Mark 8:1 We have here I. A picture of the forsaken Church of Christ. (1) Much people were gathered round the Lord. Many are gathered round Him today. _Few,_if we think of the immense multitude of those who are called into the Church of Christ; _many,_if we think of the small number of the chosen i... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:4 Bread in the Wilderness. I. The question of the disciples has been, as all will admit, the natural question of all who have had any time or mind to think from the beginning of the world. There is perhaps no animal that has to spend so large a part of his time in procuring the food he needs... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:5 Our Lord Jesus Christ, being about to work a miracle of omnipotent grace, first bids His disciples to count over their own little stores, to see what they have towards it; what they have, however trifling in amount, of the same kind and sort with the thing wanted; they producing that, He w... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:6 Feeding the Four Thousand. I. Observe the extreme tenderness and love of Christ in this work of power. In it He taught us (1) To reflect how constantly and in how many ways He still exercises the same wonderful power of feeding His people by multiplying their food. See in the harvest how... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:12 I. Ver. 12. "And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign?" etc. The sign in this case was morally suggestive. It must have been one of the great troubles of His sad and weary life to be continually carrying in His own bosom secrets which He wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:22 The Gradual Healing of the Blind Man. This miracle has a peculiarity, in which it stands absolutely alone, and that is that the work is done in stages; that the power which at other times has but to speak and it is done here seems to labour, and the cure comes slowly; that in the middle... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:22 The text shows us I. The value of intercessory prayer. We need to pray for ourselves, but it is a poor religion that stops at self. We need the power and the grace of Christ to heal our own hurt; but if we truly realise the presence of Christ, and if we believe in His healing power, we s... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:31 Christ's Intimation of His Sufferings. The time from which Jesus began to speak to His disciples of His sufferings was the time at which His Apostles had made open confession of His Godhead. Here then is a point from which to reckon, and on which to reason. We may now start with the inqu... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:34 I. Such were the terms by which Jesus Christ sought to enlist men in His service. They came around Him attracted by His holiness, and curious to know more about Him. He offered them three attractions self-denial, shame, and absolute surrender. Unless they were content with these, they cou... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:34 Saving One's Life by Losing It. When Christ is preached in our day, men are not ashamed of Him on precisely the same grounds that they were in the early days. Christ is represented by great churches that are emblazoned with art, that represent the wealth of the communities, that have abo... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:35 I. The confession and rebuke of St. Peter seem to be closely connected with the solemn teaching of the text. The fearfully wrong view which St. Peter had taken of what was consistent with the character and office of our Lord, notwithstanding the wonderful revelation he had received concern... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 8:36 Two questions meet us on the threshold of this great subject. What is meant by the soul, to which this paramount value is ascribed? And why should there be any natural enmity between the world and the soul? Why should the gain of the whole world be likely to hazard the loss of the soul? I... [ Continue Reading ]