retold in team DR and team Truth girl’s thoughts…
Once upon a time Jesus’ disciples decided to go across the lake to where the Pharisees lived. The Pharisees are people who know the law, but do everything to bring themselves the glory instead of bringing God the glory. Jesus had warned them of the Pharisees “yeast”. The disciples took it as literally to beware of the bread on the other side of the lake. but they forgot to bring their own bread. so they freak out.
Jesus says: “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 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? 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 Sadducces…”
In other words, I like to think of it this way: Jesus is basically saying “Come on people, do you still really not understand? Do you still really not have faith in me? when time and time again I have shown you my provision and my ability to take care of you. How is it you still don’t trust me?”
the disciples soon realized that Jesus was not talking about the yeast from the bread of the Pharisees, but what the Pharisees were teaching. to beware of their false life.
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I like this story because it is simple. a simple concept, but yet just like the disciples we forget to trust in God. He comes through for us time and time again and yet our human instinct is to fall back to our own ways. God literally saved my life 6 months ago in a car accident… is this my first thought when i wake up every morning? to thank Him for rescuing me from death? honestly, no. is it a common thought though? yes.
when i read about the disciples a lot of times I think how can they be so stubborn? How come they forget what Jesus just did for them in feeding the 5 thousand or Him just telling them over and over again about His death? or even in the Old Testament with the Israelites. It took them 40 years of disobeying God before He led them to the promise land and did they ever fully obey Him? no. Did the disciples ever truly believe that Jesus actually rose 3 days later?
In John 20:24-31, after Jesus died, Thomas, one of His disciples says: “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.”
In our words it would be like saying “Yeah right Jesus rose again. I’ll believe it when I can touch His unclean decaying body!” sounds to me like sarcasm.
Here is a modern day example: When Kimbo told me about Osama Bin Laden’s death, my first reaction was “No way, that isn’t true!” why? because it is something we have lived with for almost 10 years. something our generation has grown up with never believing it would actually happen. realistically, we thought of Osama being stopped as a very small possibility.
it was the same with the disciples. The idea of Jesus being their actual savior when He had been their close friend and mentor was hard for them to accept. isn’t it the same with us too? we find it hard to accept the fact that God wants the best for us. Its really hard to fully 100% trust in the Lord. its hard to find contentment in where He has us in the here and now. i’m struggling with this now. lifes not easy, lifes not fair. but our joy is the Lord’s strength. not what kind of dice has been rolled for our life.
and isn’t that the point? If it were easy, if there was no unknowns, if we got everything we wanted, if there was no hardship… then following Jesus would be easy. there would be no such thing as faith. Jesus’ death wouldn’t have such a strong meaning to us. we would be belittling God’s ability to take care, love and provide for us.
I was reading the book Radical the other day and it kicked me butt, it said: “In direct contradiction to the American dream, God actually DELIGHTS in exalting our INABILITY… this is how God works. He puts his people in positions where they are DESPERATE for His power, and then shows His provision in ways that display His greatness.”
man. thats where I’m at. I’m desperate for His strength. His trust. His peace. His strength. His forgiveness. for a thankful heart no matter what. I long for all this in Him alone.
how do we do this? How do i do this?
i live day by day. trusting in the Lord moment by moment. He desires us. He delights in us. just as we are. He will heal us. He will bind up our wounds. He will revive us. He will restore us… Let us acknowledge the Lord, let us press on to acknowledge him. as surely as the sun rises, He WILL appear. Hosea 6.
[I guess Jesus’ disciples and our generation are more alike than we are different]
