Slow Learners




During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

When it comes to the faith most of us are slow learners. Even though we have lessons drilled into our heads over and over again, we just don’t seem to get it. Consider this fundamental principle of being a following a Christ. Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). We are commanded to love each other as Christ has loved us. 

How has Christ loved us? With an accepting love, with a forgiving love, and with a self-sacrificing love, right? Consequently, we are required to accept others, forgive others, and sacrifice ourselves for others. How many sermons have we heard preached on love? How many seminars have we attended where the theme has been love? How many books have we read, and how many retreats have we made, where the need to love has been drummed in repeatedly into us. And how many of us have got it? Very few. Let us examine our hearts right now and see if this isn’t true. Do we accept everybody? Have we forgiven everyone? Do we live selflessly? You see?

Well, at least we can take consolation in the fact we are in good company. There were many lessons that the apostles didn’t get either. One was who Jesus Christ really was and what he was capable on. Another was who they were in relation to them and what THEY were capable of. Therefore Jesus had to keep repeating the lessons he taught them. The miracle of the multiplication of loaves we see described in today’s passage is one such example. We find an almost identical miracle to be found a little earlier (see Mark 6:30-44). He fed 5,000 then while he fed 4,000 here.

After this miracle they got into a boat. Despite there being seven basketfuls of bread left over, the apostles had only one loaf with them. Jesus thought this was a learning opportunity. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees,” he told them. He was cautioning them about how their teachings could corrupt everyone around them. However, they didn’t get the point. “It is because we have no bread,” they said among themselves. One can picture Jesus shaking his head in bewilderment. 

“Why are you talking about having no bread?” he asked. "Do you still not see or understand?” Obviously, they didn’t. “Are your hearts hardened?” he asked. Obviously, they were. "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?” Obviously, they were both blind and deaf to spiritual truths. “And don’t you remember — the 5 loaves he had multiplied to feed 5,000 and the 7 loaves he had just multiplied to feed 7,000?” Obviously, they had forgotten. He said to then, “Do you still not understand?” Obviously, they hadn’t. How do we fare in comparison? And how do we improve?

We will find the answers contained in all the questions that Jesus asked.





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