In Matthew 8:5 Jesus asked the disciples how many loaves they had .Five loaves and two fish were blessed and 4000 plus people were fed with that. Seven baskets of broken pieces which were left over were picked up. After this marvelous miracle Jesus left them and getting into a boat he crossed to the other side. The disciples forgot to bring bread except for one loaf. At that time Jesus asked them to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. The disciples thought that Jesus said that because they had no bread. Aware of their discussions Jesus asked," why are you talking about having no bread.? Do you have eyes but fail to see?"

The disciples had witnessed a great miracle yet their mind was fixed only on the bread. Their mind was occupied only by the mundane affairs and earthly needs. They were also focused on what they did not have. They were blind to the fact that when the master provider, the El Shaddai was with them they need not worry about anything. They still had not understood the real Jesus. He was speaking about spiritual matters but their mind was not mature enough to understand the spiritual implications. Very often our preoccupation with the worldly matters blocks perception of spiritual insights.

We also witness great miracles in life, listen to great messages that seem to inspire us and attend all meetings but still are transfixed by earthly considerations of very little importance. What we do not have assume huge proportion that the presence of Jesus in our life fades into total insignificance. The facts of life bother us so much that the truth gets clouded and vanishes from our gamut of perception. Jesus who is the truth can rewrite the unpleasant facts of life. Instead of glorifying Jesus and rejoicing in his presence the disciples got into a sulky mood and failed to understand the meaning of what Jesus said. Jesus was warning about the doctrines of the Pharisees and the wickedness of Herod but they thought that he was talking about bread.

When our mind is filled with secular speculation and worldly matters, we can never interpret the message and warning of our savior who wants to guide us in our spiritual walk. How can we heed such messages if our focus is only on earthly honors and people’s approval and esteem?

Dr. (Mrs.) Edriana Jeyasingh