Matthew 16
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and
testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. Mat 16:2 But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather,
for the sky is red.' Mat 16:3 "And in the morning, 'There
will be a storm today, for the sky is red
and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot
discern
the signs of the times? Mat 16:4 "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign;
and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He
left them and went away.
I was looking into these verses and picked up a bit of
trivia that I did not know. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not of the same
religion. I will paste in what the Life Application New Testament Commentary
says: The Pharisees and Sadducees were
Jewish religious leaders of two different parties, and their views were
diametrically opposed on many issues. The Pharisees carefully followed their
religious rules and traditions, believing that this was the way to God. They
also believed in the authority of all the books of Scripture that we now call
the Old Testament and in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees accepted
only the books of Moses as Scripture and did not believe in life after death.
These two groups, however, had something in common: Jesus was their enemy.
The Sadducees lived by the books of Moses. The first five books of
Moses are referred to as the Pentateuch. Jewish people refer to is as the
Torah. I looked up Torah to insure that it was the first five book I went to
this web site. Click here. It is the first five books but now it may have additions.
Jesus did not answer the Pharisees nor the Sadducees. He instead gave
them a parable to think about. He knew that no matter what he said or did they
would not believe him. The parable is one most of have used “Red sky in the
morning sailor take warning. Red sky at night sailor’s delight”. He is
referring to himself. The red sky is right before them and they cannot see it.
Then he refers to them as an evil and adulterous generation. He also referred to
the sign of Jonah. Joanh who was in the fish for three days and nights. Jesus would
die and be raised after three days. Do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees
thought about this when Jesus was crucified and reborn? I doubt it, but for their sake, I hope they did.
Mat
16:5 and the disciples came to
the other side of the sea, but they had
forgotten to bring any bread. Mat 16:6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." Mat 16:7 They began to
discuss this among themselves, saying,
"He said that because we did not
bring any bread."
Wouldn’t you think that by now the disciples would know that
if food was needed Jesus would supply it? The reference that Jesus made to unleavened
bread was used on purpose. Yeast is left out of the bread dough so that it will
not rise. Here Jesus is referring to the yeast that the Pharisees and Sadducees
bring. If the disciples buy into even one thing that the Pharisees or Sadducees are saying it would
begin to lead to other wrong beliefs. Hence the yeast or rising of the wrong
ideas implanted in them.
Mat
16:8 But Jesus, aware of this,
said, "You men of little faith, why do you discuss
among yourselves that you have no bread? Mat
16:9 "Do you not yet understand or remember
the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?
Mat 16:10 "Or the
seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?
Mat 16:11 "How is
it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Mat 16:12 Then they understood that He did not say to
beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.
This was another life lesson that Jesus instilled
into the disciples. The disciples were going to carry the load after Jesus left
and it was imperative that they would not be influenced by non-believers.
Agape
Dave
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