In Him, Through Him and For Him by Nishant Zachariah , Atlanta, GA
In Him, Through Him and For Him
Gospel of St. Matthew 16:5-12
Second Sunday after the Feast of the Holy Cross
“When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “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 Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees”
In Him:
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?
We are unequivocally creatures of habit. From the never ending bustle of the morning hours to the late nights induced by work/school, we are buffeted by the world that we live in. It surrounds us, permeates our very being and thus irrevocably fogs our perception of the eternal. Two thousand years ago, when Christ walked among us, humanity was as it is today. We remained rooted in wanton needs of our circumstances. The disciples struggled with this constantly as they went through their spiritual transformation.
In this specific passage, while our Savior Jesus Christ was alluding to the teaching (yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples viewed the similitude through the lens of materialism. The disciples having forgotten to take bread with them when they left on their journey across the lake, were preoccupied about their immediate worldly needs. Scripture is filled with promises about the Lord’s providence in our lives and exhortation against anxiety despite the monstrosity of insurmountable circumstances that might be facing our lives.
Scriptural Hope:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26)
Scriptural Exhortation:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6)
Scriptural Promise:
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Only In Him are we able to overcome the world to focus our spiritual eyes towards the cross that frees us from the bondage of sin.
Through Him:
Do you still not understand?... How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?
Our savior’s admonishment to the disciples resonates through time and strikes a chord in every Christian’s heart to this day. Spiritual discernment in the form of understanding scripture or discerning the Lord’s will for our lives is rooted in Christ. In short, spiritual discernment is a gift from the Lord.
Spiritual Hope:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)
Spiritual Exhortation:
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Luke 10:21-22)
Scriptural Promise:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)
It is only through Him that we move from spiritual blindness to clairvoyant discernment of His will for our lives. While the Lord’s will for each of our lives might vary, each and every one of us of us are called to be ambassadors for the faith. The mantle of reflecting Christ in everything that we do, rests squarely on our shoulders.
For Him:
But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The analogy that our savior Jesus Christ used to describe false teaching could not be more apt. Yeast by design causes fermentation over time. During the time of Christ, bread was made by incorporating old dough into a new batch. The premise was that the remnant yeast would over time ferment the new dough over time. In the same way, even small tiny sins which are not placed before our Lord with a repentant heart will grow and fester over time alienating us from our Lord.
Spiritual Hope:
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Spiritual Exhortation:
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)
Spiritual Promise:
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Matthew 13:33)
As Christians’ all that we do is For Him and for His glory. It is our steadfast rampart against the winnows of the world.
Questions for Meditation
Author’s Information:
Name: Mr. Nishant Zachariah
Area: Atlanta, GA
Email Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Do you still not understand?... How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?
Our savior’s admonishment to the disciples resonates through time and strikes a chord in every Christian’s heart to this day. Spiritual discernment in the form of understanding scripture or discerning the Lord’s will for our lives is rooted in Christ. In short, spiritual discernment is a gift from the Lord.
Spiritual Hope:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)
Spiritual Exhortation:
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Luke 10:21-22)
Scriptural Promise:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)
It is only through Him that we move from spiritual blindness to clairvoyant discernment of His will for our lives. While the Lord’s will for each of our lives might vary, each and every one of us of us are called to be ambassadors for the faith. The mantle of reflecting Christ in everything that we do, rests squarely on our shoulders.
For Him:
But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The analogy that our savior Jesus Christ used to describe false teaching could not be more apt. Yeast by design causes fermentation over time. During the time of Christ, bread was made by incorporating old dough into a new batch. The premise was that the remnant yeast would over time ferment the new dough over time. In the same way, even small tiny sins which are not placed before our Lord with a repentant heart will grow and fester over time alienating us from our Lord.
Spiritual Hope:
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Spiritual Exhortation:
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)
Spiritual Promise:
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Matthew 13:33)
As Christians’ all that we do is For Him and for His glory. It is our steadfast rampart against the winnows of the world.
Questions for Meditation
- Have you made spiritual discernment a prayer item for your life?
- What is the yeast in your life that you need to place before our Savior’s throne of grace?
Author’s Information:
Name: Mr. Nishant Zachariah
Area: Atlanta, GA
Email Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it