Stuck on the Mundane; Oblivious to the Spiritual
Matthew 15:29-16:12
Harry Stoliker
July 12, 2009 EBC
Let me begin by explaining my title. That will set the stage
for this somewhat difficult passage. I have used two key phrases that
really get at what this passage is teaching us to apply to our lives.
The first phrase is "Stuck on the Mundane." Mundane
mean the ordinary, commonplace routines of our life. What is ordinary
and routine in our lives? One thing that is routine is simply eating. Providing
food on the table. Everyone is concerned about that. Keep
that in mind. Just trusting God for our daily bread is basic to our
lives. The other phrase I used in the title is "Oblivious to the Spiritual."
Oblivious means unaware, unconscious of, insensitive to something.
Like in the sentence "Men are oblivious to the needs of women!"
In this passage what we see is that the groups of people mentioned
are stuck on the mundane and oblivious to the spiritual. That
is, their minds and hearts are in some way dull to the great things
God has already done and they find it very difficult to have the ability
or spiritual discernment to be in tune with Jesus. The word "discernment"
means to be able to pick up on something, to have insight, good judgment and wisdom
about things. Let's call it "spiritual sharpness." The lesson this
text is teaching us is just that. It is challenging us
to ask ourselves if WE are stuck on the mundane and oblivious to the
spiritual.
Let's see how this lesson works out in the story of what goes on in
Mt. 16:1-12
I. Asking for a miraculous sign with a sinful heart V.1-4
A. Mt.16:1 "And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked
him to show them a sign from heaven." Here we meet the first group
of people/players in this drama. These are the religious leaders of
Jesus' day. What is amazing here is that they are mentioned together.
Usually they were bitter opponents of each other. But here they
join forces against Jesus. Matthew is the only gospel to mention them
together like this. Usually we see the Pharisees and
the teachers of the law or scribes teamed up against Jesus, like we
do in Mt. 15:1. The strangest allies come together against Jesus because
of their common hatred of him.
B. Let's notice right away the reason they come to Jesus. It isn't
because they want to learn the truth. They came to test
him, to try to confound him or embarrass him
in the eyes of the people. They wanted to discredit him so they could
accuse him of false teaching. Their motives are evil. They are full
of unbelief in Him as Messiah.
C. They ask him for a sign from heaven. They were challenging his
authority. They didn't believe he was from God, so they
demanded an authenticating sign. This had some OT precedent
to expect a miracle from a true prophet. In the case of Moses before
Pharaoh, God gave Moses miracles to prove that he was a true prophet.
Elijah was also able to do miracles like calling down fire from heaven
on demand, to prove that he was a true prophet as over against the
false prophets of Baal. The problem here is the attitude of the Pharisees
and Sadducees. You don't walk up to God and demand signs
like he owes you something or you can command him to
prove Himself to your unbelieving heart. He is God. You bow to Him,
He doesn't bow to you.
D. Jesus' answer is sort of weird at first, isn't it! He talks to them
about the weather! Doesn't seem like the right time to talk about
the weather, does it! Matt. 16:2-3 "He answered them, "When it is evening,
you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It
will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret
the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
What is going on here? Actually, he isn't really talking
about the weather is he? He's talking about interpreting signs. They
wanted a sign from heaven which they supposed they could interpret
as valid or not that He was the Messiah. He's saying to them that they think they
know how to interpret signs pretty good, but they don't really know how.
They are "experts" in the mundane signs of interpreting
weather but they can't interpret the important signs –
"the signs of the times."
E. Then he straight up calls them, and anyone else who demands God
to perform out of their own unbelief, an evil and adulterous generation.
Matt. 16:4 "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign
will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So he left them and departed."
It is evil to keep demanding God to prove that He is God by jumping
through all your personal hoops. "I'll believe you are God if you do this
or that..." Jesus says they are 'adulterous'. He isn't talking
directly about sexual immorality/infidelity here, but is talking
about spiritual adultery. They were being unfaithful to God,
who had already shown Himself in many ways. Jesus says the only
sign a wicked generation is getting is the "sign of Jonah"
which is a clear illusion to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Jonah was swallowed by the great fish and spit up on the shore three
days latter. That was a picture of death swallowing up Jesus Christ
after his crucifixion and His rising from the grave
on the third day. That's proof enough that He was God, the Messiah!
Believe that, you unbelieving wicked generation, and then you will
be saved. God sets the terms of proving who He is. The resurrection
is the showcase proof for the deity of Jesus. The resurrection proved
He was sent from God and that all men should listen and bow to Him as
their Master.
F. Notice how abruptly he leaves them. He doesn't stick around to
listen to their foolishness. God does not listen to the arrogant demands
of unbelievers who refuse to believe the Bible's truth, but rant
and rave about what they think God ought to do in order
to prove Himself to their stubborn hearts.
