Remember The Bread

Matthew 16:5-12 (NKJV)

"REMEMBER THE BREAD"

August 6, 2023

What is this doctrine of the Pharisee and Sadducee? Luke 12:1 teaches that it is the doctrine of Hypocrisy. It is a people that say we uphold law and order until they themselves must be held accountable for their lawless actions. It is a system of hypocrisy that brings charges against a black social media influencer for inciting a riot in New York the next day and it has taken 2 years to bring charges for inciting a riot at the capital. Jesus said, “Beware the leaven (the yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious right and the religious left).” Beware the religious hypocrite who makes speeches of family values but when put to the test, there are no moral standards at all. As we approach these verses today, we would do well to take a moment to consider the events that bring us to this point.

In chapter 14, Jesus takes five loaves of bread and two fish and He feeds 5,000! In chapter 15, Jesus takes seven loaves of bread and a few little fish, and He feeds 4,000 men plus all the women and children! In each miracle the disciples collect the leftovers and in the first there are 12 baskets and in the second 7 large baskets after everyone was full. In the opening verses chapter 16 the Pharisees and Sadducees are once again looking for a sign and demand that Jesus perform some miracle in the heavens to prove to them that He is really the Messiah. Jesus refuses to play their game, verse 4, and He simply leaves them standing there while He and His men get into a boat and sail away. That brings us to our text. Verse 5 finds Jesus and His disciples getting off a boat after sailing across the Sea of Galilee. They realize that they have forgotten to bring along any bread for themselves. Jesus knows what they are thinking! He uses their forgetfulness as an opportunity to teach them a lesson using bread as a metaphor. I want us to “Remember the Bread.”

I. v.6 THE COMMAND - He warns them to beware of the “leaven” of the “Pharisees and Sadducees”. Our Lord’s warning needs a little explanation. Leaven is another word for yeast. Yeast is added to dough to make it rise. Bread Yeast is a bacterium that feeds on the dough and these bacteria give off a gas that causes bread to rise. Human Yeast is a fungus. Yeast can lie dormant for many months, and then, at the first hint of moisture, it comes to life and begins its work. In the Bible, leaven is a picture of sin, evil and wickedness. It is used as a picture of corruption. Believers are commanded to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened,” 1 Corinthians 5:7. We are to lay aside evil and spiritual corruption and live for the Lord. We are also warned in the same chapter that “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” The idea here is that a little sin is like yeast in our lives. When we tolerate sin in our lives, it will soon infiltrate every part of our lives. Jesus is saying in essence, “Beware the yeast infection!” An untreated yeast infection will always cause further irritation. He does not say beware the Pharisees or beware the Sadducees! Jesus says beware the leaven. Beware going through the motions of holiness with a hard heart! In Matthew 23:23 Jesus says, “you tithe but have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith!” He says tithing is good, but you shouldn’t leave out the rest! So, Jesus warns the disciples about “the evil influences” of the religious. The Pharisees were religious men, but their religion was external; it did not change their hearts. They claimed to love the Lord, but they were nothing but religious frauds. When they infiltrated the lives of those around them, like yeast, they corrupted those lives as well. Jesus is warning His men of the danger of having a hypocritical heart because it not only corrupts them it infects others. Jesus is simply telling His people, regardless of the age in which they live to beware of hypocrisy, worldliness and compromise. He tells us that if we allow just a little of those things to exist in our lives, they will infiltrate every area of life, just like yeast infiltrates an entire lump of dough. It is a simple command for the people of the Lord to be clean, holy and different. Peter said the world stumbles, because they are disobedient to the Word of God, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!”