O you of little faith

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And he left them and departed.

Now when his disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?-- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

- Matthew 6:1-12

In the past couple of readings, Jesus has been traveling, preaching, teaching and healing among the Gentiles. First, he met a Canaanite woman who begged him to heal her daughter of demonic possession; she recognized him as Messiah and worshiped him. Next, he teaches on a mountain, and fed four thousand people with a second miracle of feeding in a Eucharistic picture of blessing the bread and its distribution among those who are faithful to him. So, his work and ministry have gone out among the Gentiles as well as the Jews, although he is recognized as the Jewish Messiah, with the title, "Lord, Son of David" expressed by the Canaanite woman. In today's reading, he is confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. My study bible notes here: "A sign from heaven implies some spectacular evidence proving Jesus' messiahship. All acknowledge that the time of the Messiah will be a time for signs. But they do not understand the signs already performed, for their hearts are hardened in disbelief. They can predict the rain and storms, but they cannot understand the Law, which points to Christ, even though they are supposed to be experts in it." It's interesting to me that Jesus holds these people - among the leadership of the temple - responsible for their own discernment, or lack of it. He chastises them, that they cannot read the "signs of the times." Moreover, he calls them "hypocrites." This is always his most scathing criticism: "hypocrites" in the original Greek meant "actor," and the implication is that they "act" their parts as religious or spiritual leaders, but that inwardly they are not of the substance that God wants, that the Law and the prophets teach.

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And he left them and departed. My study bible notes: "Jesus refuses to prove himself to a wicked and adulterous generation -- who refuse to see anyway -- except by the sign of the prophet Jonah, a veiled prediction of his death and Resurrection. Just as Jonah was delivered safely from the belly of the great fish, Jesus will rise from the grave." To be "adulterous," we remember, is to betray faith, to desert that to which one has sworn loyalty or fidelity. Jesus is saying that their hearts are far from God. As "actors" (or "hypocrites") they play the part of religious leadership, but in effect they have abandoned spiritual responsibility. The implication is that otherwise they would recognize what and who Jesus is by faith - rather than by demanding proofs or signs.

Now when his disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?-- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Another note reads: "The leaven of the Pharisees (v. 6) is their doctrine (v. 12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:2). The disciples are painfully slow to understand, for they have little faith (v. 8). They do not fully understand Jesus' teaching until Pentecost, when the Spirit is given." It's really quite interesting to understand that the disciples, also, have no idea about that to which Jesus is alluding when he speaks to them of the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." One must immediately contrast Jesus' scathing criticism of the religious leadership for their lack of understanding, and the disciples' own lack of understanding here. Indeed, the disciples fail even to recall the recent events of the miracles of feeding five thousand and also four thousand people in the wilderness from but a few loaves and fishes, for which Jesus takes them to task. He is teaching them that they, too, have responsibility for discernment. His words are not meant literally, but metaphorically, as he also speaks and preaches in parables to the crowds. But all will be revealed with the coming of the Spirit. For now, they are still learning by living with him, traveling with him, ministering and being his disciples.

But, what's the real difference between the religious leadership - the Pharisees and Sadducees - and the disciples? It comes down to a question of faith, in my opinion. Jesus tells his disciples, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?" He tells them that they are "of little faith." Whereas the Pharisees and Sadducees show no faith at all (at least as an official body - we know that there were faithful among the temple leadership as well), and seek a sign of proof of messiahship, the disciples are faithful but only to a certain extent. They follow him, they learn from him, they participate in his ministry, but he wishes their faith to deepen, to be stronger than it is. In both cases (of the temple leadership and his disciples), Jesus seeks discernment, wisdom, understanding -- and this discernment and understanding is linked inextricably to faith. Let us understand, then, what faith is. It is a relationship of love and trust. It is something that is alive in us, that grows and has energy and dynamic structure of its own. It is creative and powerful and forms myriad expressions in each of our lives. Faith will make of his disciples great human beings, with extraordinary courage and discipleship, each fulfilling his own duty to this gospel in his or her own way. But for now, they are this small group in a boat that "has come to the other side" (of the Sea of Galilee), and who think they are being reprimanded because they forgot to take bread. How humble and sweet is this picture! Let us not forget it, that the great beginnings of the Church are in this humble and small group, slow to understand, for whom even Jesus shows his signs of impatience! "You of little faith," he calls them. Let us remember that we have a lifetime ourselves to grow in this faith - that faith is not immediate and whole and coming at one fell swoop, but rather that it is a relationship that gives us gifts of discernment, discipleship, wisdom and growth -- and so much more.