Matthew 16:9 - Don’t you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

Generated Verse: Matthew 16:9

What does "Matthew 16:9" mean?


This verse, Matthew 16:9, is part of a rebuke Jesus delivers to his disciples after they show concern about forgetting to bring bread. He uses the memory of past miracles to highlight their lack of faith and understanding. Let's break it down:

"Don't you yet perceive, neither remember...": This emphasizes Jesus' frustration. He's already demonstrated his divine power multiple times, yet the disciples are still worried about something as trivial as bread. They haven't learned the lesson.

"...the five loaves for the five thousand...": This refers to the miracle where Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children) with only five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21). He's asking them, "Have you forgotten that I multiplied a tiny amount of food into an abundance for thousands?"

"...and how many baskets you took up?": After everyone was fed, the disciples collected the leftover fragments. Matthew 14:20 says that they collected 12 baskets full.

Meaning in Context:

Jesus isn't literally concerned about them forgetting bread for the journey. He's using the bread as a symbolic example. He's trying to get them to understand:

His power and provision: Jesus is capable of providing for their needs, even in seemingly impossible situations. Their worry about food is a sign of their lack of trust in him.
The spiritual significance of his teachings: They are so focused on the literal, physical aspects of life that they are missing the deeper spiritual truths Jesus is trying to convey. They are being too literal and missing the metaphorical meaning of the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6), which he clarifies in verse 12 to mean their teachings.
Their lack of understanding: Despite witnessing miracles and hearing his teachings, they are still struggling to grasp his identity and mission.

In essence, Jesus is saying: "How can you still be worried about something as simple as bread when you've seen me perform such incredible miracles? Don't you understand who I am and what I'm capable of?" This verse is a call to deeper faith and understanding, urging the disciples to remember the power of Jesus they had already witnessed. It's also a reminder to us to look back at God's faithfulness in our own lives, to bolster our faith in times of uncertainty and worry.

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