No sign shall be given to this generation

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, testing him. But he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."

And he left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then he charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." 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? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? 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?" They said to him, "Twelve." "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." So he said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"

Then he came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then he sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

- Mark 8:11-26

In today's reading, we have, essentially, three different stories. But they are put together in today's section because in some way they all teach together.

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, testing him. But he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." My study bible says that the Pharisees seek a spectacular sign, such as those which Jesus rejected in his temptation during the forty days in the wilderness. But quite obviously, Jesus has already given countless signs by this time: the blind are made to see, the lame walk, the deaf to hear, the mute speak, and even the "dead" (Jairus' daughter) rise. But apparently these are not good enough. My study bible notes, "Jesus sighed deeply, for they seek a sign out of hardness of heart, daring Jesus to force them to faith." Once again, we understand hardness of heart to denote a failure to grasp spiritual truth.

And he left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then he charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." "Leaven" is used in this case to denote something that seasons the whole; in this case an attitude, a particular way of looking at things, that unfortunately contaminates or poisons everything. We recall that leaven is an agent, like yeast, that changes the quality of dough or batter. My study bible says that leaven is frequently a negative image in Scripture, symbolizing evil. It goes on to say, "Here it represents the erroneous understanding and evil intent of the Pharisees and Herod Antipas. Though they completely misunderstand the revelation of God in Christ, the Pharisees influence the people. Their teaching is like leaven; it permeates the whole. Their blatant legalism and hypocritical actions damage those who listen to them." In my opinion, this passage illustrates the importance of good leadership, and how leadership has an influence on the way people are prepared to listen and to hear something being taught.

I have to note that this is one of my favorite passages in the gospels, because it's humorous, and it truly shows the disciples are not much better off than any one of us who fails to grasp something, a spiritual truth, something that Jesus is trying to teach. The evangelist, Mark, goes to specific pains to teach us just how specifically Jesus responds to this!

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? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? 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?" They said to him, "Twelve." "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." So he said to them, "How is it you do not understand?" It's not just the Pharisees or others who can't see things, who fail to understand. Somehow we are given, in this passage, the knowledge from Mark that the disciples, too, just don't "get it." They have just not grasped what is going on right before them. But Jesus is patient, and these disciples have faith, something else at work in them that keeps them close to Christ, and following what he has to offer them in his teaching. I find that, often in our lives, when we have "enough" or some sort of abundance, we take it for granted. Perhaps it is in this sense that the disciples fail to see what their faith in Christ can produce, what he can do. At any rate, they do not understand the "leaven" of the leadership to which Jesus refers. They think he's talking about bread! We are given a specific instance here where we can feel Jesus' exasperation, and he specifically takes them to task for "not seeing" and not understanding. My study bible says, "Discipleship without an understanding of Christ is unthinkable." Christ is there to teach, and sometimes he must do that in direct and powerful ways!

Then he came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then he sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." On the other side of the Lake, a blind man is brought to him. My study bible notes that in this healing, the blind man does not at once fully see. It notes, "This man is healed in stages, just as our ability to know God grows gradually." Again, as in the healing of the deaf man with the speaking impediment in Monday's reading, this man is taken aside by himself for this healing: the making of the blind to see is another messianic sign -- which Jesus does not yet want revealed about himself. Jesus is looking, not for those who seek signs, but for those who come to him in faith.

So, how do these stories tie together? We read of the leadership insisting that Jesus provide them with a sign, and leading astray those who otherwise might see and understand for themselves. Their attitude permeates the people, and leads them in the wrong direction. The disciples themselves fail to see and understand signs done in their very midst, the feeding of the four and five thousand! But, unlike the Pharisees, they are there to be instructed -- and Jesus teaches them quite vehemently, and takes them to task for failing to understand him. And finally, there is the blind man. Jesus has time, personal time, for those who need his "enlightenment" (like his disciples in the boat on the Lake going across to Bethsaida), and, like all of us including the disciples, the blind man comes to his sight, to "enlightenment" in stages, gradually. This "sign" is to be hidden, according to Jesus' directions. What the Pharisees demand - a test of faith, or to be compelled to faith - is not going to happen. People are going to have to understand via a different route, just as Jesus' speaking of leaven required spiritual ears to know that he was not speaking about bread.

These passages open up for us the very deep question of how we come to understand Christ, how we know his teachings, and how we view them in our lives. How do we come to understand? How do we pursue in faith? We once again go back to the heart: how does it receive? How is it opened up to truth, to understanding? The best way I know for that to happen is through prayer, through sincere prayer. And we must be ready and willing to be taught. Life is not just a game in which we are handed everything -- like a great big proof or miracle demanded by the Pharisees. Life demands also our participation and our effort, our "yes," our desire. And the best way to signal that is through prayer. Jesus is the companion to the disciples, they share his life. And they are willing to understand - or to listen - when he takes them to task for their own hardness of heart. So prayer is not just talking, it is also listening. It is also being prepared to hear where we are wrong, where we need to change, and how we need to understand when we don't. Prayer is relationship - the development of that relationship to our Creator. So, this Lent, in our forty days of time that mirrors Jesus' time of temptation (in which he was tempted to give a spectacular sign), let us ponder what it means to withdraw and pray in secret, in private, ourselves. Remember Jesus' healing in private in this passage, not as a spectacular sign. Alone, we pray to him, we develop relationship. It is personal, as God is a Person and we are persons made in God's image. Take your time to do this, and to listen. There may be all kinds of ways in which He is teaching you to change, to hear better.