Daily Devotional – Tuesday, November 15, 2022
“How is it you do not understand?”
Mark 8:21 (NKJV)
Have you ever answered a question with an irrelevant answer? It is because either you failed to listen with understanding or your mind was pondering something else. The spiritual realm is also prone to such challenges.
A good example is in Mark Chapter 8. Jesus has just come from feeding about four thousand people after miraculously multiplying seven loaves of bread. The Pharisees then demand a sign that Jesus is the Messiah. He declines and rebukes them.
Lacking in Comprehension
Later, while in a boat with His disciples, Christ tells the twelve, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” (Mark 8:15). Jesus is warning His followers to watch out not to be corrupted by religious and secular influences that defy God.
Unfortunately, the disciples do not understand their Master. They think He is criticizing them for not having bread in the boat. Jesus reads their thoughts and reminds them how He had fed five thousand and four thousand people on different occasions.
Deficient Understanding
He concludes by asking, “How is it you do not understand?” (Mark 8:21). While Jesus expects that to grasp spiritual lessons, they are stuck with the literal meaning. Because they do not approach His teachings with divine wisdom, they fail to comprehend.
Modern disciples are not different. We fail to appreciate the Word of God because we approach it using human wisdom. When the preacher delivers the sermon, we do not comprehend the lessons because we think we already have the answers.
Missing the Point
In addition, like the twelve apostles, we approach Jesus with preconceived opinions. Some believe God is a hard Master who will not forgive them. Others consider God to be so loving that He will excuse all sin. Such a closed mind shuts off the truth.
We also fail to understand Jesus because of our individual mistakes and failures. When we receive the truth, we assess our failures and conclude God is out to criticize us. Instead of focusing on the transformation God wants to accomplish in us, we think we are unworthy of His love.
How is it You do not Understand?
If we are to understand Jesus and the redeeming and emancipating truth He offers us, we need open and receptive minds. Christ is not out to condemn us. He wants to save us. If we do not invite the Holy Spirit to interpret God’s word to us, Jesus question still lingers, “How is it you do not understand?”
Prayer
Holy Spirit, come inside my heart and make me understand Your word and purpose for my life.
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Jesus was a teacher, Best of all.
I have an experience of teaching and all times I’m also a student, and every teacher always want to be effective in the best way possible. In all the sides I’ve discovered sth based on today’s devotional, something that is obvious .
That is ,Effective learning has a lot to do with the condition of the students’ inner-being.Learning cannot be effective unless the student understand. And the teacher gets frustrated if the student doesn’t understand. Christ the master teacher also experienced this, There was a hardness of heart that prevented His disciples from learning as they should; and as a result, effective learning wasn’t happening.May the holy spirit help us understand the teachings of master teacher…for the bible says when He(the holy spirit) will come, He will guide us to understanding of all truth.
Amen and amen, Doc