G. They were stuck in the mundane. They interpreted the weather.
"Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning."
That was the depth of their spiritual discernment. They didn't have
a deep grasp on ultimate realities, but prided themselves in common street knowledge.
They couldn't even realize that Messiah had come, that
God had already given them the signs of the arrival of the Kingdom
of God among them. The "signs of the times" is a phrase
that only occurs only once in the NT and speaks of what has already
happened... the coming of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom.
It doesn't refer to future events.
H. This is very much the same in our day. People think they are so
wise about business and science and psychology
and global warming and politics, but they don't have
any spiritual discernment about the Truth of the Bible. Even us Christians
at times are so shallow in our grasp of the mind and heart
of God our Father. Let me move on to the next section, but keep this in mind and
I will come back to it.
II. Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees V.5-12
A. Matthew 16:5-7 "When the disciples reached the other side, they
had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and Sadducees." And they began discussing it among themselves,
saying, "We brought no bread." Now we are not talking about hard-hearted,
unbelieving Pharisees, but about the disciples of Jesus. The topic is
about literal bread and yeast. Jesus uses physical bread to
get at something spiritually higher.
B. Jesus and his disciples are on another boat trip. The disciples
didn't pack a lunch. Jesus uses this to attempt to teach them spiritual
discernment. They had just finished arguing with the Pharisees
about their spiritual dullness in regard to the signs of the times
– the evidence that Jesus had brought the kingdom of God to earth
in His appearing.
C. Jesus warns them to watch out for the leaven of the
Pharisees and Sadducees. What do they think he is saying to them? V.7 "And
they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."
Where are the disciples? They are stuck in the mundane! They are thinking
about common things like food while Jesus is on a much higher level. Jesus is using
"leaven" on a metaphorical level, but they are not on Jesus' wavelength.
At this point they are oblivious to the spiritual lesson Jesus wants
to teach them.
D. Jesus rebukes them, scolds them, by saying in V.8-11 "O you
of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you
have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves
for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves
for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How
is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." This is a
very strong reprimand! 3 times Jesus hammers their shallow understanding
and lack of spiritual discernment. "Little faith" – "Not yet perceive"
– "Fail to understand." Can you see that "spiritual discernment"
is the issue? What is spiritual discernment? It is being in tune with what Jesus
is trying to teach you and teach others through you. It's not being
stuck in just surviving in this world, just making ends
meet, just getting by, living under the circumstances,
just going through the motions, barely getting by, or
just living from day to day.
E. Jesus expected them to catch on to the spiritual realities that
He was telling them. He begins by reminding them that they don't have to be stuck
in the mundane concern for food because they had seen two incredible food
miracles when He fed the 5K and again the 4K men –
not to mention the women and children. (V.9). God takes care of the mundane needs
of our lives! Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not
be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient
for the day is its own trouble." Being anxious for tomorrow
is being stuck in the mundane and oblivious of the spiritual.
F. The yeast or leaven or teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is
hard to decipher, but it basically was disbelief that
attempted to disqualify Jesus from any claim of being Messiah.
It was blatant hypocrisy to think they understood the heart and
mind of God, while at the same time rejecting the very Son
of God. Beware of spiritual blindness! Don't reject Jesus because
He doesn't perform the signs you think He should! He's already demonstrated
to the fullest and most satisfactory degree that He is fully God
and fully man, the Savior of repentant sinners.
G. V.12 is a breakthrough verse! Matthew 16:12 "Then they understood
that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching
of the Pharisees and Sadducees." The Spirit gave them spiritual
discernment to some degree! We will see in the next section
of Mt. 16 how this discernment increases, but for now, this verse
is at least a good and refreshing point to end on!
APPLICATION: What is the level of your spiritual discernment?
How well are you in tune with what Jesus Christ is trying to teach
you as you read and study your Bible? Of course, if you
are not reading your Bible regularly and asking God
for understanding, you are definitely stuck in the mundane and oblivious to the
spiritual.
What that means is that you are missing the rich, deep, refreshing spiritual lessons
that could be yours if you were only disciplined enough to be in the
Word of God and hearing the voice of God. You don't
want to stay like that do you???
Spiritual discernment is realizing what the Lord is doing in your
life and in the lives of your family. It is realizing
that life is bigger than just paying the bills and surviving from
day to day. Spiritual discernment brings excitement to your
Christian life. It makes you a source of spiritual life to your entire
family, because you are in tune with God.
The opposite of "stuck on the mundane, oblivious to the spiritual"
is "trusting God for the mundane, and alive to the spiritual." Which
do you want to be?.
Let's pray,
H.