Mark 8:14

Mark 8:14 says, Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. When the disciples were on the ship, they realized they hadn't brought any bread with them, and they only had one loaf on the ship.  They were still looking at things from a worldly point of view instead of a spiritual one.  We too often obsess about how little we have instead of how much God will provide for us if we put our faith in Him.  Verse fifteen adds, And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod   I believe that a lot of God's work goes undone because we only see what we have, instead of what God can do through us if we allow Him to. That is why Jesus warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod.  They were more concerned about physical matters than they were spiritual matters.  The Pharisees, the most religious people of that day, and Herod, the ruler of the area, were lumped together.  Religion and government cannot meet our needs but only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord can.  Verse sixteen continues, And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. The disciples still thought Jesus was talking about their lack of bread, a material thing.  As long as we are focused on material things, we will miss the spiritual blessings.  Verse seventeen states, And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?  Verse eighteen adds, Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?  Jesus asked the disciples if they could not see, hear, and remember what they had seen and heard Him do.  How often might He ask us the same question when we say we cannot do what we believe He wants us to do because of a lack of faith.  Verse nineteen declares, When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.  Verse twenty adds, And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. Jesus reminded them of His feeding the five thousand and the four thousand and of how much was left over.  As Christians, there should be times when God has done something miraculous in our life, and yet we still doubt that He can meet our needs today.  Verse twenty-one continues, And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?  Jesus then asked the disciples how they could not understand what these two miracles should have taught them, and that is that He could more than abundantly meet their needs, and He still can today.