Key Passage: Matthew 16:5-12

Topic: Faith/Trust; Jesus

But Jesus, aware of this, said, "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?" (Matthew 16:8-9, ESV)

Have you ever been so caught up in your immediate need that you miss the solution? You worry and worry over a problem or a crisis, and it's like your brain just can't stop long enough to really think it through and find an answer or make a decision. If you could just take a moment, a deep breath...it'll make sense.

The disciples were a little bit like that in this passage. They were in a panic over finding something to eat, and they forgot who they were with. A few days earlier, they'd seen Jesus feed a crowd of thousands with just a few fish and loaves. Now they were worried they'd starve!

No wonder Jesus called them on the carpet for their lack of faith! He could've added their short memories to the list too. And He gave them a warning--don't be fooled or taken in by what the religious leaders offer. They offered bread that looked good, but it was empty rules and a life without true faith.

The Pharisees, Sadducees and other religious leaders promoted an intricate system of rules and regulations to earn favor with God and improve their "spirituality quotient." They'd forgotten to put their faith in God and trust Him for everything; instead, they preferred to do it all themselves.

You see, while the disciples were all in a flap, trying to solve their problem their way, they were in danger of trusting themselves instead of Jesus.

Jesus uses this moment to teach His disciples to forget about finding their own solutions or thinking it's all about them and what they could do. Instead, He tells them to put their faith in the right place--in Him!

What about you? Do you get so caught up in trying to sort out all your problems on your own that you forget what Jesus can do? Take a deep breath, slow down...and put your faith where it belongs!