The Conversation in the Boat (8:14-21).
But the Pharisees and Herodians are not the only blind ones. As attention now turns to the Apostles they too are seen to be lacking in understanding. They are seen as being disturbed about having little ‘bread' when what they should have been concerned about was false ideas. They are told by Jesus to beware of being satisfied with ‘the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod', a leaven or teaching whose futility is evidenced by their seeking of a sign. There may be in this an awareness on the part of Jesus that the Pharisees and Herodians had been putting out feelers towards some of the disciples. But however that may be they are perplexed at what He means, thinking only in terms of physical bread, revealing that they too are still spiritually unaware, both deaf and blind. They have still not learned the lesson of the loaves, that He is the Messiah and the One Who has brought a truth which is contrary to, and superior to, the teaching of the Pharisees and Herodians. Jesus has yet much to do in order to prepare them for the future.
Analysis.
a And they forgot to take bread. And they had no more than one loaf in the boat with them. And He charged them saying, “Take notice. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:14-15).
b And they reasoned one with another, saying, “It is because we have no bread” (Mark 8:16).
c And Jesus perceiving it says to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not perceive, nor understand?
d “Have you your heart hardened?”
c “Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
b When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They say to Him, “Twelve”. “And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you take up?” And they say to Him, “Seven”.
a And He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Note that in ‘a' He warns them of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod, and in the parallel is concerned because they do not understand. In ‘b' they reason that this must be because they have no bread, and in the parallel He asks them whether they have forgotten how He had produced bread at will. In ‘c' He is concerned at their lack of understanding and perception, and in the parallel because they neither see nor hear. In ‘d' He is concerned at the hardness of their hearts.