Do you still not understand?

“17 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? 18 Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember,^f19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.”20“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered [him], “Seven.”21He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Is there a note of impatience in the voice of Jesus as He fires one question after another to His “dull” students?  Nobody with experience of teaching will blame Jesus if He is impatient.  The lesson has been taught several times.  It has been reviewed again and again.  Practical demonstrations have been given more than once.  Then comes the moment of test and the students look blank.  While I understand Jesus seeming impatience, I also sympathize very much with the total lack of understanding of the lesson by the Apostles.  One constant struggle I bring to my prayer is this:

“Lord I believe your word that you are faithful.  I have deep experience of your faithfulness in my life.  I note it constantly in my diary.  I blog on it.  Why is it Lord that when I have a new crisis I always panic and forget the lessons that I have learned?” 

The Lord answers me:  “Do you still not understand?”

I reply:  Lord I understand but I forget when my faith is challenged.   Then I use the words in today’s Opening Prayer in the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius:

“Open my heart to understand your teaching.”