Mark 8:1-21 - Bread and yeast

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The care and compassion of Jesus is displayed again when he feeds the hungry crowd (Mark 8:1-21). They haven't eaten for three days and he knows the journey home will be too hard for them, so he shares out the seven loaves and a few fish that the disciples have at hand.

Bread must have been on the disciple's minds after this, but not in the right way. When Jesus uses the idea of yeast to warn them about the Pharisee's teaching and the politics of Herod, they are puzzled and wonder if he's criticising them for not bringing enough bread for the journey. He reminds them that the quantity of bread they bring is not an issue.

And we are just the same! We get engrossed in worldly issues and worry about those instead of trusting Jesus to supply all our real needs. We talk about football and music and terrorism and the economy, but we forget that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Our minds and hearts are focussed on the wrong things. There's nothing wrong with football or music, and terrorism and the economy are important issues. But having Jesus at the heart of our thinking and speaking and doing should come first. If we are going to be affected by yeast, let it be the yeast that produces the bread of life.

Yeast acts in dough to make better bread. And it acts in grape juice to make wine. Let the yeast of Jesus rise in us and change our spiritual nature. [Tweet it!]

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