Missing the Miracle of the Loaves

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. 

Mark 6:52 (KJV)

Is my heart hardened? Do I understand? Am I missing it?

God has done many miraculous and awe-inspiring things right before my eyes, but do I take them to heart? Do I sit and revel in the marvelous of what God has done? Because if not, I miss it. I miss the miracle of the loaves. And ultimately, I miss God.

Just to give you some frame of reference, we’re in Mark chapter 6 where Jesus has just fed five thousand men with only five loaves of bread.  It’s a story that if you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard it 100 times… at least. But don’t miss the significance, because that’s exactly what the disciples did.

Jesus walks on water and calms a storm less than 24 hours after the whole feeding five thousand people incident, and the disciples are STILL completely astonished by what Jesus can do. Almost every translation describes the disciples in this way, “for their hearts were hardened.”  It’s as if they still did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, regardless of the miracles they had witnessed. I personally like the way the NASB puts it, “Then He got into the boat with them and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”

Hardened- from the Greek word “poroo” – to petrify; to render stupid or callous

Insensitive, deaden, stiffen

They. had not. gained. any. insight. Their hearts were hardened and their mind was closed.

I don’t want to be “utterly astonished” that God can do something. I want to revel in the belief that from what I’ve seen Him do, there is still more to discover. I want to sit on the miracles that he HAS done and believe for more. I don’t want to be like the disciples by lacking insight and understanding of God’s power. I don’t want my heart to be hardened. To be blind. To be insensitive. To miss HIM.

“Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? Don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for five thousand... Do you still not understand?’”

Mark 8:17-21

For He is capable of ALL things, whether we choose to take it to heart or not.

All my love,

Paige