Episode Details

Introduction

Before we get to the gospel according to Mark this morning, I want to consider the Old Testament character, Gideon. Maybe you remember Gideon as the fellow who led an army of 300 men armed with torches and pots and pans against the vast host of the Midianites. Perhaps you recall how his army was whittled down to 300, because God didn’t want Gideon to take the glory for the victory. 

But I would guess that Gideon is best known for an incident before all of that happened. Back in Judges 6:36-40, we read this:

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew. 

Maybe you’ve heard (or said) something like this: “I’m just not sure what the Lord’s will is in this, so I’m laying out a fleece.” Or “you need to put a fleece out to determine if this is truly God’s will for you.”

But is this really a good way to find God’s will? Is the author of Judges using this story to praise Gideon’s faith? I think not. It seems in the narrative of Judges 6 that Gideon is doing everything he can to get out of doing what God has already clearly called him to do, and at this is the point where he’s basically asking God to write it in the sky with an airplane. Though Gideon does ultimately obey, and God works a great victory and provides peace throughout his days, the seedbed of shallow faith leads to bad places toward the end of his rule. He makes an idol and it becomes a snare to the people. Because in the end, Gideon was more sure of himself than God. 

What does that have to do with Mark 8? A lot, I think. Because as we turn back to Mark, Jesus is going to warn his disciples about sign-seeking. He calls it, “the leaven of the Pharisees.”

Jesus is Able to Do Everything You Need

We’ll look at three scenes from Mark 8 this morning, and in the first section we learn this: Jesus is able to do everything you need. 

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 

Now, if you remember from the last couple weeks, this part of Mark’s gospel is focused on Jesus’ ministry to the gentiles. He cleansed the daughter of the Syrophonecian woman of an unclean spirit, he healed the