The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 8:15-21, “And He was giving orders to them, saying, ‘Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’

16 And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

18 ‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember,

19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?’ They said to Him, “Twelve.”

20 ‘And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?’ And they said to Him, “Seven.”

21 And He was saying to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’”

Where is the screwdriver? I can’t find a single paper clip! What on Earth did you do with it?

The nondescript frustrations we encounter often lead to conflict and blame. We focus on the menial, insignificant things instead of those things that really matter.

Jesus was warning His disciples of some fundamental dangers linked to the Pharisees and to Herod. The disciples were worried that they had only one loaf of bread to eat. Have you ever noticed how “important” eating is to us? We set aside the truly important things and concern ourselves with where and what we’re going to eat.

Jesus treated the disciples like the children they were: you have eyes, don’t you see? You have ears, don’t you hear? Can’t you remember? We just saw 5,000 people fed with five loaves and 4,000 with seven; and you picked up twelve baskets full from the one and seven from the other. “Do you not yet understand?”

All of this should speak to us. Some things matter; some things don’t. Jesus is our ultimate provider. He loves us and He is capable and disposed to give us all good things. David said,

“I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or His descendants begging bread” (Ps. 37:25). Count your blessings! Stop being worried about menial things. If you can’t find the tools you need, you don’t need them. If you have to go without eating once or twice, you won’t die. Look up, not down! Be positive, not negative!

Laughter will keep you from crying. Just focus on Jesus, and you will do well.

Prayerfully and lovingly yours,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”