It's Not About the Bread

 “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?”                                                  Matthew 16:8-11a (NIV)

Sometimes, when I read about Jesus’ interactions with His disciples, the ones he was planning to leave in charge of the mission, I wish I could see his face and hear his voice, when they act like the humans that they are.

Time to back up and get the full picture of what leads to these questions. Jesus and the guys had been busy – healing people, teaching, feeding the multitude and then the religious leaders turned up to test Jesus by asking him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. Jesus says nope and He and the guys leave. They cross the lake and the guys realize they hadn’t brought any bread with them. While they are looking at each other, I can imagine them being like – I thought you were getting the bread, no I thought you were getting it. When Jesus declares” “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” It would seem the guys heard Jesus but didn’t actually listen to Him, cause they start arguing about not having bread.

Here’s where this week’s questions come in and where I imagine the look on Jesus’ face. You know the kind of look that might be accompanied with something like: “Dudes why are you fighting about bread? Weren’t you listening to what I said? We have fed the multitudes with very little and had left overs, so I am not worried about lunch or dinner, plus I specifically said Pharisees and Sadducees. Then Jesus repeats His warning about the yeast of the religious leaders. The disciples have a light bulb moment and are like “Oh, He’s talking about the deceptive teaching of those guys – duh!”

Now I feel a little need to cut the guys some slack. Sure they had witnessed and participated in some miraculous things, but they were living this out live, up close and in person. The Book hadn’t been written yet they couldn’t step back and see the whole picture and well they were human. We have the book and can see the broader picture but we still don’t always listen to what Jesus is saying – because we are just human too.

Jesus says, don’t worry but we do. Don’t fear but we do. Beware of the yeast of the leaders – but we have a tendency to believe what we see in our social media feeds instead of His truth.
There are people in the world who do rightfully worry about what’s for lunch – but most of us have our daily bread. We need to guard our hearts and minds by filling both with the truth that calms our fears and brings us rest and peace in the midst of the storms of life.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Beware of deceptive teaching and fill your mind with Jesus.

A Brood of Vipers?

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?”
Matthew 12:34 (NIV)

So much to unpack around this question. First, in case you didn’t know vipers are snakes. Venomous snakes. Snakes generally speaking on solitary creatures, that said newly hatched baby snakes are sometimes called a brood. Second, in Jewish symbolism, vipers/snakes are symbolic of Satan. So, basically, Jesus was calling the group of men he was addressing a bunch of baby snakes or more accurately – children of Satan.

Okay, but who was Jesus talking to and why this very significant insult? Good question. This question comes in the middle of a discussion of kingdoms divided against themselves and a discussion about good fruit versus bad fruit.

Here’s the Reader’s Digest version. A demon possessed man is brought to Jesus – Jesus chases the demon out and the man is healed. The ordinary people who witnessed this praise God and wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. The Pharisees in the group are not happy. They are thinking, oh that wasn’t God’s work, this guy Jesus drove that demon out by the power of the devil. Jesus knows their thoughts and responds by saying that any kingdom divided against itself will fall. In other words, Satan can’t cast out his own minions without endangering his own kingdom. Jesus gives some more descriptions about what that looks like and mentions blaspheming the Holy Spirit and then turns the discussion to fruit trees. That’s where our question of the week comes in.

Jesus’ frustration with the religious leaders result in this insult and the question about does any good come out of their mouths? Jesus continues with good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. Explaining that when it comes to people good things come from good hearts and evil things come from evil hearts.

So what does it mean for us? We need to remember that our hearts are meant to be filled with the good promises of God. We need to remember that we are called to unity – not division, to love, compassion, wisdom, mercy and grace. These are the kind of things that build up instead of tearing down.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – cultivate a Kingdom heart as you follow Jesus.

What Are You Looking For?

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see” A man dressed in fine clothes?... Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?”
Matthew 11:7-9a (NIV)

Sometimes I think Jesus must have had a great sense of humor. The above passage comes off as a series of rapid fire questions, where I can imagine Him holding up a finger as an indication no one should say anything in response.

Perhaps we should back up a bit and come in at the beginning of this episode in the ministry of Jesus. John’s disciples had turned up with another question for Jesus. This time they wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah or should they be watching for someone else? This seems an odd question to me because it seems like John and the Holy Spirit clearly identified Jesus when Jesus got baptized – but I digress. Jesus could have said, “Yes, yes I AM He.” But He didn’t instead he told them to go back to John and tell him all that they had witnessed – see Matthew 11:1-6 for everything Jesus said. As John’s crew is leaving, Jesus starts asking the crowd around Him these questions and not giving anyone a chance to answer.

