Day 293 (Matthew 16, Mark 8) - Year 8

Tara-Leigh Cobble (0:01)

Hey, Bible Readers, I'm Tara-Leigh Cobble, and I'm your host for The Bible Recap.

Today's episode may not be suited for young years, so use your own discretion as you listen.

After rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees, two groups of leaders in the religious community, Jesus turns the experience into a teaching tool for his disciples. As he often does, Jesus uses the things around them as metaphors, but sometimes, like today, it can be confusing for the disciples because they think he's talking about the physical thing, not the spiritual thing. Jesus compares the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees to leaven. For those of us who don't spend much time in the kitchen or on the cooking channel, here's a quick leaven lesson. It makes bread rise, and a tiny amount leavens the whole loaf. The Jews have a long-standing tie to unleavened bread, and they even have a feast that features it, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as Passover. Back to the illustration. Jesus says the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is like leaven. In other words, just getting a little bit of their teaching mixed in with what you believe will impact the way everything pans out. These two groups have some major differences with each other, and we'll link to a short article about those differences in the show notes today. But the thing they have in common is that their teachings are primarily focused on morality. You can probably see how this could have the veneer of religion, but without the heart behind it. And you can probably also see how that would impact every area of your life, like Jesus points out. The minute morality becomes the goal, we start to fix our eyes on our actions instead of on the saving action of Christ. When we focus too much on being good people, whatever that means, it can actually begin to negatively impact the way we view others and treat others. We can become self-righteous, looking down on others who haven't gotten their act together like we have. When we're primarily concerned with looking like good, upstanding citizens, then it's offensive to be confronted with the truth that we're actually sinners in need of a savior. You can see how morality can easily hijack the gospel while wearing the same Sunday suit. So Jesus warns his disciples to watch out for that teaching and that mentality because it will impact everything. It will leaven the whole loaf of your faith. Jesus points to the two food multiplications to remind his disciples that what he offers, the gospel, is always enough. There were 12 baskets left over after multiplication number one with the Jews, one for each of the disciples, and there were seven baskets left over after multiplication number two with the Gentiles, representing perfection and completion.

Jesus wants his disciples to understand that he is sufficient for each of them individually and for all the people of the world. But they miss the symbolism he's pointing to until he explains it.

I find it interesting that Jesus fills his disciples in on the truth, but he doesn't fill the Pharisees and the Sadducees in on it here. Remember how he warned his disciples in Matthew 7, Do not throw your pearls before pigs lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you? He demonstrates that here. Going to battle against a hardened heart is a waste of your time and energy. Not even a good and true argument can change someone's mind. Only God can soften hearts and open eyes to see the truth. Then in Mark 8, Jesus heals a blind man by using his own spit. We know he can heal immediately and without even touching a person, so why is he using spit? Probably because spit is considered disgusting in Jewish culture and most cultures. So for Jesus to be able to heal using something people consider to be contaminating only goes to show his power all the more. If I could make the best meal you've ever eaten out of the trash in your garbage can, you'd know I'm a great chef. Jesus can use even the things the world looks down on as a means of blessing. It's also interesting that this man's healing is a two-step process for Jesus. It's his only healing recorded in scripture that isn't immediate. Why did Jesus need a round two? It's not like he has a low battery or a weak signal. What's the deal? Lots of scholars think Jesus intentionally made this a two-step process so he could illustrate something to his disciples. This healing happens immediately after the disciples demonstrate their own partial vision. They're starting to see and understand who Jesus is, but not fully. It will take more time, but Jesus will bear with them until they see clearly. He's not giving up on them.