Hello my friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in dogs.
Welcome to another episode in our series.
The questions Jesus asked as we sit in Lectio Divina contemplative reading of some questions that Jesus asked and wonder what they might mean for our lives.
And as we begin today,
As always,
Just invite yourself fully into this moment.
Let your body soften.
Let all the pressures just loosen and shake away just for a moment.
Take a deep breath in.
.
.
And out.
And as you become still,
Just remember that our spiritual life isn't a race.
Towards enlightenment but it's a gradual awakening to the presence of God that's already surrounding us and sustaining us.
As today we sit with a question that Jesus asks his disciples in a moment of confusion.
So in Mark chapter 8.
The disciples are in a boat with Jesus,
Worrying because they've forgotten to bring bread.
Despite having witnessed the feeding of the crowd not once but twice.
They're still anxious about scarcity.
And so Jesus,
Sensing their concern,
Begins asking them a series of questions.
Why are you talking about having no bread?
Do you still not perceive or understand?
And then finally asks,
Do you still not understand?
Now at first,
We often can read this question sounding sharp or frustrated,
But when you look closely at the Gospels,
You notice something important.
All the way through,
The disciples are consistently misunderstanding Jesus.
They misunderstand the parables.
They misunderstand the miracles.
They misunderstand suffering,
Greatness,
Power,
And even love itself.
And yet,
Jesus keeps walking with them again and again.
Christ teaches patiently,
Feeds them,
Questions them,
Corrects them,
And remains present with them.
This is important because many of us carry a hidden fear that we're spiritually failing because we don't fully understand.
We think we should be wiser by now or more healed or more peaceful.
Or less reactive,
Or less anxious,
Or more certain.
But spiritual transformations usually much slower than we expect.
Awakening unfolds gradually.
The disciples don't become deeply transformed overnight.
Their understanding emerges slowly.
Through experience,
Through failure,
Through grief and encounter and continued relationship with Christ.
And I'd like to suggest that the same is true for us.
If it teaches us anything.
Contemplative spirituality suggests that growth often happens beneath the surface long before we can clearly see it.
Like seeds growing underground.
Much of the inner life develops invisibly.
And yet,
The world around us values immediate results in instant clarity.
And we get impatient with our own humanity as a result.
We judge ourselves harshly for not getting it.
Jesus?
Question here.
Isn't condemnation.
Rather,
It's an invitation to notice where we're still living from fear rather than trust,
Where we might be still clinging to scarcity despite evidence of grace.
That maybe we're interpreting life through anxiety rather than presence.
The disciples worry about bread while sitting in the boat with the very one who's already fed thousands.
How often do we do the same thing?
How often do we become consumed by fear about the future while forgetting the ways grace has already carried us?
How often do we overlook the quiet faithfulness of God?
Because anxiety narrows our vision.
Do you still not understand?
The question isn't asking whether we've mastered spiritual truth intellectually.
But rather asking whether our hearts are slowly awakening to trust,
Because understanding in the Gospels isn't mental comprehension,
It's seeing,
Deeper seeing,
Deeper perception.
A gradual opening of the heart and this opening takes time.
So if you feel slow in your spiritual journey,
If you feel unfinished,
Uncertain,
Or still learning,
You're in good company.
The disciples were too.
So as we move into the reading of the text today,
Listen gently.
Notice the patience of Jesus beneath the questions.
Notice the disciple's anxiety.
Notice your own heart within the story and maybe hear Christ not asking with disappointment.
But with compassion.
Do you still not understand?
As we read from Mark chapter 8 verses 14 to 21.
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread.
And they had only one life with them in the boat.
And he cautioned them,
Saying,
Watch out!
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.
They said to one another.
It's because we have no bread.
And becoming aware of it,
Jesus said to them,
Why are you talking about having no bread?
Do you still not perceive or understand?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and fail to see?
Do you have ears and fail to hear?
And do you not remember?
When I broke the five loaves for the 5,
000,
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
I said to him,
Twelve.
And the 7 for the 4,
000.
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
And they said to him,
7.
Then he said to them,
Do you not?
Yet.
Understand.
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread.
And they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
And he cautioned them saying,
Watch out.
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.
They said to one another,
It's because we have no bread.
And becoming aware of it,
Jesus said to them,
Why are you talking about having no bread?
Do you still not perceive or understand?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and fail to see?
Do you have ears and fail to hear?
And do you not remember?
When I broke the five loaves for the 5,
000,
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
They said to him,
Twelve.
And the 7 for the 4,
000.
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
And they said to him,
7.
Then he said to them,
Do you not?
Understand.
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread.
And they had only one life with them in the boat.
And he cautioned them,
Saying,
Watch out!
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.
They said to one another,
It's because we have no bread.
And becoming aware of it,
Jesus said to them,
Why are you talking about having no bread?
Do you still not perceive or understand?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and fail to see?
Do you have ears and fail to hear?
And do you not remember?
When I broke the five loaves for the 5,
000,
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
They said to him,
Twelve.
And the 7 for the 4,
000.
How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?
And they said to him,
7.
Then he said to them,
Do you not know?
Yet.
Understand.
As we bring our time together to a close.
I invite you to pray with me.
Patient Christ,
You walk beside us even in our confusion and slowness of heart.
You know how easily fear overtakes us.
You know how quickly we forget the ways grace has already sustained us.
And you remain with us.
Teach us to be patient with our own unfolding.
Teach us to trust that transformation often happens slowly.
And quietly.
Teach us not to despise the unfinished places within us.
When anxiety narrows our vision,
Open our eyes again.
When we forget your faithfulness,
Remind us gently.
And when we become discouraged by our lack of understanding,
Help us remember that awakening is a journey.
May our hearts gradually learn to rest in your presence.
Because your love continues patiently shaping us,
Day by day.
And may grace,
Peace and love go with us and remain with us today and always.
Amen.
Until tomorrow,
My friend.
God's grace and peace.
Be with you.
