MATTHEW 16:1-12 (2)

MISSING GOD’S PRESENCE

Much of Israel’s history had been one of feeling God’s absence rather than His presence. After the remarkable events recorded in Exodus 19 and following where God’s people experienced His presence on the mountain, they spent 40 years traversing a wilderness - not quite the land of milk and honey promised them as they departed from Egypt.

Then came David and Solomon. These two giants of kings and spiritual leaders consolidated power and built the temple as a permanent symbol of God’s presence.

After Solomon’s death God’s people tore themselves into two distinct peoples. After these two nations fell to foreign powers, the people of God once again found themselves feeling abandoned by God, left to live in a land where no one spoke the language, where no one worshiped the God of their fathers.

Centuries after the Jews returned home - always under the control of an outside power - Jesus comes. His message: The Kingdom of God is here! People’s lives are transformed. Blind people see, deaf people hear, the lame walk, the leper is healed and restored to family and community. Demon possessed people are released from oppression.

Indeed, the Kingdom of God is near.

LOOKING FOR A SIGN

This is not the first time Jesus has been challenged to demonstrate His ‘authority:’ Matthew 12:38

Matthew 12:38 HCSB

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

Jesus’ response is the same at this point as it was earlier: Matthew 16:4

Matthew 16:4 HCSB

An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

That the Pharisees and Sadducees together asked Jesus for a sign provides a hint as to the motive. Both groups, though differing over resurrection of the dead, shared a common passion:

keeping alive the unique identity of the Jewish people as God’s chosen ones.

In asking Jesus for a ‘sign from heaven’ as opposed to just a sign (as in Mt 12:38), is reminder that in the quest to stay distinct and unique these religious leaders were always seeking for ways to explain God’s presence. Around Mt Sinai there were signs of God’s presence: clouds, smoke, fire, thunder, the blasting of a horn and so on.

If Jesus is all He claims to be where is the noise? where is the thunder? where is the shaking of the earth?

Jesus’ reply

Matthew 16:2–4 HCSB

He answered them: “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

tells us that what needs to be seen is already visible - but the signs for which those religious leaders seek are visible only to those who have the eyes of faith.

The Sign Promised (again)

Just as in the previous exchange (Mt 12), Jesus offers a sign -

Matthew 16:4 HCSB

An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

Just as Jonah, swallowed up by his apparent death was given new life, new opportunity, so Jesus will be swallowed by death, and raised to new life.

Earlier John’s disciples had come to Jesus with a similar request:

Matthew 11:2–3 HCSB

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus’ answer then:

Matthew 11:4–6 HCSB

Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”

Signs are present. But not everyone is capable of seeing what God is making evident.

Who was supposed to bring the bread?

After travelling from the challenges of the religious leaders, Jesus seeks to make a clear point -

Matthew 16:6 HCSB

Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

This causes a murmur of concern among the disciples - Matthew 16:7

Matthew 16:7 HCSB

And they discussed among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”

You of Little Faith!

Jesus’ overheard their conversation and must have shocked them “You of little faith!” Wait a minute. The issue was bread, food, a missed assignment. This isn’t about faith, it’s about blame!

The issue is not bread. Jesus reminds the disciples that twice in recent memory hungry crowds have been abundantly provided for by Jesus using just a few resources. If He can feed thousands, feeding a few is certainly possible.

What is at stake, from Jesus’ point of view, is how quickly faith can be diluted to the point of insignificance.

Matthew 16:9–11 HCSB

Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected? Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you collected? Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”

One author reminds us,

“The imagery of leaven is of something proportionately small and therefore able to be thought of as apparently of minor significance—so much so that in the early stages its presence in the dough is invisible—which nonetheless over time totally transforms the situation in a manner that will only gradually become evident.”

Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 652). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were people of faith. They believed. They could cite sources, they could cite writers from previous generations to back their claims.

But what did they believe?

First, it is clear that they believed that their efforts at living pure, that their efforts at encouraging all Jews to live lives of holiness and purity would be the clear signal of God’s presence to the world in which they lived.

In their efforts to proclaim and practice holiness their view of God changed.

Instead of seeking to live a life pleasing to God, a life honoring God’s presence and promise their lives were defined not by God’s presence but by the multitude of practices and activities they were against.

Remember: Matthew 15:1 - 2

Matthew 15:1–2 HCSB

Then Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!”

While hand washing can be important, what is the real issue? Is it how one washes the hands - according to the tradition of the elders?

The leaven Jesus warned His disciples of is still potent today.

Whenever God’s people begin to identify specific cultural practices as absolutely necessary to define the presence of God, leaven has crept in.

The Jewish emphasis on separation has its roots in God’s call to be His people:

Exodus 19:4-6 “‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.””

The leaven that crept in says, yes - as the separated people of God we must isolate ourselves from the world by evident practices such as handwashing, clothing preferences, and other habits that seem appropriate to those who have the power to set those boundaries.

So far in Matthew’s gospel Jesus has accused His disciples 4 times of being those of little faith. Jesus has identified several people as having great faith -

a Roman centurion;

a few friends who tore the roof of a home to present their lame friend to Jesus;

some blind men who cried out - in spite of the crowd for healing;

a woman whose bleeding problem had likely cost her all her resources;

and a Canaanite woman who persistently annoyed the disciples.

The disciples, however, are consistently labeled as those with ‘little faith.’

The leaven had already infiltrated their faith. Unlike the examples cited - men and woman whose faith persistently pursued what only God could do - the disciples were regularly focused on their own inadequacies and fears.

MISSING THE OBVIOUS

Jesus has been openly teaching, preaching, healing, feeding crowds, and directly confronting the enemy.

The Pharisees and Sadducees demand evidence that Jesus is who He says He is.

The disciples bicker about who forgot to bring the bread.

Which of those do we resemble?

We attend to the daily and weekly disciplines that we believe describe what it means to be a ‘follower of Jesus.’

When we sense the absence of God we can be just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We can cry out, ‘Lord, just show us a sign.’

When physical needs are unmet we seek to cast blame - it was John’s turn, it was James’ assignment, wasn’t Matthew on the list for this trip?

“Don’t you understand yet?”

How do we get from the bickering, from the longing to have some evidence we can wow others with to the place where we simply believe?

Saving faith is more than looking for remarkable and miraculous events.

Saving faith - the faith Jesus has commended so far in Matthew - is born of

desperation - acknowledging that apart from divine intervention living is impossible;

dependence - acknowledging that one’s own resources are depleted, that one’s own abilities are of no use in finding solutions;

declaring - acknowledging that what is needed can only be granted by God.

The disciples knew, the Pharisees and Sadducees knew - but neither group was yet fully willing to admit their inadequacy and their commitment.

In the same way today people are clamoring for signs. Show us a miracle! Show us some great act of mercy!

Some are trying to attach blame - if only person X had followed through, if only so and so had done as requested.

What Jesus is seeking:

Those who will affirm their desperation and their dependence - the sin and guilt that plague us is no longer tolerable.

Jesus will offers Himself - He is sufficient.

To nurture the faith Jesus commends -

be desperate - Only He can be what we need

be dependent - even when all looks hopeless, He is enough

declare that your life is now hid with His, that you are now ‘in Him’ - and demonstrate that by following in believers baptism, becoming part of a church family, and staying connected to Him with the daily and weekly support of all who are following Jesus....