the miracles and person of Jesus but not believing in him. The Pharisees asked for a sign when there was plenty of evidence around them. The questions Jesus asks in verses 17-18 confront the disciples and readers with a choice. The question in verse 21 adds further emphasis to the need to believe.
Their memories were short, so Jesus helps connect the dots for them. One of the most effective ways to remember and learn something is to experience it. The disciples had witnesses and been involved in two miracles beyond imagination. They helped distribute the broken loaves and pick up the broken leftovers. They had a basket leftover for each of them on one occasion and a perfect number of even bigger baskets left over on the other occasion. What bigger proof did they need? The primary lesson they needed to learn, and the one that reminds us, is the need to believe in the power of Jesus as the true and only Messiah.
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