Latest / The Daily Word / April 29 – Do You Not Yet Perceive?
Transcript
- Cory Barnes: Well hello, it's Pastor Jenny here and it is April 29th, which means we are reading today in Matthew chapter 16. So, I'm going to share with you beginning in verse 5, talking about the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. So, it says this, 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, ⁓ you of little faith, why are you discussing amongst 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. I love this passage because anytime we can have these opportunities to up close and personal capture when Jesus was working with his disciples, it's just some of my favorite moments. I love to teach and work with people in any capacity. I also love to be taught. And so these moments to read them in scripture are really special to me when I see Jesus doing it. Because I can often put myself both in the shoes of the disciples and also can find myself in Jesus' shoes. ⁓ Just because of the many roles I find myself in as a homeschool mom, as a pastor, teacher, leader throughout the years, I feel like I've found myself in many conversations. But in this case, I'm gonna put myself ⁓ in the shoes of the disciples. Because I think we can all often find ourselves in this place where something happens in our real life and Jesus will use that to speak to us. But he'll talk to us and maybe even use a phrase from something we have encountered in the real and the practical to give us a window into something that's going on in the spiritual. And it's important that we have eyes to see. And so what do I mean by all of this? So again, had been, they had literally recently, even Jesus had fed the 4,000, but again, you know, Jesus had also fed the 5,000. So they had watched those miracles take place. Jesus had been teaching and the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they had been, you know, they're watching, they're very skeptical of Jesus. and what's going on. And so they have this moment where they're now kind of getting a little bit of a break from the people and Jesus is getting a little bit of a rest or respite from his ministry. They're crossing to the other, to another side of the lake. ⁓ And so they're in the boat and they're realizing they had forgotten food. So they're looking at, we have a real need. We have a real issue here. Anybody that's hungry can say, yes, this is a problem. But Jesus is watching and he uses it as an opportunity to teach. Any teacher is always looking for an opportunity to coach and to teach. And so that's when he says, watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And so that's when they immediately fall to looking at, see, Jesus has caught us. He knows we weren't prepared. He knows we messed up. He knows we... you know, fell short again, just how we didn't have enough food to feed them when he was teaching them. He's realized we've done it again. ⁓ So they're feeling inadequate potentially. And, you know, they're bickering, they're quarreling, as many of us, I'm sure, have done working on a team or being around others. But Jesus says this in verse eight. He says, you of little faith. Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? He's saying, why are you looking at things in the natural? And he says this in verse nine, do you not yet perceive? Wait a second. That's where we want to pick up on really. Like if there was a flashing neon sign in this passage, it would be that set right there. Do you not yet perceive? And that's when he goes on to remind them. Do you not remember the five loaves for the 5,000? Like remember, I can do a lot with a little. I don't need, like the physical is not what I need. And so he reminds them first of the miraculous. He reminds them of who he is essentially. Jesus says, let me remind you of who I am. And then verse 11, he says, how is it that you fail to understand that I'm not talking about bread? So that was really the test. So the test wasn't about, were you physically prepared here? The test is, where are you fixing your eyes? What are you looking at? I need to know, are you looking at the right things? Because remember, we know our fight is not against flesh and blood. And then he says it again. He says what he had originally said, because in verse five, remember, or verse six, he said, watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And so he kind of gives them this little pep talk. reminds them of who he is and what they've experienced with him. And he says it again in verse 11, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And suddenly I'm adding that word, the scripture doesn't say this, but verse 12 says, then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of their teaching. Then their eyes were opened. Sometimes we do need a little bit of explanation. We do need the Lord Jesus. We need through the help of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to help us to perceive that which we cannot see on our own. so with that, you know, Jesus in this case was with them. And so he helped them and he's probing them and he's asking them to help them to see. this isn't about what's going on in the natural. I need you to see through and understand there's more to what I'm asking you. So all that to say, I love this passage because for me, it reminds me that the Holy Spirit is often talking to me and using situations and things that I've been through and I'm going through. He's going to say things to me and I need to be ⁓ quick to listen, slow to speak, but quick to listen. and be aware of when I feel like I have words or phrases ⁓ that maybe the Lord, the Holy Spirit is highlighting to me or drawing my attention to, to pay attention to those and to not just assume I know what those means. I forgot to do this. That maybe it's something in the natural, but no, there's something else here that God's trying to show and reveal to me because he does that. all the time. He's often going to use that which we're familiar with to help uncover or unveil to us, to reveal to us that which is going on behind the scenes. for me that's super exciting. I think it's really cool that God does that, that he walks in intimacy with us. So I don't look at this passage and think, wow, the disciples, what bunch of screw-ups they are. They not only didn't have enough bread to feed Jesus, but they really missed and failed that test miserably. Not at all. I think, wow, this is something I'm constantly doing all the time on a daily basis. I'm watchful for to know that I'm not trying to look into my own self for my own self-sufficiency, but I'm knowing as I'm trying to figure out, okay, Lord, you are my daily bread. You're providing for everything I need, but... As I'm living my day-to-day life and trying to do all the things that you've called me to and called our family to, I'm recognizing that, yeah, even when maybe things are hectic or chaotic and I hear you speaking, it's not always about the problem or the challenge I see right in front of me in the physical. Oftentimes you're speaking to me about something deeper. So with that said, let me pray for us. ⁓ for the Lord to continue to reveal to us in our current situations and in those things to come ⁓ His truth and what's going on so that we can Heed any words of warning that he may have or any words of encouragement so that we can keep fighting the good fight of faith Well Lord we again come before you and thank you for your word. We're so grateful that you have given us this spoken word, this written word that speaks to us, that it ⁓ is alive and breathing, it breathes life into us. And so God, as you are speaking to us, Lord, both through your written word, but also through your revealed word to us, Holy Spirit, as we're going about our day-to-day life, I thank you, Holy Spirit. ⁓ You know, I pray it often that you will do as you promised and lead and guide us into all truth. And so Lord, would you help us to have eyes to see ⁓ what it is that you are speaking and revealing, trying to reveal to us, help us to not get caught up in the natural, but to keep our eyes on that, which is eternal. So we love you, Lord. We commit this day to you. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.