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Don’t you remember?
Matthew 16:1-12
Key Verse: 9
“Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?”
In the last week’s passage, Jesus fed the 4000 in the gentile territory and went to the vicinity of Magadan, the Jewish territory. In today’s passage, Jesus is again confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees who test him to undermine Jesus’ messianic work. Jesus exposes their deliberate rejection of God’s signs and their wicked attempt to destroy God’s work. They were a bad influence to others. Jesus helps his disciples to be on their guard against the bad influence of these religious leaders. We are living in this secular world where sinful and bad influences are extensive. How can we overcome these bad influences and live by faith? As we study this passage, may God teach us to live by faith giving a good influence to this generation.
Look at verse 1. “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.” To understand today’s passagebetter, we need to know who the Pharisees and Sadducees were. “Pharisees” literally means “separated ones”. The Pharisees were strict adherents to the Law, including the prophets and the oral traditions. In observing the traditions of elders, they were strict particularlyin keeping the laws of tithing and ritual purity meticulously.Sothey could not eat in the home of a non-Pharisee, since they could not be sure that the food had been properly tithed and kept ritually pure. They believed in the resurrection and the spiritual world. On the other hand, the Sadducees acknowledged only the five books of Moses, and denied the resurrection and the spiritual world. They were practical atheists in the religious gown. So they sought for wealth and political position more than serving God.These two groups were usually enemies of one another (Ac 26:6 ff.). But they came together against Jesus, their common enemy. Perhaps, to these two groups of people Jesus was far more dangerous and intimidating.
So they came to “test” Jesus. It was not a preaching license test, but a test to trap Jesus and to discredit his messianic work. They asked Jesus to show a sign from heaven. In other words, they wanted Jesus prove himself as the Messiah by showing them a sign from heaven. They didn’t ask this question to believe him, but to trap him, thinking that Jesus had no power to do it. The irony is that Jesus is the very sign from God. Though the sign from God stood right in front of them, they could not recognize him, and they treated him with contempt. How did Jesus respond?
Look at verses 2-3. “He replied, ‘When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.’”The Pharisees and Sadducees were not meteorologists, yet they were better at discerning weather than scripture. ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.’ Maybe they should have considered a career change. They knew how to interpret the appearance of the sky. But they could not interpret the signs of the times. Here the signs of the times are Jesus’ miraculous signs. Jesus had performed numerous signs. He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, drove out the demons, raised the dead, fed the crowds of people with only five loaves and two fish, and did many other miracles. These signs were clearly the signs of the Messiah according to the Scriptures. These religious leaders had observed Jesus’ miraculoussigns. They should have praised God for sending the Messiah and welcomed him. But instead, they hardened their hearts and suppressed the truth. Spiritually, they were dead. They had no eyes to see the signs of their times. They were just obsessed with their own interests and had no desire to know what God was doing.
So Jesus said in verse 4,“A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”They were wicked and adulterous. God would not bless them. They should first repent their obvious sin. But the problem of wicked and adulterous people is that they don’t repent their sins, but rather suppress the truth. They deny their sins. But when they face a problem, they seek miraculous signs. They are like students who wanted good marks on their report cards without study through God’s miraculous power. Then when a poor report card comes they say, “This cannot be my report card. It’s someone else’s.”
Jesus would not give these religious leaders a sign. Here a sign ispointing to the act of God. But signs, no matter how miraculous, do not transform the human heart from stone to flesh. Voltaire an atheist philosopher testified, “Even if a miracle should be performed in the open marketplace before a thousand sober witnesses, I would rather mistrust my sense than admit a miracle.”Instead of seeing signs, people whose hearts are hardened need the help of God’s spiritand their personal repentance.
Jesus promised to give one last sign—the sign of Jonah. The sign of Jonah is Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Mt 12:40). Jesus’ resurrection proved with power that he is the Son of God (Ro 1:4). This sign truly helps us to repent of our sins and put our hope in the kingdom of God and the resurrection life. Let us not ask God to show us a sign, but humbly repent of our sins. Then Jesus will raise us as a sign of God’s work for our generation. Brother Joel Fast has been studying the Bible sincerely and faithfully. His weekly reflection was so sincere and heart moving. He published his poem in which he confesses Jesus’ marvellous grace and his heart dedication to God and his work. I bought one book and as I read his poems, I was greatly moved by the grace of Jesus and his sincere repentance and communion with God who is raising Joel as a sign of Jesus for this generation. Jesus gives everyone the last sign, his death and resurrection. Let us renew our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection and maintain our living hope in his kingdom.
