This past week, I found myself in a midterm war zone, taking a challenging law school exam and embracing the journey of mastering legal thinking. Every week, I immerse myself in case readings, honing my ability to think critically and transactionally like a true lawyer. This experience has been transformative, showing me the power of deep observation and the danger of surface-level thinking. I’ve learned that my professor’s goal isn’t just passing or failing, but genuine comprehension and connecting ideas. Each test builds on the last, stretching me into a sharper, more discerning thinker. In the same way, the Master Teacher, Jesus, wasn’t just showing off miracles; He was shaping minds. His repetition was for transformation. Jesus had already fed 5,000 before the event we’ll talk about in this question, yet in a similar moment, the disciples freeze again.
“How many loaves do you have?”
~Matt 15:34 & Mark 8:5
Kingdom maturity isn’t about recalling facts—it remembers past provision and responds with present faith.
Our Faith grows when we learn to recognize God’s patterns from what He’s already done. Jesus and his disciples, in the context of this passage, are in a desolate region facing another large, hungry crowd of Gentiles. When Jesus mentions He wants to feed these people, this wasn’t a new situation for the disciples; they’d just watched Jesus feed an even larger crowd. But they still didn’t understand what they were supposed to be learning, and the bible says their hearts were hardened, so their memories failed. They weren’t rebellious; they were just “forgetful”, but spiritual forgetfulness can feel like unbelief. This wasn’t a question about food; it was a quiz on recognition, trust, and obedience. It wasn’t about resources; this was a cumulative test of recognition.
Paul teaches us in Romans that we, as New Testament believers, should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That’s precisely what Jesus was trying to do—move the disciples from panic to pattern recognition, from reacting to remembering. Their lack of bread wasn’t a supply problem; it was a sight problem. It wasn’t a shortage of bread, but a lack of vision. The Hebrew author warns us not to allow our hearts to become hardened when we hear His voice. The blessing flows not from hearing only but doing… and remembering. We must interpret the miracles we experience and let them shape our faith, or they are wasted.
Miracles alone don’t mature faith… Understanding is required. We live in a world that forgets fast. Miracles are minimized, and provision is rarely remembered. Because of this, fear easily returns in the face of a new crisis. Like the disciples, we often find ourselves saying, “What do I do now?” even though God showed up the last time. 2 Peter 1:12-13 reminds us that we ought to be stirred by way of reminder as believers. In the culture of quick fixes and short memories, Jesus still speaks, “How many loaves do you have?” He’s not asking about bread— He wants to know if that last miracle matured you, it’s all cumulative.
There have been times when God has come through for me—financially, emotionally, spiritually. And yet, when a new problem shows up, I sometimes respond like I’ve never seen His hand before. Just like I had to rely on what I’d studied before my midterm—Jesus expects us to recall His track record in our faith tests. Spiritually, God calls for this same recollection in the spiritual realm. God’s track record counts, and Jesus teaches us that even if we’ve been saved for a short time, that track record matters because He’s revealing His pattern, and He doesn’t change. He’s still the same God, and He’s not running low on power.
Time Of Reflection:
** When we forget what Jesus has done, we miss what He’s doing.
** Every Provision is an invitation to deeper recognition.
Heart-Probe Moment:
What recent situation cause me to doubt, even though God has proven Himself before?
References:
Matthew 15:34, Mark 8:5, 17-18
Romans 12:2
Hebrews 3:15
James 1:25
2 Peter 1: 12-13
Chronological bible placement of questions: Thomas Nelson Chronological Study Bible
Closing prayer
Jesus, forgive me for the times I forget what You’ve done. Help me recognize Your patterns, not just Your experience Your power. Teach me to remember Your faithfulness and respond with trust—Not panic. I want to grow in faith, not just be amazed by miracles. Let my spiritual memory deepen my spiritual maturity.
