The Clueless Disciples

One of the best has to be when Jesus reveals His Glory on top of the Mount of Transfiguration. He is revealed in Power and Purity; Moses and Elijah appear to discuss His death and resurrection. Then out of nowhere Peter interrupts the conversation and says, "Hey, it is really good that we are here.....uh,... we could build you guys each a little shelter of dirt and tree branches... you would really like it..." I guess he is saying this because he is so overwhelmed that he does not know what to do. And as so often is the case when we are feeling horribly insecure, we embarrassingly draw attention to ourselves by trying to DO something to prove that we ARE something, when we are only mortal. Mark 9 (Luke 9 talks about what Jesus, Elijah and Moses we discussing )

I love all the times Jesus says something symbolic and they just don’t get it. Like the time when Jesus is talking with the woman at the well.... his disciples, who had gone to get some food, returned seeing him talking to a Samaritan woman and urged Him to eat something. Jesus replies, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." The disciples turn to each other saying something like, "Ok, who gave Him food? Huh?" Then Jesus explains Himself and says that doing God’s will is food for Him. John 4

The other good food piece of history is in Matt 16 and Mk 8. Now remember He has just fed 4,000 men with 7 loaves and a few small fish. Before that He fed 5,000 men with 5 loaves and two fish. Now after the Pharisees have asked for a sign, Jesus turns to the disciples saying, "Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees ( and of Herod )." The disciples turn to themselves and say, "He’s telling us this because we haven’t brought any bread! Ok, who forgot the bread? James, John - who was supposed to bring it?" What are they THINKING? Jesus just multiplied bread endlessly for the crowds, surely if they got hungry He could take care of their small needs? Jesus has to turn around and clue them in : ‘Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand?"... In Matt 16 He says, "You of little faith, .... how is it that you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood.’

Jesus walks on the water, He made like He was going to pass by them. When they see Him they "CRIED out because they all saw him and were terrified!" He responds to them and then climbs into the boat. The text says "they were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." Mk 6 Earlier in Mk 4 when Jesus calms the storm on the sea of Galilee He turns to them and says, "Why are you do afraid? Do you still have no faith?" The text goes on to say, "They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!’"

At least 3 times Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to be killed. ( Mk 8, 9,10 ) The first time He does He gets quite the response from Peter. The text in Mk 8 says, "He spoke plainly about this...." He was telling them that He was going to be "...rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers.... killed and after three days rise again." This is some pretty heavy stuff, but after being with Jesus for awhile you might begin to listen to Him. But no, Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to REBUKE Him, the One who walked on water, the One who fed the multitudes, the One who cast out all the demonic powers.... Just imagining Peter getting in Jesus’ face and arguing over this is too much... the text says, ‘Jesus turned and looked at His disciples....’ woops, here it goes, Jesus eye balls the disciples just to make sure they are paying attention, then he says to Peter..."Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Like Psalms "If I were hungry would I tell you?"

Then in the second two times Jesus tells the disciples what is going to happen to him in the future, He has to set them straight on another topic. In Mk 9, and 10 you would think the disciples would be totally grieved by Jesus saying that somehow He was going to be tortured and die. But the very next thing they start talking and arguing about is ‘Who is the Greatest!’ Jesus even asks them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But the text says, ‘But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.’ These guys are a bunch of characters. On the third time, they still don’t get it and James and John come to him asking for the right and left seat next to Jesus during the Eternal Age. The rest of the disciples are INDIGNANT with them! They are seriously UPSET and PUTOUT with James and John! Remind you of anyone you know? ( yourself)

Then on top of all that, Jesus tells Peter that everyone will fall away from him and that Peter himself will deny that he knows Him! Peter once again tells Jesus that He is wrong! "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you!" Mark 14 Well, thank God Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves and nothing we do surprises Him or catches Him off guard! We catch ourselves off guard and surprise ourselves with our own weakness, but not Him! And He loves us knowing how we will fail and be unfaithful to Him!

Then Jesus is resurrected. The women talk to the Angels and Mary Magdalene talks with Jesus Himself. Yet the disciples refuse to believe it! Even after He has told this to them more than 3 times. Mark 16 "She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it." WOW, are these guys thick or what?

After He is risen Jesus speaks to the disciple for 40 days before they are empowered to be His witnesses. In Acts 1 He tells them, "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." So, they have the picture right? After you are empowered, start here in Jerusalem and work your way outward until you reach the ENDS of the EARTH! So what happens for 6 chapters after they are empowered to witness? They stay at home in Jerusalem! Then the Lord has to allow persecution to scatter them outside of Jerusalem, and everyone flees - EXCEPT the Apostles! "... and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." Acts 8 Then Jesus has to raise up Paul to go elsewhere and take care of business! About the same time He sends Peter to Cornelius’ house and Holy Spirit falls on all the Gentiles - what a sign - but Peter goes back to Jerusalem.... instead of spreading this and praying for other gentiles to receive the spirit and fulfill the Abrahamic commission - "I will bless you ... and all people on earth will be blessed through you."

Then in Acts 12 as the gathered disciples pray that Peter would be released from Jail, Peter gets released.... and knocks at the door... and after the girl tells everyone that Peter, the one they are praying for is at the door, they respond, "Your out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that is was so, they said, "It must be his angel." Wow, disciples of great faith!

After Jesus tell the disciples point blank that He will rise from the dead in Mark 9:10 they ".... kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant." Now this is really amusing because the concept of someone rising from the dead just like Jesus would do was somewhat know in that day. Even Herod - the pagan King - knew of it. In Mark 6 it says that Herod heard about Jesus because "His name had become well known. Some were saying, ‘John the Baptist had been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’ .... when Herod heard this, he said, ‘John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!" The pagans knew this concept - but the disciples were struggling a little.

The second time (Mk9:32) he tells them that He will be killed and rise from the dead, the disciples respond in a way that reminds us of ourselves so much : "But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it." Wow, they were confused and did not know how to ask Him about it all? Ever feel like that?

Questions? Comments? Email me at ChrisSarris@hotmail.com