Mark 8:1-21 (February 1, 2010)
“How many times do I have to tell you!” On occasions kids do not get it, which is one reason why parents and teachers and coaches wear out that exclamation. On other occasions kids do not want to get it, which is the other reason why the same adults wear out that exclamation. In this passage you can almost hear Jesus using those words. The difference between the disciples and the Pharisees is the difference between “We don’t get it” and “We don’t want to get it.” The disciples wanted to understand, but their sensory overload kept interfering. The Pharisees did not want to understand; they wanted to win. What is the difference between a soft head and a hard heart? It’s okay if as followers of Christ we sometimes have soft heads, as long as we also have soft hearts. We will not always get it. The problem comes when we don’t want to get it. Hardening of the spiritual arteries is a crippling but reversible condition.
