“Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.”
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat — the one loaf that the disciples have in the boat is the setup for the leaven teaching that follows. The forgetfulness is the disciples' characteristic failure to think ahead — the same disciples who watched Jesus feed thousands twice are now worried about one loaf. The one loaf in the boat will become the ironic context for the warning about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod.
Church Fathers on Mark 8:14
After that our Lord had worked the miracle of the loaves, He immediately retires into another spot, lest on account of the miracle, the multitudes should take Him to make Him a king.
Now in Matthew we read that He entered into the parts of Magdala [ed. note: Magedam]. But we cannot doubt that it is the same place under another name; for several manuscripts even of St. Mark have only Magdala.
The Pharisees, then, seek a sign from heaven, that He, Who had for the second time fed many thousands of men with a few loaves of bread, should now, after the example of Moses, refresh the whole nation in the last time with manna sent down from heaven, and dispersed amongst them all.
Read all 15 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!