Three, what did you go to see questions. The first one answered with another question – “A reed swayed by the wind?” Not a reed, what then? The second also answered with a question – “A man dressed in fine clothes?” Of course not, well-dressed people are found in palaces and fancy houses, so what then? A prophet, were you looking for a prophet? Then Jesus is like a “Yes” that’s it and “I tell you more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it was written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way for you.” Jesus says a lot more about John – but we’ll leave that for some other time.

So now I have some questions for you. What are you looking for… in your wilderness, on the mountain top, when you go to church, when you read the Bible, when you pray?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Seek HIM and you will find all you need.

Faith to See

“When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’”
Matthew 9:28a (NIV)

John Newton spent much of his life at sea. He became involved in the slave trade business and would eventually be the captain of a slave ship. At the time he wouldn’t have been considered a religious man. On a trip back to England his ship, his crew and his own life were at risk when a storm threatened to take them all. John cried out to God. He basically said something like – God if you are there and you spare my life I will serve you for the rest of mine. They made it to shore and John made good on his promise. It would take some time but he would eventually be accepted as a minister with the Church of England. John’s eyes would be opened to the horrors of what he had been involved in and would become a crucial voice in abolishing slavery in England. He would also pen perhaps the most known and loved hymn worldwide – Amazing Grace. When I read this week’s question, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was a line from this beloved hymn – “I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see.”

Jesus had been busy. A synagogue leader had come to Jesus saying his daughter had just died but that he knew if Jesus just touched her, she would be restored. On the way to the man’s house with a crowd of people around Him a woman believing that if she could just touch the hem of his robe she would be healed. She did, she was and Jesus commended her for her faith. The synagogue leader got his daughter back. Jesus was on the way back to the place he was staying when two blind men started following Him shouting, Son of David have mercy on us!” They followed Him right into the house – so He asked them the question that forms this week’s devotion – Do you believe I am able to do this?” Both men answered “Yes Lord, we do.” Because of their faith when Jesus touched them they could see.

John Newton talked of being healed of spiritual blindness. These two men needed, wanted and believed that Jesus could heal their physical blindness. Jesus does both, especially for those who have the faith to respond to the question “Do you believe I am able to do this?” Yes, Lord I do.

We live in a very troubled world right now. Made worse by the onslaught of information – some factual and some fake. But, Jesus’ question remains, “Do you believe, I am able to…? You fill in the blank. What do you need Jesus to do – physical healing, spiritual healing? Do you need courage or wisdom? Do you need some kind of proof that God is real? Do you, like John Newton need to make a deal with God in the midst of a storm?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Do you believe that Jesus is able to…?

A Time For All Things, Especially Change

“Jesus replied, ‘Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?’”
Matthew 9:15a (NLT)

Quite often Jesus answers a question with a question and that is what happens here.

Here’s what happens. The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do? Seems straight forward enough, they didn’t come trying to trap Jesus, they just wanted to know why Jesus’ disciples acted differently than they did. It might be safe to say that there were also Pharisees in the proximity of this discussion, who might be looking for a way to trap Jesus.

Jesus answers John’s disciples’ question with a question of His own – the one used for this week’s devotion and then Jesus actually answers His own question. Jesus says in response to his question about celebrating at a wedding by saying basically, “No way bros, as long as the wedding party is going, we are going to celebrate and feast.” But, He makes it clear that someday the groom will be gone – He will be gone, and then His disciples will fast.

What to know about John’s disciples and Jesus’ response to them. John was not with them, at the very least he was already in prison – put there by Herod for telling him to behave himself, and quite possibly John had already lost his head – so they were without their leader and they were indeed mourning. Jesus understood this so His answer is one of knowing and compassion.

If Jesus had just said that, John’s disciples may have gone away satisfied, or maybe they would have stayed and become followers of Jesus. But Jesus has a few more things to say that at first don’t seem to be connected to the question.

Jesus basically says, “Wait there’s more. It’s not smart to put a new patch on an old pair of jeans or to pour new wine into and old wineskin – both things will end up ruined.” Jesus is talking about the differences of the old covenant and the coming new one. The differences of the old rituals and traditions and the new ways of the Kingdom. He is talking about how making all things new requires us to live and do things differently.

Jesus talked about the Kingdom being near. As followers of Christ we long for the full arrival of the Kingdom when all things will be made new. In the meantime, what do we need to change to be more aligned with Him and the Kingdom?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Jesus continues to do new things, be part of what He’s doing.