Are You Talking About Bread?

Have you ever felt like you just didn't have the patience to wait on something? I know that I have, that's for sure. It just happens. We, as human beings, just are not very patient beings. Yet, the Bible teaches us directly to be patient.

Never mind Job, who many know is the epitome of a patient human. One only needs to read the Book of Job, which I strongly encourage, to see the stuff he dealt with, and yet remain patient. No, instead, I ask that we look today at Jesus.

Jesus was patient, obviously: He is, after all, the Son of God. It's the manner of which His patience was tested that has struck me today. Just look at this passage:

6 Then Jesus told them [the disciples], "Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees [trouble-making hypocrites of the Jewish leadership]." 7 And they discussed among themselves, "We didn't bring any bread." 8 Aware of this, Jesus said, "You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? 9 Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected? 10 Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you collected? 11 Why is it you don't understand that when I told you, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,' it wasn't about bread?" -Matthew 16: 6-11, HCSB

I don't know about you, and how much you have read the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (the "Gospels"), but I can tell you from my readings: the disciples were not the brightest Easter eggs in the basket. In fact, they were borderline dull. Over and over, Jesus would give them a teaching, and they simply wouldn't grasp it at all. Clearly, He was not discussing the literal bread that the Jewish leaders made (I doubt they were very good bakers). If I were Jesus, I would have gotten new disciples. I simply wouldn't have the patience to deal with those dim-witted buffoons. Yet, these were the men He entrusted when He left the Earth to spread the good news of the Gospels. I mean, really?

It would be one thing had Jesus put up with the disciples for a little while on Earth, and then found some men more intellectual for the task at hand of spreading His name. Instead, He left them in charge. Guess what: it worked.

-Simon Peter, who was about as stubborn and brash as they come, went on the minister to the Jewish people for the duration of his life. He wrote two books of the New Testament. He is considered the founder of the Church. He was killed for his faith.

-John went on to write five books himself, and was the only one that was not killed; he only died in exile on a tiny island.

All in all, these eleven men (we won't count Judas as he was dead before Christ was resurrected), most of whom were not very intelligent, tactical, or verbose, were able to use the guidance of the Holy Spirit to take the truth of Christ to the world.

If Christ was able to use these guys for such a big job, how much more can He do with you? Are you focusing on bread and other Earthly, meaningless focuses, or are you allowing Christ to teach you something bigger? Do you have a job ahead of you, and just haven't found it? Maybe you should find out.