This question was put to the disciples by the Lord as they came to Capernaum. They were embarrassed to answer His question and kept silent, because ‘on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest [among them].’ The Lord had only just told them of His own impending death, an act of profound SELFLESSNESS – ‘The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day’ – And now we see the disciples squabbling among themselves about which of them was the greatest; an attitude of profound SELFISHNESS. It would seem the embarrassment caused by the Lord’s question, was only temporary, for Luke records that even in the upper room, on the eve of the Lord’s death, the squabbling continued, ‘there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.’ – Luke 22:24
“What were you discussing on the way?” -
The Manna was God’s gracious provision for feeding His people on their journey to Canaan. When the Israelites awoke and stirred from their tents they found the ground covered with a small, white granular substance ‘fine as hoar frost’. It was to be collected and baked. Its mysterious appearing caused the people to ask, “What is it?” God gave two injunctions relating to it. (1) ‘Let no man leave any of it till the morning’ v.19 (2) ‘Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none" v.26. Some failed to believe that God meant what He said! “Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and became foul” and “some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.” God’s Word is sure!
We keep the same question this month, as we wish to emphasise another important point
from the Manna. The Manna presents a lovely picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. It
was small, white and round. In grace He became small enough to be placed in a manger,
which as we know is the feeding trough of the cattle. The white would speak of His
spotless, holy perfection. The roundness (the un-
The Lord Jesus was very much a ‘thorn in the flesh’ to the Jewish authorities and
even a cursory read through the four Gospels will reveal they wanted Him out of the
way. In John ch.7 we learn ‘the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to
take Him’. As the soldiers waited for an opportune moment to carry out the arrest,
they were forced to stand and listen to Him teach. Soon they were gripped by what
they heard, and eventually returned to their leaders empty-
“Why have you not brought him?” -