Matthew 16:1-12
16: And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Reflection
The Pharisees and Sadducees request a sign from Jesus in order to test him, but he knows their motives and therefore refuses their request (Matt. 16:1–4). These men are not seeking help from Jesus. They are “evil and adulterous” (v. 4)— hateful in heart and unfaithful to God.
Jesus warns his disciples not to be infected by the teaching of these unbelieving men (v. 12). Though the disciples initially misunderstand the meaning of what Jesus says (vv. 5–11), Christ graciously helps them realize the deeper spiritual significance of what he is doing. Jesus is not merely able to provide food for their stomachs (vv. 9–10), important as that may be. His miracles are revealing the reality of his true identity (see vv. 13–20). Any teaching that threatens their faith in him must be resisted.
Romans 14:1-12
14: As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Reflection
Paul addresses the topic of peaceful coexistence in church congregations. The faith of some may be mature, but others’ faith may be weak (see 1 Cor. 8:7). This calls for mutual acceptance (Rom. 14:1).
Paul addresses two issues: disagreement about proper diet (vv. 2–3), and various attitudes about the observance of “days” (v. 5). In both instances, Paul warns us about judging others (vv. 4, 10; see Matt. 7:1–5). Since every congregation member is “the Lord’s” (1 Cor. 14:8), we should work through these matters with mutual love and respect— serving one another with the priority of building up the church rather that enforcing our own preferences. The foundation for Paul’s reasoning in this entire section is Jesus’ death and resurrection on behalf of all those in the church (Rom. 14:9). Throughout 14:1–15:7, Paul speaks of matters involving legitimate differences of opinion, not issues that arise from clear biblical commands such as stealing, idolatry, or sexual misconduct. Where there is freedom of choice, God’s coming judgment should make believers hesitant to try to do his job for him.
We need to be mindful of God’s supreme authority over us when we are interacting with others, as Jesus himself taught (cf. Matt. 7:1). The church should be a community that is rich in mutual support. Members sometimes need to give God space to work with people who need to grow (Rom. 14:4). In all our relationships with other believers, we should embody the grace that God has shown to us in Christ.
Psalm 133:1
133: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
There is a difference between a personal conviction and a biblical commandment. Pray for help to spot the difference, and pray for the humility to live in unity with those who have different convictions.