I read a story in the bible that shows me how similar I am to Jesus' original disciples.
The disciples were talking among themselves, about the fact that they had forgotten to bring bread for the journey. Jesus interrupted their whispering to say "Beware the yeast of the Pharisees." Stunned, they looked at each other and said something like, "Oh no, it's because we forgot to bring the bread!"
Jesus must have shaken his head and wondered if he had chosen the right men for the job. How could they miss the point? It hadn't been that long since he had fed over five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and then he fed over four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fish. Did his disciples not see that he held the power of creation in his hands? Was their attention so focused on their physical frailties that they still worried about what they were going to eat? When Jesus spoke of the yeast, he had been speaking of the false teachings of the Pharisees.
How could those disciples be so slow to learn, I wonder? They had been with Jesus. They had seen the miracles and had been privileged to hear deep spiritual truths. The Son of God was teaching them personally, but left to their own devices, they reverted to worrying about what they would eat for dinner.
So, I guess I am a lot like those men. I have the presence of the Holy Spirit. I have the bible - the whole story. I know that Jesus died on the cross for my sin, was buried for three days, was resurrected, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. I know that he prays for me. I know the promises. I know that he will never leave me and that he will provide everything. Yet, left on my own, my thoughts wander to where my heart really is - my physical needs.
- Jesus promised that God the Father will take care of my physical needs, according to his divine wisdom.
- He says that when I put the Kingdom of God first, he will take care of everything else.
- When I put the full force of my faith in him, Jesus promises to give me a life that is abundant - better than anything I can imagine.
- I am grateful that Jesus also promises that, when I forget my faith and start trying to do things on my own, I can come to him and he will forgive me. He will help me with my unbelief. He will never leave me.
For your reading:
Matthew 16:1-12, Romans 6:17, Luke 12:24, 28, Luke 12.31, Deuteronomy 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5, Mark 9:24
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