What’s worrying you? In times of political division at home and war abroad, when prices are skyrocketing while wages stagnate, we have no shortage of causes for fear. And Jesus’ disciples lived in a similar world. Their country was occupied by the Roman legions, their religious leaders couldn’t agree on anything, and they had all left their homes and jobs to follow Jesus. We can certainly understand their uncertainty as they wondered about the source of their next meal.

But were their concerns really justified? After all, Jesus reminded His disciples that He had not only been able to feed a crowd of 5000 families, but also to provide a whole basket full of leftovers for each of them. And He had repeated the same sort of miracle again, feeding 4000 people with yet another seven baskets of food remaining after the meal. And the same Jesus is no less able to provide for all our daily needs, regardless of how difficult our economic circumstances may be.

In fact, Jesus is the answer to all our other problems as well. Because He is our great teacher, we need not fear the confusion of so many contradictory truth claims, wrangling over words as the Pharisees did. Because He is our great Savior, we have no need to follow the Pharisees’ example, trying to justify ourselves in the sight of God by following elaborate codes of man-made ethical rules. And because He is our great King, we have no need to curry favor with any human authorities. For while Herod relied on the Romans to prop him up on his throne, we can trust the Almighty King of Kings to rule righteously, protecting all His loyal subjects.

No, we have no need for the leaven of the Pharisees or of Herod, when the true Bread of Heaven offers Himself to us. May we rest in His promises today.

Mark 8:14-21 (NASB)

14 And they had forgotten to take bread; and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15 And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?
18 “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember,
19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.”
21 And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”