I. Ver. 12. "And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign?" etc. The sign in this case was morally suggestive. It must have been one of the great troubles of His sad and weary life to be continually carrying in His own bosom secrets which He would not divulge. The sigh was an expression of self-restraint. Misery has often relieved herself in speech; but this Man of sorrows had added to His many griefs the woe of often suffering in misunderstood and resentful silence.
II. Ver. 14. "Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf." Dwell for a moment upon the circumstance of the disciples having but one loaf in the ship; you will find that there is an explanatory word in this verse, and that word is "forgotten."If these words are put together, we shall find a revelation of poverty which is far from being inapplicable to the circumstances of many in the present day. If forgetful, thoughtless, indolent men are assisted in their straits and embarrassments, we do but offer a bounty to incompetence and inconsideration, and thus do more harm than good.
III. In the 13th verse the Saviour says, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." In this He teaches us to beware of bad little things.In relation to the meal the leaven is small; yet the leaven will operate until it has subdued every particle of the meal to itself. Thus it is with many bad principles and pernicious habits; they may be apparently little and trivial in themselves, yet in them there is a vitality which never rests until it has penetrated from centre to circumference. Under this admonition the disciples, deficient in spiritual refinement and vision, instantly recur to the circumstance that they have but one loaf in the ship. Christ has ever been obstructed by materialising men. The material never can understand the spiritual; hence it is that if we come to Christ in the mere letter, we never can comprehend the spirit of His language; but if we read Him in the light of consciousness while we are prostrated before the altar of His Cross, we are led into the deepest things of His heart, which in our present imperfect state we are permitted to attain.
Parker, Wednesday Evenings at Cavendish Chapel,p. no.
References: Mark 8:15. D. Fraser, The Metaphors of the Gospels,p. 135.Mark 8:17; Mark 8:18. Beecher, Plymouth Pulpit Sermons,5th series, p. 251.Mark 8:19-21. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxxi., No. 1822.Mark 8:21. G. Macdonald, Unspoken Sermons,2nd series, p. 48.