31. Mark 8:11-21: “Do You Not Yet Understand?”
8:11-13: A Sign? The Pharisees are dogging Jesus again. Big surprise after what we’ve seen in the last several episodes Mark has narrated? Hardly. They “test” him by requesting/demanding a (miraculous) “sign from heaven.” Surely he can authenticate himself as a genuine prophet (Dt.13:1-5). Israel regularly, incorrigibly, “test” or “tempt” God ( Psa.95:9–10; 78:17–20, 40–43,56; 106:13–14; Num. 14:1–10, 20–25). The Pharisees represent the faithless nation here. The irony, of course, is that Jesus has just provided two of the most evocative and powerful “signs from heaven” imaginable. But the Pharisees cannot/will not “see.” Therefore, Jesus will give them no sign. They have more than enough to discern who he is and what his mission is all about – Israel’s salvation! Jesus punctuates this rejection by boarding a boat and sailing off to the other side of the sea. 8:14-21: More on Bread This story brings the bread motif to a climax. When Jesus cautions them again...