Sign of the Times

I was reading in my Bible the other day a passage that I have read many times before, but never quite caught on to it.  I always kind of chuckle when I read it because it's clear that the disciples didn't get it either when Jesus first talked to them about it.  Silly disciples. :-)

In Matthew 16, Jesus had just ended a conversation with the Pharisees who were trying to test Him, to ask Him for a sign from Heaven.  When Jesus is later talking with His disciples, He tells them to beware of the "yeast of the Pharisees," a comment that prompted the disciples to assume that He was referring to their forgetfulness in bringing any bread on their trip.  You can't really blame them.  First of all, if you forgot to bring bread in the middle of a long day's trip, it's probably all you can really think about.  "What are we going to eat today?!?"  And secondly, referring to something as a "yeast of the Pharisees" is just plain weird.

It was Jesus' response that really struck me this time.  He reminded them of the time He fed the 5,000, and how many basketfuls of bread they collected at the end of the day.  And then there was the time He fed the 4,000 and all the basketfuls they had at the end of that day.  And through this explanation, the disciples realized that Jesus wasn't referring to food, but to a much more subversive and subtle danger, the teaching of the Pharisees.

I suppose it struck me because I suddenly saw a lot of relevance to the whole conversation.  Nationwide, it's an incredibly precarious time, with every day bringing new headlines of bankruptcies, recession, and billions of dollars of bail outs.  In our city, especially, you can't open a newspaper or listen to the news for more than 5 minutes without hearing some story of new job losses representing thousands of Detroiters who are now out of work.  

With all of these stories surrounding us, it's pretty hard to not think about taking care of the basic necessities of life . . . what will happen to our house?  Will we be able to pay the bills?  What will we eat this week?  Will I still have a job next week?  I've realized that many times, the anxiety and tension are so pervasive through our culture right now, that it's really easy for them to invade my thinking without even noticing.  And they don't only invade my thinking.  They consume my thinking.  They become all I can think about and can very quickly turn into a down-spiral of depression or despair.

That's where Jesus' response comes in.  Just like He reminded the disciples when all they could think about was their next meal, He reminds me of all the miracles He has done in my own life, all the times He has provided exceedingly and abundantly beyond all my needs.  And He reminds me to be on the lookout of something much more important than worrying about my next meal.  

I need to be aware of fighting against this spirit of trying to test God, of begging Him for some kind of sign, some kind of huge proof of who He is rather than acknowledging what is right there in front of my face.  And this kind of thinking behaves exactly like Jesus explained when He called it a "yeast."  It starts off tiny and small, almost imperceptible, but given time in a dark and cool place, it quickly grows and pervades the whole batch of "dough."  That Jesus . . . He's one smart man, isn't He? :-)

I'm praying for the wisdom to be proactive in fighting against this mindset, for courage and an increase of faith for God to take care of our needs, and to have opportunities to speak life and hope into the desperate situations that are all around us.