Answer
Mark portrayed the disciples as foolish and lacking in understanding.
A:Throughout Mark's Gospel, the disciples are portrayed as obtuse and lacking in understanding. This is nowhere more apparent than in the series of miracles and dialogues in Mark 6:33-8:21:
- Jesus and the disciples had no leisure so much as to eat, so they went into a desert place
- Feeding the 5000
- When Jesus walked on water the disciples were amazed, for they considered not the miracle of the loaves
- Pharisees complain about the disciples eating with unwashed hands
- Discourse - what goes into a man goes into his belly and does not defile
- Greek woman metaphorically begs for crumbs from the table
- Feeding the 4000
- Disciples are hungry and have only one loaf of bread
- Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and they reason, "It is because we have no bread," showing they do not understand
- Summary by Jesus of the two feasts
Throughout this series of passages, we find the disciples unable to understand about Jesus. By verse 8:21, the reader is asking, "Why don't they understand?" This is echoed by Jesus in that final verse, "How is it that ye do not understand?"
