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| Photo by Nicholas Nichols |
As noted in a previous post, chapters fourteen through seventeen of Matthew's Gospel talk a lot about bread.
In 14:14-15:20, Jesus is followed by a great crowd (πολὺν ὄχλον) to a great lake to feed a great amount of people with, presumably, great tasting bread (5,000+). Jesus then gets in "the boat" (ἀναβάντων εἰς τὸ πλοῖον), crosses the lake, and is immediately confronted by Jewish authorities who had been asking, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread" (Matt. 15:2, ESV). (Although most English translations don't include the word "bread," including the ESV, the word is actually there in the Greek text: ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν.)
A lot of bread was being broken, and so was a lot of Pharisaical tradition.
In the next section (15:21-28) Jesus withdraws to Tyre and Sidon---a distinctively non-Jewish area---and is confronted by a Canaanite woman of great faith. Her faith is, in fact, greater than the Jewish authorities of the previous section. Her faith in Yahweh is so great that she gets excited about bread crumbs. While 5,000 Jews are being stuffed with loaves of bread, this Canaanite woman is satisfied with crumbs from her master's table. Immediately we can see the great contrast that Matthew intended his audience to see. The contrast is between a Canaanite's persistent acceptance of bread crumbs and the Pharisees persistent rejection of entire loaves of bread. The contrast is between a Canaanite's allegiance to the God of Israel--the God of the Bible--and the Pharisee's allegiance to that God as well. While the Pharisees prepare to attack Jesus over washing their hands before eating bread, a Canaanite sees the value of every speck of bread that her master allows to fall on dirty ground.
The Pharisees and scribes were looking for a fight. The Canaanite woman was looking for the Lord, her savior.
This episode is followed by a similar series of events (15:29-16:12) that just occurred, only with a slight twist of emphasis. After Jesus' trip to Tyre and Sidon, Jesus is followed by another great crowd (πολλοὶ ὄχλοι) to the same great lake to feed another great amount of people with, presumably, more great tasting bread (4,000+). The twist this time around is that Jesus is not feeding Jews; instead he seems to be feeding Gentiles. (This may take a few moments to explain, so I'll comment about this shortly.) Afterward Jesus, again, gets into "the boat" (π ἐνέβη εἰς τὸ πλοῖον), crosses the lake, and is immediately confronted by Jewish authorities. Jesus then privately speaks to his disciples, warning them about the "leaven" of the Pharisees and the bread (ἄρτον) they've been feeding the children of Israel. This is neither coincidence, nor is it contrived history; it is a real life series of encounters between Jesus and his enemies. Like the prophets Elijah and Elisha before him, Jesus is gathering together a new school of disciples and preparing the way for another exodus from the land, as the land grows in its apostasy and becomes riper for judgment.
The shocking twist in the midst of this narrative section is Jesus' departure into Tyre & Sidon and his subsequent following of Gentile disciples. As I mentioned a moment ago, this needs more explaining.
Notice carefully all of the narrative details recorded by Matthew. With the first feeding, Jesus multiplies five
loaves. With the second feeding Jesus multiplies seven loaves. In total, that’s twelve loaves, just like the twelve
loaves of God’s presence required by Law in the Tabernacle. Jesus was preparing a table
of bread in the midst of his enemies and gathering together the people of God on both
sides of the sea—the Jews of Galilee (5,000) and the Gentiles of the Decapolis
(4,000)—to feast on and with the bread of life. This act of mission in feeding
the hungry Gentiles even foreshadows the Eucharistic meal on the night of his
betrayal. In 15:36, Jesus gives thanks to God, breaks the bread, and hands it
to his disciples, who then in turn distributes the bread to the remaining
crowds. The only other time in Matthew’s gospel where Jesus breaks bread and
gives thanks is on the night of his betrayal (26:26-29).
Still not convinced? Consider the following as well.
Throughout Scripture, the
numbers five and twelve are associated with Israel, and here it is
seen with the feeding of the 5,000. The numbers four and seven are associated
with the world and with Gentiles throughout Scripture, and here it is seen with the
feeding of 4,000. Also, with the feeding of the 4,000, we find something
that is not found among the crowd of 5,000. Just before Jesus multiplies the 4,000 loaves
of bread (15:31), Matthew says these new crowds “glorified the God of Israel,” which
implies that previously they had not been glorifying the God of Israel because
this God was Israel’s, not theirs.
This makes perfect sense if these newly acquired crowds are Gentiles. As an additional note to confirm this fact,
Mark’s account of this feeding (of 4,000) takes place in “the Decapolis,” east of the Sea
of Galilee, which was a well-known Gentile territory.1
How much more evidence do we need to acknowledge this distinction?
I'll take one more stab at it, and I'll stick within the larger narrative of Matthew's Gospel too. All throughout Matthew's gospel he uses keywords, all of which are repeated in ways that link previously illustrated events in the Gospel. We find this again in this section. Jesus
“sits down” (ἀνακλίνω)
to eat bread with the children of Israel (the 5,000 of Matt. 14:19), and the
last time this word for “sitting” is used in Matthew’s gospel was with Jesus’
conversation with the Gentile Centurion (8:11-12), saying: “I tell you, many will come
from east and west and recline at table (ἀνακλίνω) with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown
into the outer darkness.” The “sons of the kingdom” at that time were
Israelites. However, as we find out later on in Matt. 14, the Israelites who followed Jesus and ate bread with him (the 5,000) are
distinct from those “sons” who would be thrown into the outer darkness mentioned in 8:11-12. The "sons" who remain in the Kingdom are those who eat bread with Jesus and his apostles. Only the "sons" who reject table fellowship with Jesus would be cast out. Those Jews who maintained table fellowship with Jesus and His disciples would be constituted part
of the new Israel in Christ, and would be included with the Gentiles who would come from east and west to “sit” with the
Patriarchs in the Kingdom.
This message of Matthew's gospel has implications for the Christian Church today. For example, with whom does Jesus break bread today? Or, perhaps another way of expressing the same concern is, with whom do Christians break bread today? Do Presbyterian Christians break bread with Lutherans today? If Jesus welcomes them to his table, they should be willing, because it's the Lord's Table spread before them, not a uniquely Presbyterian table or a Lutheran one. Do Baptists break bread with Roman Catholics, or Pentecostals with Episcopalians? Even though Jesus invites them all to his table, through baptism, some of them still come like the Pharisees with freshly washed hands holding a confrontational axe--always ready for a fight; others come persistently and humbly, satisfied even when they only find crumbs on the floor.
Which of these characterizes the attitude and perception of your church?
Which of these characterizes your fellowship with the baptized Body of Christ?
Jesus broke tradition by breaking bread, blessing it, giving thanks, and distributing it to great crowds that followed him--crowds of Jews and Gentiles. Christians of all denominations would be wise in breaking their own Pharisaical traditions too, in order to recline at table with Jesus. Even if bread crumbs are all that's left over for some who seek after Jesus, such would be infinitely better than the outcome of those who are filled with the leaven of Pharisees.
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