Matthew 16:1-12
“Notice what you notice.” I probably noticed it before – Jesus mentioned the color of the sky; in both cases the sky is red, but in the evening the red sky calls for good weather while in the morning the red sky calls for stormy weather. Small point, but interesting…
And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” (v. 7) “Among themselves…”!! Can you imagine the plight of the disciples? They were headed across the Sea and they forgot to bring bread. Only when Jesus brought the issue of leaven to their attention, did they remember that they had no bread. But rather than “confessing” their forgetfulness to Jesus, they began discussing it among themselves. I can hear them talking: “We have no bread. What should we do? Jesus fed 5,000 and 4,000 recently with very little bread. Should we ask Him? But I hate to bother Him. I’d be embarrassed to be the one to ask.”
So I made up this little vignette, but it raises a point. How often are we embarrassed and unwilling to admit our failings to God? He already knows, just like Jesus already knew that the disciples had no bread. When we confess our sins, we are simply acknowledging to Him what He already knows. But confession can be so hard! So hard, yet so good for our souls…!!
So, force yourself to “forget” breakfast tomorrow morning. Then when you find yourself really hungry, talk to our Lord about what else is missing in your life.
Slava Bohu!
Fred, maybe confession is so hard because it is really just a form of admiring to ourselves. Wrong kind of self denial.
I very much like your final challenge to “forget” breakfast, then ask the Lord what else is missing.