In the Boat, Yet Missing the Boat

Mark 8:13-18 (NIV)
¹³ Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
¹⁴ The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.
¹⁵ "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
¹⁶ They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."
¹⁷ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
¹⁸ Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?

Jesus had just denied giving a sign from heaven to the Pharisees. They should have been able to see who He was by what had already been done in His message and healing. Their motivation was not for the things of God.

Jesus warns them using another parable. Yeast, or leaven, was used to make bread. A portion of the dough from the previous batch was saved and used to start a new loaf. The American Heritage Dictionary offers these two definitions:

1. An agent, such as yeast, that causes batter or dough to rise, especially by fermentation.
2. An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole.

Jesus was warning the disciples of the negative influences of their world. The Pharisees are representative of the religious realm and Herod is representative of the political realm. They both display the affect of fallen man. He came to bring us back to God and to establish His kingdom. This is not happily or readily received by many.

Though the disciples have been with Jesus and seen many miracles, His words confused them. Though they were in the boat with Him, they were still missing the boat on who He is and what He is saying. That can happen to any of us. We can get too immersed in the world and fail to hear His words. We can forget the things we know. We can be influenced when we are not paying attention. May we be mindful of that today. We don’t want to miss the boat.