daily java

Daily Java: Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 15:5-12)

The apostles suffered from miracle overload. There were so many things happening to them that they had trouble assimilating them all. And it is easy for us to sit here after looking at the New Testament through the filter of 2000 years of theological interpretation and condemn them for it.

But what if it were you? And what if you were seeing all this and hearing all this for the first time in your life, the first time ever? No one had ever heard or seen the things you were seeing or hearing before. It is the first time.

You would have overload too.

Immediately preceding this, the apostles had seen the mighty power of God through Jesus. Jesus had fed 5000 men and their families with a little fish and bread. And then he did the same for 4000. He also walked on water out to where the apostles were busy drowning in a storm. Three really big miracles that they not only got to see, but to participate in interactively.

So what do they do? They worry because they forgot to pack a lunch. Jesus kind of compounds the problem by telling them to watch out for what the Pharisees and Sadducees do. He called it their yeast. Their actions moved into Jewish society like yeast moves into dough. But unlike yeast, what they did was detrimental to the Jews. Jesus said, watch out for them. They are tricky.

They think he is griping because they forgot lunch. Even though this was somewhat uncharacteristic of  Jesus, still that is what they thought. And they started blaming each other for the mistake.

It seems that the tension among the apostles to be “in charge” and the favorite was strong. It is in any group. I know it was in the seminary I attended. Everybody wanted to be the leader and the “most spiritual.” Nobody came out and actually said that but it was true. And no one would acknowledge that I was. Bummer.

But Jesus gets tired of them. He says, “Look. I fed 5000 plus people with just a handful of food, just a couple of days ago. Then I fed 4000 more. And you saw me. You ate the leftovers. I walked on water out to where you were and saved your lives from the storm. I have done all this stuff and still you worry about lunch?

“The Pharisees and the Sadducees worry about lunch in the middle of blessing. You are infected by their thinking. They cannot see the good things for the things they want. You are thinking like they are, not like people of God.”

You know they were embarrassed. And they probably shut up for a while, feeling somewhat chagrined. They had missed the whole point of what Jesus was doing and only saw the surface, just like the religious leaders Jesus talked about. Those guys were so intent on their own agenda that they missed the beauty of God’s unfolding purpose. They stood in the midst of spiritual plenty and worried about lunch.

The apostles would do it again, much to their dismay. They would all run when Jesus was arrested. But one day it would dawn on them and they would realize. And then they would be the people God wanted and needed, strong and mighty in the kingdom.