Is One Loaf Enough?

If you have your Bibles this morning, please turn to Mark 8:13.  Today, I want to ask this question, “Is One Loaf Enough?” 

 

Last Sunday, we were in Mark 8 and look at just three verses…11-13.  In those verses, the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign to demonstrate His authority from God or His approval by God. 

 

That request seemed odd since we looked back in Mark’s gospel and saw at least 14 miracles that only God could have done.  Nonetheless, they asked, and Jesus answered.

 

He told them that He wasn’t going to give any more signs than the sign of Jonah.  We then understood that to be His resurrection.  The reality was that the Pharisees didn’t want to believe about Jesus what they already knew to be true.  He was God and expected their recognition of such.  They didn’t want to believe that, and so, they didn’t.  Because of their unbelief, in verse 13, Jesus left them.

 

Today, we pick up again in verse 13.

 

Exposition

In verse 13, Jesus left the Pharisees, and went by boat, with His disciples, to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

 

As a result of Jesus’ anger and indignation with the Pharisees, it seems as if He and His disciples left rather quickly or abruptly.  Consequently, for the next part of their day, they only had one loaf of bread with them.  Is one loaf enough?  That is the question of the day

 

In verse 15, we begin to see some action points from today’s text.

 

 

1. Reject the ways of the world. Mark 8:15

15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 

 

Notice that Jesus charged them in verse 15 and kept charging them.  His warning was strong and repeated.  Take heed or watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.  What does that mean?

 

Most of the time, when the Bible speaks of leaven, it is in a negative context demonstrating how just a little evil can influence so many and is so powerful.  When making bread in the first century, only a small amount of leaven was needed to make the entire loaf rise.

 

Jesus said to take heed and beware.  Both of these directives are commands from Jesus.  Take heed is to notice or recognize.  Beware is to pay close attention and be on guard against. 

 

But what was the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod?  In this context, it was their perpetual unbelief.  They saw the works of Christ and heard the words of Christ.  However, they didn’t believe.

 

Let’s go to Matthew and Luke and see if we can’t find some answers.  See Matthew 16:12.

 

12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

What was the doctrine or teaching of Pharisees?  It was legalism.  It was adding to God’s word in what was necessary for salvation and sanctification.  It elevated traditions and preferences to same of authority as Scripture. 

 

Jesus said to beware of such.

 

Luke’s gospel also gives us a clue about the leaven of the Pharisees.  See Luke 12:1.

 

1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

 

In this verse, the leaven of the Pharisees is identified as hypocrisy.  They said one thing and did another.  They were two faced.  They talked out of both sides of their mouths.  They were not in private who they wanted you to think they were in public. 

 

But there is still Herod.  What was the leaven of Herod?  Let’s go back earlier in Mark’s gospel to 6:14-18.

 

14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”  15 Others said, “It is Elijah.”  And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.”  16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

 

In a word, the leaven of Herod was immorality.  Therefore, Jesus told His disciples to beware of legalism, hypocrisy, and immorality because a little of them influences a lot and considering the context of Mark 8, ultimately leads to unbelief, which is the way of the world.

 

That was Jesus’ beef with Pharisees and Herod.  Their legalism led to their unbelief. Their hypocrisy led to their unbelief, and Herod’s immorality led to his unbelief.  He even asked for a sign like the Pharisees in Luke 23:8.

 

8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.

Therefore, in in this instance, don’t be like the Twelve Disciples.  Reject the ways of the world: legalism or adding to God’s Word, hypocrisy or not letting your walk match your talk, and immorality or being faithful and pure in your relationships. 

 

If we don’t reject such, like leaven, a little will influence our entire lives negatively and ultimately turn us away from Jesus in unbelief.  Reject the ways of the world.

 

 

2. Remember how God has worked previously. Mark 8:16-21

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”  17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”  They said to Him, “Twelve.”  20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”  And they said, “Seven.”  21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

 

After Jesus’ warning, the minds of the disciples went straight to the secular or physical, but Jesus’ warning was spiritual.  They began to reason about their situation.  Remember, they had only brought one loaf of bread for their trip.

 

Because Jesus was fully man and fully God, He knew what they were thinking, and He chastised them.  He chastised them for not remembering what they had experienced, and ultimately He chastised them for their unbelief that was just like the Pharisees. 

 

His chastisement or rebuke came in the form nine questions beginning in verse 17.

 

1. Why do you reason because you have no bread?
2. Do you not yet perceive or understand?

• Is your heart still hardened?

1. Having eyes, do you not see?
2. And having ears, do you not heart?
3. And do you not remember?

• When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?
• Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?

1. How is it that you do not understand?

 

How could they not remember what Jesus did in their very midst and through them?  How have those miracles not increased their faith rather than wondering whether one loaf was going to be enough for 13 people?

 

I am prone to remember the bad more than the good.  I think Satan plays a key role in that.  However, I have intentionally tried to remember God’s work in my life and key points in my walk with Lord.

 

I can remember when He saved me on April 2, 1985.  I can remember when I was baptized on Easter Sunday at FBC Venus.  I can remember when I answered the call to vocational ministry at FBC Alvarado in 1994.  I can remember who He led me to take the youth ministry position at FBC North Zulch in 1995.  I can remember how He led me to Hampton Road BC in November 1997.  I can remember how He led me to work with Baptist Student Ministry in 1999 and to FBC Forney in November 2000.  I can remember how made it abundantly clear on September 11, 2014 that my time at FBC Camden was finished, and I can remember how God made a way in November 2104 for my family and I to return to Texas.

 

Brothers and sisters, whether we can do it mentally or we must write it down, we must remember how God has worked previously.  Don’t just remember the bad.  Remember the good and remember God.

 

 

3. Recognize that only Jesus saves and satisfies.

 

Even though the language somewhat nebulous, the disciples had one loaf of bread with them in verse 14.  However, even though they experienced Jesus doing more with less, they weren’t sure that one loaf was going to be enough.  They weren’t sure that one loaf would satisfy.

 

Brothers and sisters, make no mistake about it.  As long as your one loaf is the Bread of Life, you will always have more than enough.  Only Jesus and His will and His way will satisfy you and your life.

 

And for those that have never been saved or born-again, consider John 6:35.

 

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Therefore, for those who don’t have Christ this morning, I invite you to come Him in faith.

 

Hebrews 11:6, 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.