When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
- Matthew 16:5-12
I have heard and read this passage countless times, always thinking of it in terms of Jesus' warning to the disciples. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. What is that leaven, and where is it most likely to get us if we aren't watchful? That sort of thing. To me this passage has always been a Christian version of Beware the Ides of March. Don't get too comfortable or complacent, because something you think you can trust is about to stab you over and over.
But as I read through several chapters in Matthew yesterday, something else about this event struck me for the first time. I love it when the Holy Spirit does that. Read the same passage 50 times and God can still say, here's something you never thought about. Awesome! Anyway, of course I knew in my head and had realized the proximity issue before, but not the implications of it for the disciples, for people in general, for me in particular (and you, Dear Reader, if you are anything like me).
Proximity issue? The above passage of scripture begins five verses after the feeding of the 4000. I know the 4000 doesn't get as much press as the feeding of the 5000, but hey, it's still epic. I don't know how much actual time had passed, but here are the bullet notes: Jesus miraculously feeds 4000 beside the Sea of Galilee, He sends the crowds away and takes the boat to Magadan (Matthew 15:39), the Pharisees and Sadducees meet Him and ask for a sign....Pause. Once again, I don't know how much time had passed, but perhaps word had reached the religious folks of the miracle feast and they wanted their own taste. Or maybe they were just responding to the news of all the miracles Jesus did. But basically, Jesus answers them, and leaves. They get to the other side, and then we have the starting passage. I point all that out to say this is not like three years later. It's likely very shortly thereafter. Even if it some time had passed, you would think the disciples would remember what Jesus can do with very little, right?
Jesus expects them to. Beware the leaven....it's because we forgot the bread they say to one another. Jesus is all, Seriously? Don't you guys remember the 9000 people I've fed with a few fish and twelve loaves of bread? Do you really think I'm worried about what we're going to eat? And pretty much everyone agrees they should have known Jesus spoke of something other than bread and how much of it they did or didn't have. So why didn't they?
Finally I get to the aha moment I had. Jesus performs a miracle involving bread. Shortly afterward, the religious leaders show up to try to make Him do things their way. He decides to warn His disciples out of love and concern for them to watch out, both for the religious teaching that is not of God and for the self-righteous, God serves me not the other way around, prideful attitude of these guys. So He uses bread as an illustration. Beware their leaven, since a little leaven goes through all the dough. And what do the disciples hear, these men who had been walking, talking, eating and enjoying fellowship with Jesus for at least two years at this point?
Shame on you. You forgot the bread.
That's where their thinking goes! They think Jesus is getting onto them for not bringing supplies. Never mind what they think they did wrong though. Here's the point. Jesus loves them. He's not upset with them. He's warning them about something dangerous, and they look back over recent events, pull up a mistake or oversight and think, He's upset with us, He's rebuking us for failing to do something, I knew we blew it.....
Jesus has to tell them stop it. Get your minds off yourselves, boys. Haven't you figured out by now that I can overcome your shortcomings, mistakes and oversights and that I can provide for your needs? Don't you remember? Now they are getting a little rebuked.
I can't help but wonder how often we, no, I am guilty of this. God is trying to warn me of something or simply expressing His concern for me, and I pick up my cloak of shame and decide He's fussing at me. He's looking ahead at what I will have to face, and I'm stuck in the past trying to figure out the solution to a problem that He's either already dealt with or is more than able to handle.
I think the Spirit would often say to us, Hey, I'm not fussing at you. That weight of condemnation and shame you feel is not from God. Jesus already dealt with that issue and your shame of it. I'm trying to love you and help you. Stay with me in the now. Listen to what I am actually saying. Jesus is your advocate, not your accuser. Daddy is not looking for a reason to punish you but wants to draw you close to Him and protect you.
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