Mar 8:18 Having eyes, do you not see?
Mar 8:18 Having eyes, do you not see? and having ears, do you not hear? and do you not remember?
The word translated here as "see" is the same word that was translated as "beware" in Mat 8:15 (discussed here). The statement "having 'ears to hear" is Christ's common cry for understanding and in discussing it here, I cover the many of the recurring patterns of symbols that Christ uses in the verse above regarding intellectual understanding and its connection to the senses. Words and the eye are both used by Christ as symbols for the mind.
The new element brought to the discussion in this verse is remembering. Christ seldom refers to memory as a part of understanding with the notable exception of Mat 16 :9-10 (discussed here), which is Matthew's version of this same discussion. These references are triggered by the fact that prior to this discussion the apostles had just physically witnessed the duplication of loaves in the feeding of the 4,000 so they should have know that the lack of physical bread was never Christ's concern.
For Christ, understanding was a matter of seeing the pattern in symbols. Even ears and eyes are symbols. The words that we hear are nothing more than symbols. They have no meaning in themselves. They can only point to what the speaker means. While sight seems to capture reality, we still must interpret the meaning of what we see. Reality is understood in the mind, not in the outside world. It is up to the listener to hear, see, and understand the pattern indicated.
In this case, Christ wants his followers to understand the symbolic meaning of bread and leaven. In both his words and actions, he uses them as symbols for what is hidden and cannot be seen directly: the kingdom of heaven, the universal rule, the reign of the Father. In several places, he tries to make it clear that we must work toward understanding, but that, if we make the effort, understanding is no more difficult than seeing and hearing what is right before us.
"Eyes" is from ophthalmos (ophthalmos), which means "eye," "the dearest and best," and "the bud [of a plant]."
"See" is from blepô (blepo), which means "to look" and "to see." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding.
"Ears" is from ous (ous), which means "ear" and things that resemble an ear, such as a handle on pitchers, cups, etc.
"Hear" is from akouô (akouo), which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand."
"Remember" is from mnêmoneuô, (mnemoneuo), which means to "call to mind," "to remember," and "to think of."
