Every now and then my wife, Paulette, will say to me, “You men are all clueless.” She will have a slight smile on her face, and it’s usually in response to something less than wise that I, or some other male, has said. Maybe I would have said something like, “Why do women like shoes so much?” Or while watching HGTV I might have said, “There are so many pillows on that bed you’d have nowhere to put them when you want to sleep.” She said it once after I made the mistake of wondering out loud, “Why do women always want to rearrange the furniture?”

If we read the gospels, especially the book of Mark, we can find twelve good men who two thousand years ago were also often clueless. Even though Jesus knew the disciples thoughts, he was still perplexed by their lack of understanding. In Matthew 15:16 He even says to them, “Are you still so dull?” Let me give you two illustrations.

The eighth chapter of Mark relates the following story. After the feeding of the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes, Jesus and the disciples take a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus says to them, “Be Careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” The metaphor here is that a small amount of yeast is able to ferment a large amount of dough, and this is the way that the evil from a small group of Pharisees and Herod can spread. The disciples are confused and ask among themselves whether or not Jesus spoke because they forgot to bring lunch. Remember this is right after the miracle of feeding the multitude. You have to laugh.

The second example takes place during the Last Supper after Jesus had taken the bread and wine and said the words we hear each Sunday during communion. The disciples start arguing over who among them would be regarded as the greatest. This is after being with Jesus for three years and hearing his message! And he had humbly washed their feet earlier in the evening. They didn’t have a clue. Jesus answers with a response that includes, “Instead the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

I have to admit; I am often clueless, both the male version that sometimes amuses Paulette, and the more serious type that afflicted the disciples. Should I take comfort in the fact that the disciples were also sometimes clueless? No. Rather I should let their weaknesses help me to find my own, and then I should use them, failed as they were, as a guide to help me grow in my own discipleship.

Please read Mark 8:14-21, which gives the account of the disciples forgetting their lunch and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim