I. Greetings.
II. Introduction:
Q Have you recently watched a teacher, parent, or supervisor at work suffer with being misunderstood? If so, raise your hands?
Q How many of you have been misunderstood recently? If so, raise your hands?
Q How did you feel, would anyone like to share?
Q Have you ever been deliberately misunderstood by your enemies?
Note: Today's lesson centers around the issue of being misunderstood. We believe Jesus was fully God, we also believe He was fully human. He was tempted in all ways like we are says the Book of Hebrews. He is our "high priest". He prays for us with great empathy because He understands what we face.
We face being misunderstood, Jesus faced the same thing. Lets see what He experienced, and how He handled it.
III. Spiritually Blind Religious Enemies: Mark 8:11-13.
Note: Life is hard when we are misunderstood, but it is even more frustrating to be misunderstood by those who refuse to see the truth.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 8:11-13.
Note: The seeking of a sign culminates what seems to have been the end of the Pharisees questioning of Him. They wanted proof Jesus was right in what He was telling them. What they talked about we are not told, only that they now wanted proof in the form of a sign from Heaven (i.e. from God).
Q How does Jesus answer them?
Q What does this mean for us today?
Q Why does Jesus refuse? What do you think is the reason for His refusal?
An = 1) He would be subjected to their system of determining truth. A system of religion He has rejected in chapter 7:1-23.
2) They already had seen many miracles and wonders in His healing. Previously, we learned in chapter 3:22 that they called such miraculous powers satanic.
3) They would not believe him even if He did play their game. Look up Psalm 95
>>>> Have someone read Psalm 95:8-11.
Q Did the Israelites see miracles and signs? Did it help them believe.
An = No, it did not. The Israelites saw the great miracles recorded in the book of Exodus and still chose not to believe.
Q Does religious education always help us see the truth?
An = Religious education is no guarantee of spiritual perception. The Pharisees knew their theology, much of it was even first class thinking.
Q Are some of us seeking a sign today?
Q Are we waiting for some kind of confirmation when we already know what is true and what we need to do?
An = If we are, we may begin to encounter the silence of God (>>> You read Mark 8:12-13). He might refuse to give us a sign, because we already know better.
III. Spiritually Blind Disciples: Mark 8:14-21
Note: Jesus has been misunderstood by his enemies, those His teachings and presence has threatened. We see how He handled that, but now things get even more frustrating.
Q Have you ever been misunderstood by your friends?
>>>> Have someone read Mark 8:14-15.
Q What had the disciples forgot?
Q Why did the Disciples misunderstand 8:15?
An = Selective hearing: we often did this to our parents as kids. We can also do this to God. An example of this should be supplied by you. Instead of hearing what really was said, you merely focused on a key word because of guilt.
Q What is leaven?
An = (yeast)
Q So, what is yeast?
An = Actually it is the rotting of something, but to make bread or yogurt you need to add a catalyst from a starter. Yeast or leaven is that starter for bread.
Note: Because yeast is the starting of something rotting or breaking down, leaven in the ancient world often stood for corruption.
Q What does 8:15 mean?
An = Beware of the corruptive influence of religious leaders and politicians.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 8:16
Q Do the disciples understand the warning?
>>>> Have someone read Mark 8:17-21
Q Why does Jesus say to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Herod by using a bread metaphor?
An = He could be tieing back to their disbelief concerning the miracles of the two feedings (7:30-44 and 8:1-10). They had yet to understand (8:17-20). Perhaps He poses the question in terms of bread because it was concerning the episodes of bread they were still most in the dark about. Besides, Jesus did not need many loaves to feed a mere twelve men (See, 8:17-20). He was rather good with bread!
Q Finally, what disturbs Jesus? What causes Him to "sigh" in 8:12?
An = >>> Re-read Mark 7:34. Perhaps, He sees in the deaf man the deafness of His people, even His own disciples. It is our physical needs (7:34) and our spiritual blindness (8:12) that cause God to be disturbed, because He cares for both of these areas of our lives.
IV. Physically Blind Member of the Crowd: Mark 8:22-26
>>>> Have someone read Mark 8:22-26.
Q Why take the man out of town?
An = 1) He does not seek notoriety for Himself. This fits the pattern of 1:44, 5:43, 7:36, 8:26.
2) It could be concern for the man himself.
Q Why does He spit?
An = Again, perhaps to deeply identify with the man and his needs.
Q Why was the healing gradual? Before you answer that, note this is the only gradual physical healing in all of the Gospel accounts.
Q Why does Mark record a healing of sight right after two episodes of spiritually blind groups: religious leaders and His disciples? What is Mark saying?
An = Spiritual insight often comes gradually. Do not be discouraged. Jesus did not get new disciples, despite their great capacity to be blockheads. He will keep you if you truly want to see. It may take stages, but Psalm 146:8 will come true of you.
>>>> Have someone read Psalm 146:8 to the group. (Psalm 146:6-10)
![I perceived that innovations had already begun, and that there were a great many very much elevated in hopes of a revolt from the Romans. ... [I] Persuaded them to change their minds...and this I said with vehement exhortation, because I foresaw that the end of such a war would be most unfortunate to us. But I could not persuade them; for the madness of desperate men was quite too hard for me.5](http://www.biblestudyauthor.com/Articles/EF25FB47-4A4E-40AD-BD31-2044917CF4FD_files/shapeimage_1.png)
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