“It's not at all hard to understand a person; it's only hard to listen without bias.”

“Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.” ― John Steinbeck: (1902 – 1968: was an American author. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature.)

Gospel Text: (MK 8:14-21)

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?"
They answered him, "Twelve."
"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?"
They answered him, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

Aren’t you glad the disciples’ humanity is displayed for us? I’ve often felt that if they had understood and got everything right, most of us mere humans might never take the Scriptures to read because the bar is set so high.

Scripture has so much to teach us—humanity fails over and over again to see the signs of God’s abundance and miracles. I know I do. How many times has my focus been on what I lack instead of what the Lord is doing in my life?