And Just Like That We Forget
Isn’t it crazy how you can witness something, know it’s possible, be faced with the same thing again some time later, and forget it’s possible?
This is what happened with the disciples (and ME and YOU) in Matthew 16. We forget. This is a quick post because it’s just a reminder for us to remember who Jesus is, what he has done and what he will do. In Matthew 16, Jesus warns his disciples against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples wonder why Jesus is asking this and say this must be because we didn’t bring any bread. First of all, I love the disciples, because we are them and they are us. Yes- followers, but also just real. That would have been my first response too. It must be because we forgot the bread back home. But FOCUS.
Just prior to this, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees about how they are a generation who looks for signs, but they can’t interpret the times they are in. Jesus wants to warn his disciples about this so they can be on their guard. But the part that gets me is when they say it must be because we brought no bread. A lesson within the lesson. Jesus responds to this with “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 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?”
The disciples fed 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish in Matthew 14. Then again in Matthew 15, the disciples feed 4000 with 7 loaves of bread and a few pieces of fish. Jesus multiples what the disciples have. This time, just some time later they have nothing, and of course this is about the yeast of the Pharisees, but I think there’s something powerful here. Jesus knows that the disciples have forgotten about His power to multiply. They forgot that Jesus has the power to make something out of what can seem like little or nothing. He says did you forget? And that stood out to me, because far too often we forget the hand of Jesus. Far too often we forget about his power to multiply and provide. Shoot, far too often we forget Jesus himself.
It also stood out to me that he says “Ye of little faith”. I don’t think that it was that the disciple had little faith per se, but that their faith was still so small and did not increase from the first two times of experiencing God’s hand. After we encounter the hand of Jesus, our faith ought to increase. We have to faithful after God multiples. We have to be faithful after there’s water in the dry land.
I just wanted to remind someone today that it does not matter what you’re going through. God has the power to change it. It does not matter what it looks like. God has the power to change your view. It doesn’t matter what you have. God has the power to give you more. Remember the next time you’re faced with a difficult situation or feeling hopeless, God can. And WILL (proverbial pun intended). Also beware of the yeast, but that’s a different topic for a different day haha. Peace and love family.
And That’s the 211
