After Jesus had used some scraps to produce the loaves and fishes that fed 5,000 men, and another ten or twenty thousand wives and children, the Disciples had an odd reaction. “Their hearts hardened” Why?
It’s a puzzle that we, in our age, may understand.
Mk 6:45-52 tells us what happened:
“After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.”
What was it about “the incident of the loaves” that caused such a negative reaction? “Their hearts hardened.” Why?
Jesus and the Disciples had traveled together, lived together, spoken together, and eaten together. Everywhere they went, they walked. And walked. And walked. They did not have a cavalcade of horses. No carriages. Aside from a rare boat ride or two on The Sea of Galilee, they walked. Rain or shine, they walked.
They were tired of trudging. Mud, dust, rock, sand. Often a long day’s walk from town to town.
Then, they saw Him multiply the loaves and fishes for a multitude. Tons of loaves and fishes were materialized before their very eyes. Today, we realize that the miracle of the loaves and fishes showed that Jesus could program in 3-D pixels. He used the meal to show how God could have written and downloaded The Creation Program.
The Apostles didn’t care about the mechanism by which He performed that great miracle, producing tens of thousands of pounds of fish and bread as they watched.
They thought, “Somehow, He is able to make things out of thin air! Why didn’t He multiply the money that people gave us so that we could have horses? He could have multiplied the money so we could have been staying at inns, and having our meals in restaurants, rather than scavenging and sleeping outside. He could have materialized money and gifts that we could have sent money home to our families. We could have been rich!”
“Their hearts hardened” Why? In our age, we have been given a hint. He programmed tons of loaves and fishes out of 3-D pixels and they knew He could have easily made them rich.
