By Eddie Lombard
What is the greatest miracle?
17 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? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?”
Mark 8:17-18
When we get to Mark 8 we have one of Mark’s main themes coming to a climax:, ‘Who is this man, Jesus?’. Jesus has been with his His disciples for a significant time and they have seen many evidences of who he He is. In Mark 8 vs 11-21 the disciples are again warned by Jesus against unbelief. It starts with the Pharisee’s asking Jesus for a “sign from heaven” vs 11 to prove to them His claim. Jesus knew this was a symptom of the Pharisees’ unbelief and that no sign will would soften their hearts and so Jesus “left them and got back into the boat to cross to the other side” vs 13. This departing from the Pharisee’s was a sign of judgment on those who presumed to judge himHim.
Jesus continues this theme of warning to the disciples on the boat on their way across the lake vs 14-21. Jesus warns them not to be like the “yeast of the Pharisees and Herod”. Their hearts were hard. They refused to see the signs Jesus did and believe. The two big signs that Jesus did to show us who he He is, the Christ the Son of God, was were the two feeding miracles. We see these miracles again used by Jesus to jog his His disciple’s’ memories. He starts by speaking about the “bread” vs 14 but then, to erase all confusion, by asking them directly about every one of them vs 19-20. The answer to Jesus’ question in vs 21 ”do you still not understand?” iIs no, they don’t understand. Again, Mark wants to highlight that no number of signs, even signs from heaven, will break our hard hearts. It is only a miracle that can do that. That is why Mark sandwiches this miracle of Jesus vs 22-26 between man’s unbelief vs 11-21 and Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ v29. It is only in Acts 1 that God sends the Holy Spirit who finally does performs the miracle of giving sight and breaking hard hearts. It is at Pentecost that we see the disciples finally see, hear, remember and believe Mark 8 vs 17-18. The great miracle of God pouring out His Spirit on man so we can see.
I always like to say that the biggest miracle ever is the conversion of a person. Why do I believe what I do? In the face of everything I ever have ever seen, and experienced and learnt, I still believe in the supernatural death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Why?
The answer is a miracle of God. God the Holy Spirit broke my hard heart and opened my blind eyes and for that we can only humbly bow down and worship our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Prayer points
Thank the Lord for your miracle of sight.
Pray for those who do not yet see: family, friends, colleagues. Ask the Lord to do that greatest miracle also for them.