WHO FORGOT LUNCH? - Matthew 16:5-12
WHO FORGOT LUNCH? - Matthew 16:5-12
What Does it Say? 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
What Does it Mean? Get the picture of what was happening in your mind. The disciples are serving as Jesus' support staff. Great things are happening, people are being healed, and the demon-possessed are freed. The disciples have a front row seat. They had just seen Jesus feed thousands with only a few loaves of bread and a few fish on two occasions. They left the crowd and crossed the lake and somebody probably said 'let's eat.' They look around and realise nobody brought lunch. My husband, Darrell, and I like to pack a lunch and go on long hikes in the summer. After hiking for a couple of hours, we are hungry. If packing lunch is a detail that got missed, our first response would probably be to make excuses about why it wasn't our fault and we’d have to work through some relationship issues. Failing that, it would be a long walk home in silence. The passage doesn't say how long since the disciples had eaten, but they were probably hungry and knew Tim Hortons wasn't around the corner. They were caught off guard. Instead of telling Jesus what happened and asking Him to provide lunch, they argued. When we think we are innocent and someone else is to blame for our problems, we don't see the need to say we are sorry and don't make any changes. We hurt each other and bitterness forms that will affect all our relationships. Jesus saw what was happening and warned the disciples to stop right now. He was not concerned that they would miss lunch, he was warning them not to be self righteous like the Pharisees and Saducees. While on the surface the disciples were doing great, in their hearts they were vulnerable to the same issues of denying responsibility that we face. What circumstance in your life are you blaming someone else for? What part are you playing? If you don't know, ask God to show you how you are contributing to the problem and ask Him to help you change what you are doing.