Trusting Jesus to meet our needs

By Dean Collins

How do you feel when you forget something? I suppose it depends on what you forgot. If you forgot to return a phone call to a friend, you might feel a little frustrated. But friends tend to understand that no one is perfect, and they don’t make a big deal out of it. But if you forget your anniversary, that might be a different situation. Depending on the dynamics of your relationship, you might not be in the doghouse forever. However, sometimes forgetting something has consequences.

Most of us would say we have so much going on that we simply don’t have the file space in our heads to keep up with all the moving parts of our lives. With all of the busyness of work and home and the added challenges of keeping up with email, voicemail, texting, and private messaging on social media, I imagine all of us forget something every day.

In Matthew 16, we learn about a situation where the disciples forgot something. Jesus had wrapped up another large picnic where he fed 4000 men plus their families. And just like the feeding of the 5000, there were leftovers. This time, it was seven baskets full of uneaten bread and fish. I suspect that the adrenaline of this miracle along with crowd management, and getting Jesus to the boat so that they could travel to another meeting caused the disciples to forget the leftovers.

Somewhere on the boat ride, Jesus said: “be careful…Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” About that time, the disciples remembered they had failed to bring the leftover bread. Jesus of course wasn’t thinking about the leftovers. The disciples, however, assumed he was because they were feeling bad about the supplies being left behind. Jesus knew he was experiencing more of a communication issue than an issue of having adequate food. It wasn’t that long ago that the disciples had heard him teach on not worrying about food or clothes. Apparently, forgetting who Jesus was and what he was capable of was a regular occurrence with the disciples!

After commenting on the disciples’ forgetfulness, he proceeded to make his main point: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Jesus wanted to make sure his disciples understood that the teachings of the current religious hierarchy were not in alignment with the kingdom of God.

The religious leaders that Jesus referenced were known for their spiritual disciplines. They could quote a lot of scripture. They fasted regularly, prayed frequently, and were meticulous about their tithing. And they were regularly in the synagogues on the Sabbath. But even a casual reading of the gospels reveals that Jesus called them out often for their hypocrisy.

The Pharisees’ legalism created additional layers to what they believed was necessary to be a righteous person. They had added many additional rules that they believed made one a devout follower of God’s law. And they did not like the way that Jesus was neglecting their traditions. There is a big difference between the things religious people require from others compared to what God requires.

I think this passage has implications for us today, both in regard to our forgetfulness as well as a possible warning concerning hypocrisy. I suspect that, like the disciples in this passage, we sometimes think and focus on the wrong things. Instead of trusting Jesus to meet our needs and to use us to spread the good news, we default to the many ways we think we can improve the world around us by somehow forcing God’s ways on others. Jesus did not force anyone to follow him. He invited them. I fear that in current culture and especially in American politics that it is easy to get caught up in trying to mandate our faith perspectives through political influence. I cannot find an example of Jesus doing this in the gospels.

I fear that when followers of Christ try to force their ways of thinking and acting on others, it is easy to tip toward the hypocrisy Jesus warned the Pharisees about.

Father, forgive us for the times we have tried to force others into faith. Help us to love even those who do not believe what we do or live in alignment with your will. Show us how we can serve and love even our enemies that they might experience your grace and mercy even through us. Help us to remember that our best prayer is that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. And help us to live lives that reflect our submission to your will.
We praise you and thank you for your love, your grace, and your provision. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 16:5-12 NIV

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
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