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A Serious Warning

Text: Matthew 16 : 1 - 12

Jesus knew that His enemies were plotting to kill Him (Cf. Matthew 12:14). However, His disciples did not seem to be very aware of how desperately wicked their common enemies were! He had already given warning concerning enemies who would mercilessly assail them, given the opportunity. Their enemies may be compared to wolves (Matthew 10:16). They were warned that their enemies would persecute them (Matthew 10:17-18). Did the disciples understand all that Jesus taught then? Apparently not! Jesus had to take His disciples aside to give them clear and specific teaching concerning the danger that the Sadducees and Pharisees posed.

“Now when His disciples had come to the other side,
they had forgotten to take bread.
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.'”
MATTHEW 16:5-6

THE DISCIPLES’ LACK OF COMPREHENSION

The disciples were dumbfounded for a moment. What did Jesus mean? Was He rebuking them for having forgotten to bring bread with them? If so, why did He mention the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Why did He use the word “leaven”?

“And they reasoned among themselves, saying,
‘It is because we have taken no bread.’
But Jesus being aware of it, said to them,
‘O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves
because you have brought no bread?
Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves
of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?
Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many
large baskets you took up?
How is it you do not understand that I did not
speak to you concerning bread? –
but to 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 doctrine
of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
MATTHEW 16:7-12

The disciples clearly lacked the comprehension that Jesus desired of them! They were still unable to rise to the level of discernment that Jesus expected from them! It appears that all of the disciples had the same problem. All of them tried to reason among themselves as to what Jesus meant, but no one could come up with the right answer!

IMPORTANT INSIGHTS CONCERNING THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

Jesus had been teaching His disciples for quite a while now, yet they seemed to lack the ability to have a deeper level of comprehension where spiritual matters were concerned! This text gives us some important insights as to why this problem existed!.

1. “Do you not understand…?

Jesus highlighted a problem that may be found in this interrogative statement that He made. It is possible that the disciples had failed to grasp the meaning of the miracles of feeding of the thousands!

If only the disciples had thought things through more carefully, they would have comprehended things better. If Jesus could feed, on two occasions, thousands of people, why would they have to worry about this small matter of forgetting to bring bread along with them? Evidently, their plane of thought was still very much on the earthly plane.

2. “Or remember…”

Perhaps some of the disciples did understand, but they did not remember the significance of the majesty of those two special miracles! To understand is important, but failure to apply knowledge would avail nothing! The disciples had not appreciated the ramifications of the miracles they had witnessed with their own eyes! They were involved in the distribution of the food, and thus they must have seen the food multiply before their eyes. They were also involved in collecting the fragments, and there were baskets left over! The disciples had not taken time to apply the significance of these miracles to life and ministry. These miracles stood alone somehow. The meaning of the miracles had not impacted them deeply, if at all!

3. “O you of little faith…”

Reasoning is not to be frowned upon! However, reasoning without bringing in the factor of faith leads to a blind alley! Reasoning and faith must go together! Once again, Jesus had to address this problem of “little faith” with His disciples. On two occasions previously, Jesus had to rebuke them for their lack of faith. On those two occasions, the faith of the disciples was not strong enough to be relied upon.

The problem lay in the fact that the disciples had not progressed or grown in faith as they should have! Perhaps their faith had stagnated. Or perhaps, their faith had not developed as it should have. Either way, when faith remains “little” there would not even be discernment! How the disciples must apply themselves even more vigorously to the matter of developing their faith!

4. Back to Basics – Simple explanations!

Jesus had to finally tell His disciples in the plainest of language that He was making a reference to the evil influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees! Like leaven, they seek to permeate everything they touched. Like leaven, their work was subtle and invisible. The disciples must beware of their deadly influence. Only when Jesus had spoken in such plain language did the disciples understand what He meant! They would have to plan and work at developing their faith much, much more! How is your faith developing?