“Do You Still Not Understand?”

Mark 8’s collage of events brings to the fore the disciples’ lack of understanding and their need for divine intervention. As Alistair Begg explains, Jesus showed compassion on the crowds by feeding them, yet the disciples still did not understand who He was. He warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, yet they only thought in terms of literal bread. Divine illumination was required for the disciples—as it is required for any man or woman—to truly hear and believe God’s word.