A better question to ask ourselves these days might be, “What do we expect of Jesus?”  Mankind is so fickle.  A man or woman will “try” Jesus expecting a 30-day guarantee of a miraculous, trouble free, no pain life or their investment of money/time back as they return Jesus if not fully satisfied—as they would any product.  How sad we humans are that we have fallen to this level of thinking in our world.  We demand the greatest return while investing little to no trust, faith, belief, commitment, devotion, with an unconditional deep love for Jesus.

I’ll love you—but only if you do what I say and feel what I feel and satisfy all my needs. 

I’ll help you—but only if you applaud me for helping and for sure, help me when I need you. 

I’ll give—but only if I see what is in it for me.

Is this condition of humans found only in the world—or among His followers?

Mark 8, The Message

A Meal for Four Thousand

^1-3 At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, “This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they’ll faint along the way—some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴ His disciples responded, “What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?”

⁵ He asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they said.

^6-10 So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home. He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and set out for Dalmanoutha.

^11-12 When they arrived, the Pharisees came out and started in on him, badgering him to prove himself, pushing him up against the wall. Provoked, he said, “Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you’ll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

His disciples responded, “What do you expect us to do about it?  The prince of this world (Satan) was probably smiling when the disciples who had done this before expressed their feeling to Jesus with this question.  What were they thinking?  The disciples had fed even more people—over 5000 people with less bread and fish not too long ago on their journey with Jesus.

We in the church so quickly forget when we are tired, worn out in doing good, and just want to live life without all the interruptions of people who need us to do what Jesus asks us to be and do, right?!  We are not perfect people but we are perfectly forgiven by a Savior who understands all our “feels”.  I don’t know if you have noticed this about yourself, but I have discovered that I must put my own feeling aside or nothing of value will get accomplished in God’s Kingdom work of seeking the lost and pointing them to salvation in Jesus. 

“What do you expect us, Lord?

Confession: There are days of weariness when I sit and wonder if following what God says to be and do worth all this effort.  It is then I am quickly reminded by God’s Holy Spirit that my “feelings” which change hourly don’t have anything to do with God’s power working in and through me.  If we are too weary to care—take a nap, stop, and breathe—which sometimes is the most spiritual thing we can do when sarcasm enters into our thoughts, flows through our lips and affects how we feel along with others around us.

The disciples’ comment seems a bit sarcastic: “Buy food out here in the desert?”  But Jesus does not let their sarcasm or weariness stop Him from doing what God, His Father, has given Him to be and do.  Seven loaves of bread turned into seven baskets of leftovers!

As soon as this miracle took place they left by boat to another town to seek and to save the lost.  The badgering, arrogant Pharisees came out in full force against Him.  Show us a miracle to prove who you are was their mantra but that is not really what they are after—they want to maintain their positions and control.  Jesus isn’t having any of this human desire of seeking and answers, “Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you’ll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee.”

Mm.  Is that the only thing I expect from Jesus? –A miraculous guarantee to get me out of my troubles caused by poor decisions or unfairness? 

Lord, what do you expect of me?  Well, there IS scripture that tells exactly what God expects…“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Jesus will fulfill this requirement and more as our example of living God’s way.  Jesus is the standard for believing, trusting, loving, and behaving. 

Lord,

There are so many lessons from this short passage in Mark for us to “chew on” and apply to our daily lives of thinking and behaving.  Help us, Lord to hear your voice above all other voices and follow you. When we are tired, remove the sarcasm that seeps in that offends you.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies, and restore the joy and peace which energizes us as you work out your salvation within us.

In Jesus Name, Amen