Now look at verse 5. Jesus left the place and went across the lake. The disciples forgot to take bread. Usually, the disciples never forget to pack and take bread even if they could forget everything else. But this time, probably to stay away from the hostile religious leaders quickly, they forgot to take bread. While they were thinking about the 7 basketfuls of leftover bread after feeding the 4000 that they forgot to bring, Jesus said to them, “Be careful. Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Jesus meant that the disciples should be on their guard against the bad influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees. But the disciples didn’t understand. So they discussed it and concluded that Jesus pointed out that they forgot to bring bread. Jesus was aware of their futile discussion and rebuked them in verse 8. “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?” Jesus called them, “You of little faith.” It is the fourth time in this gospel (6:30; 8:26; 14:31). It seems to be their nickname. Why is their discussion about having no bread their little faith? Isn’t it their forgetfulness or simple chore for grocery shopping? But Jesus saw their problem as little faith. Whether they had bread or no bread, they should live by faith in Jesus as spiritual leaders. Jesus wanted them to have healthy faith that would not waver in danger or difficulty. They should trust in Jesus no matter what happened. It is true that what really matters is the condition of our faith, not the problem we are facing.
Look at verses 9-10.“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?” Here Jesus reminded them of two specific events that revealed his power, love and provision: the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand. In order to have solid and strong faith, we must remember what God has done for us. Our faith is not built on theimaginary theology, but God’s solid works done in and around us. This part really convicts me. I fall into unbelief again and again because I forget what God has done through our prayers and efforts. God heard our earnest cry for this Bible house. And God provided us this house of God. God also heard our prayer for UTSC Bible house and out of blue, he sent God’s servants and provided the very suitable house. But I quickly forgot all these things. I must have faith in God who began his good work in us and will carry it on to completion. I repent of my little faith and put my trust in Jesus. We are so forgetful especially of what God has done for us. We easily forget numerous thingsthat Jesus has donefor us, but easily remember one mistake we made and become distressed. We must remember what Jesus has done. 2 Timothy 2:8 says, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel....”Let us remember Jesus Christ who died for us and rose again. May the Holy Spirit help each of us remember what he has done in our personal lives, our community, and our world.
Look at verses 11-12. “‘How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”Jesus explained to them that he was not talking to them about bread, but the bad influence of the religious leaders. Maybe the Pharisees and Sadducees didn’t know that they gave a bad influence. They thought that they were righteous and good. Or maybe they knew that they were bad. But they simply wanted to smear and destroy Jesus. The disciples must be on their guard against the religious leaders’ bad influence and give a good influence to the world as the salt and the light of the world. The term, “be on your guard against…” sounds like a military term for soldiers to ready to fight and defend against their enemies. St. Paul viewed Christians as good soldiers of Christ fighting against our enemy the devil. He urges Christians to put on the full armor of God to take their stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:11). One of our serious battles is to fight against the bad influence which nips away our faith and heart and makes us fall. We must be serious about what kind of influence we receive and what kind of influence we give. St. Paul warned early Christians to watch out those who give a bad influence in letters. For example, he said in Philippians 3:2,“Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.” What a strong language! One of the bad influences in the first century churches was the influence of those who by insisting that the physical circumcision was crucial for salvation.These people’s bad influence perverted the gospel and many people quickly deserted Jesus and God’s way of salvation and turned to a different gospel which was no gospel.
But there are many examples of good influence. Samuel in the Old Testament is one of them. He lived in the spiritually dark period. But he lived before God from his boyhood and woke the Israelites up spiritually. He visited different parts of the country for the spiritual and physical welfare of his people. Through his influence the Israelites could live a spiritual life and King David could love God and serve his people with God’s heart.
Pastor Son Yang-Won was known as a man with atom bomb of love in Korean Church history. He forgave the murderer of his two sons, adopted him as his son and raised him as a pastor. He lived in a leper’s colony serving people with leprosy in Christ’s love. He was martyred by the communists. He gave a powerful spiritual influence to Korean Christians, showing the true love of God.
Today we learned that the last sign Jesus gave us is his death and resurrection. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is the sign from heaven. We must remember what Jesus has done for us. And let us be on our guard against the bad influence of Jesus’ enemies. May God grow us as men and women of good influence. Through our influence may God restore Canada as a godly nation.