Matthew 16:5-12 ESV
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? 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 teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
What are the two main thoughts here? The first one I see has
to do with us, as Christ’s followers, missing entirely what he is trying to say
to us, his people. We think maybe we understand, but our minds are in a
different direction than the Lord’s, for perhaps we are thinking more with our
flesh than we are discerning with the Spirit. And the second main thought has
to do with us watching out that we don’t get tricked by those who are spreading
evil disguised as truth. We need to be discerning of teaching which modifies
and dilutes the truth in order to spread the lies of the enemy.
Are You Missing the Point?
When Jesus said to the disciples to watch and beware the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples thought Jesus was talking
about actual physical bread, for leaven is sometimes used to make bread. They
thought that because they had forgotten to bring bread. So, Jesus chided them for
having little faith, because they were thinking more in the physical realm than
they were thinking in the spiritual realm. And then they understood that he was
warning them against the spreading influence of evil in the teachings of the
Pharisees and Sadducees.
But as I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that we
might sometimes do likewise, thinking that the Lord is trying to show us one
thing while he is talking about something else. Or we might read a passage of
Scripture and only see it superficially and not really get the true message
contained within and what it is really saying to us. And part of that could be
because we are focused on the physical realm and so we aren’t really sensitized
to the spiritual realm.
So, the point here is that we can read the Scriptures
sometimes and totally miss the point of what they are teaching because our
minds are someplace else at the time, or because we already have a fixed thought
in our minds with regard to what the passage is saying. Or it could be we are
busy with other things and so we aren’t really focusing our attention fully on
whatever it is the Lord wants to teach us. And so it is good if we pay close
attention to what we read, and if we pray for understanding so that we do not
miss the point of what the Scriptures are teaching us.
The Spreading Influence of Evil
Now the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees was that they
were spreading a teaching and an influence that was contrary to the teachings
of the Scriptures. For it was a false righteousness based on human traditions
and not on holiness and righteousness. It was based on doing works of the flesh
disguised as righteous deeds, and to be seen by others, but not to please God. And
it was based on externals and not on matters of the heart. And they were hypocrites
who did not practice what they taught.
They professed one thing but lived the opposite, and they
adhered to religious rituals, but not to God’s righteousness. They appeared
clean (righteous) on the outside, but inwardly they were full of evil. For they
were full of wicked deeds, and they were greedy, hypocritical, and
self-indulgent. And they were those who persecuted those who were truly
righteous in God’s sight (see Matthew 23). Well, at least this described the
scribes and the Pharisees, but Jesus often clumped the Pharisees and the Sadducees
together in his criticisms.
The point here is that they were not teaching faith in Jesus
Christ, and they were not teaching death to sin and living to God’s
righteousness. They were teaching legalism and self-righteousness and rules and
traditions of man, not of God. And they were way more concerned with how things
looked on the outside than they were concerned over what was stored up in their
hearts, and with whether or not their behaviors were righteous in God’s sight.
But now evil influences are not confined just to legalism.
Evil influences are in all false gospels of human origin where the gospel is
being modified and lightened to make it less offensive to the people of the
world and to be more pacifying to the flesh of man. So those who appear to shun
legalism will often become libertines who soften the gospel to make it less
severe, and who give the impression that a mere one-time in our lives
profession of faith in Jesus Christ is enough to secure us salvation from sin
and eternal life with God. And so they do not insist on death to sin and living
to God.
Still Missing the Point?
So, going back to the first thing about missing the point,
this is where many professing Christians are today who have only a superficial
idea of what salvation from sin really entails or what all is part of genuine
faith in Jesus Christ. They think that Jesus died on that cross merely so that
they could be forgiven of their sins so that they can go to heaven one day. But
they are missing the point of why Jesus died on that cross. And that was to
deliver us from our slavery to sin so we would now be servants of righteousness
and those who are now walking in holiness and in obedience to our Lord.
So, don’t be among those who are missing the point. Pay
close attention to Jesus’ words. For he said that if anyone would come after
him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self)
and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and
for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we die
with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, then we have eternal
life with God. And he said that not everyone saying, “Lord, Lord,” to him will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father
in heaven.
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs
are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus
Christ is gently calling
You
to follow Him in all ways.
Trust
Him with your life today.
Make
Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn
from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He
will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse
your heart, made new within.
Men
betraying: Our trust fraying.
On
our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking
God to give us answers
That
are only found in Him.
God
is sovereign over all things.
Nothing
from His mind escaping.
He
has all things under His command,
And
will work all for good.
Jesus
Christ is gently calling
You
to follow Him in all ways.
Men
deceiving: We’re believing
In
our Lord, and interceding
For
our nation and its people
To
obey their God today.
He
is our hope for our future.
For
our wounds He offers suture.
He
is all we need for this life.
Trust
Him with your life today.
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