THE LIFE OF CHRIST - MINISTRY OF WITHDRAWALS

Fourth Withdrawal

-Traveling to Bethsaida - The Apostles Worry About Bread & Are Rebuked

-Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:13-26

-As Jesus and the apostles made their way across the Sea of Galilee, the apostles began to worry

 about bread.  They had forgotten to bring those provisions and found only one loaf amongst themselves.

            -Using this as an opportunity to teach, Jesus warned them about the “leaven of the Pharisees and of

              the Sadducees” (Matt 16:6), “the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15).

            -Some commentators, such as Adam Clarke, suggest that Jesus spoke of the Sadducees and Herodians

             as one and the same - groups that had merged themselves together.  However, others point out that

             Jesus could have spoken of three separate groups - Pharisees (Matthew & Mark’s accounts),

             Sadducees (Matthews account) and Herodians (Mark’s account).

                        -“It is not improbably that he cautioned them against them all. The Pharisees sought his life, and

                          were exceedingly corrupt in their doctrine and practice; the Sadducees denied some of the

                          essential doctrines of religion, and the Herodians probably were distinguished for irreligion,

                          sensuality, and corrupt living. They were united, therefore, with the Pharisees and Sadducees in

                     opposing the claims of Jesus” (Barnes).

-The apostles didn’t properly understand Jesus’ words of warning.  Upon hearing the word “leaven” their

  minds turned to the topic of physical bread - that which had been on their minds already.

            -For this, Jesus rebuked them.  How could they be concerned about physical bread having previously

              witnessed the miraculous feeding of two multitudes? 

            -Jesus questioned them about those occasions and brought to their remembrance the abundance of

              food that He had provided.  They then understood that He spoke of the doctrines of those groups.