God Hates Idolatry

Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Matthew 16.12] 

What was the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Context is everything here for this passage. The context is that Jesus and His men were faced once again with having no food. Instead of simply operating in the power of God which they had witnessed on two previous occasions when food was scarce, the disciples began to argue about it. They should have had every confidence that food would be provided but they resorted to their own solutions and that was that they should have planned to bring bread. Jesus scolded them because they didn't understand yet.

In Mark's account of this event, we find clarity about "understanding."

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? [Mark 8.16-18]

Yet again, Jesus uses terminology associated with idolatry - eyes that can't see and ears that can't hear.

The deceptive teaching of the Pharisee and Sadducees then would have been eyes that don't see and ears that don't hear - in a word, idolatry! In context, this conversation was about the provision of food and how idolatry, resorting to man's reasoning about provision (they forgot to bring bread), warranted a scolding from Jesus - and, for good reason.

Idolatry offers man-made solutions for problems God fully intends to meet miraculously. In this event, the disciples' failure was the basest of idolatry - thinking their planning would have saved the day. In modern culture, this planning now manifests, and is seen in far more complicated systems of man's planning: debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

The sad thing about this story is that it wasn't the world teaching this idolatry - it was the religious leaders.

Having cleared this up, now the introduction to this event, in its context, makes sense!

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” [Matthew 16.5-6]

God hates idolatry. Doesn't this make sense in light of the fact that the first three commandments all deal with God alone, no idols, and keeping God's Name pure? 

Jesus' expectation, as God With Us, was that the disciples would simply resort to the miraculous - to God alone - for their food. It almost sounds like Jesus expected them to literally believe:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.25-34]

Oh wow. How far are we away from God's desire for our pure unadulterated faith in Him alone? And, just to confirm where we stand, let's be sure to remember what it is that gives God pleasure:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

Let's be reasonable, shall we? NO, the disciples' reason (about having forgotten bread) is what got this story started in the first place! Let's believe God! 

Father, I am only further convinced that idolatry stands between Your people and You - Your power -  more today than at any other time in history. Forgive us this blatant disregard for Your first three commandments. Help us have eyes to see and ears to hear the truth of Your Word! So be it!