Inspired by Dr. Tim Geddert
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Mark 8:14-15 “The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."”(NIV)
Remember the heat wave in July? Remember all the record setting days of 113+ degrees? My air conditioner broke the Monday of that week. I would ask you to imagine how bad it was, but trust me, you can’t. It was really bad for me because I am a cold weather person. Hot weather just wrings me out. And during that week you could have – wrung me out that is. When I was home I was constantly covered with sweat. It was the worst at night when I would wake up with my pillows soaked with sweat and even more sweat running off of me. I was so miserable I would cry at night. I was praying constantly for God to help me. We were promised that the repairperson would be there on Thursday – he didn’t show – we didn’t even get a call. He wasn’t there on Friday either, and our call to them gave us a “Monday at the soonest” response. We had floor fans, they at least kept the air moving, but the noise of them further interrupted my sleep. Not even sleep medications could help me. It felt like my prayers were of no avail. I was knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s door but it seemed like God had a “Do Not Disturb if your name is Valerie” sign on the doorknob. I wondered what I had done that God should punish me like this. Seriously! He is God. He could have sent a snowstorm if He wanted to. But I wasn’t asking for that – just for a simple repairperson! Finally that following Tuesday the repairperson showed up. I was so excited to see him that I could have hugged him! Only there was a part that needed to be replaced and he had to order the part. As soon as it came in………. So I started praying about that part. Again, my prayers went unanswered for another whole week! Wasn’t I God’s child? Wasn’t I called by His name? Why wouldn’t He take care of this for me?
It had been an exciting few days for the disciples. Jesus had fed the 5,000 with a little boy’s lunch, He had walked on the water, had done several healings, and just that very day He had fed 4,000 with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. Then He had had that little confrontation with the Pharisees, they wanted Him to do a miracle and He refused. Now they were crossing the lake, and the disciples realize that for this long trip they have one loaf of bread. Now for those of us in the 21st century – a loaf of bread will give 13 people a sandwich – if you use the heels. But in the first century a loaf of bread was about the size of a dinner roll – and flat. Remember the little boy’s lunch? He had 5 loaves of bread for just his lunch. So imagine one dinner roll – one flat dinner roll – to be shared by 13 grown men. This was not good. And then when they showed the bread to Jesus He made the most bizarre statement! “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.” What the heck does that mean?
Earlier that day the Pharisees had asked Jesus to give them a sign from heaven. Jesus must’ve been floored. He had been feeding thousands, healing the deaf, the blind, casting out daemons, what did the Pharisees think He had been doing? But what the Pharisees wanted was for God to act at their command and under their control. Jesus was having none of that! God acts only on His will and control. The 21st century version of His response is “I ain’t your trick monkey. I don’t jump when you say so”
Now here He is with the disciples in the middle of the lake with one little loaf of bread. Can you imagine the look of expectation on their faces? After all, Jesus had blessed bread and fed 4,000 earlier that day – how hard could it be to do the same for them? They were expecting to provide a little bread feast on the lake. Then Jesus made that off-the-wall comment about the Pharisees. What’s up with that?
Jesus was telling the disciples not to let the expectations of the Pharisees become their expectations as well. He did not do miracles – signs from heaven – at the Pharisee’s command and expectations – He wasn’t going to do it for the disciples either. He wasn’t the Pharisees trick monkey and He wasn’t the disciples trick monkey either.
Jesus could have dropped the temperature to a reasonable 80 while my air conditioner was broken, He could have changed me so that the heat did not affect me, He could have given that air conditioner “the look” and it would have scrambled to fix itself just to glorify Him. Or He could have taken the easy route and sent the repairperson on the day the air conditioner broke with the needed part already in his truck. That is what I was expecting when my air conditioner broke. I was expecting Jesus to fix it for me. After all – I am His child – He counts the hairs on my head – anything I ask in His name and so on. But Jesus ain’t no trick monkey – not for the Pharisees, not for the disciples and not for Valerie.
My expectations are not His obligations.
Jesus is God and any action that He takes is absolutely perfect. And when He chooses not to act that is also absolutely perfect.
When Jesus was in that boat that day and He warned the disciples against the yeast – the expectations – of the Pharisees, He already knew that in July ’06 Valerie’s air conditioner was going to break. He knew that I would also need to learn the lesson about my expectations and His obligations. And He let me learn it. The hard way.
LORD Jesus, I take You for granted way to often. I expect You to behave like I want You to. But You are nobody’s trick monkey – You are God. You reign over everything I know about and everything I don’t know about. Your sovereignty is absolute. Forgive me for forgetting that.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First at Valerie@fresnofirst.org.