10. Yosef’s Expectations
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Luke 6:1–4 “This isn’t how a bakery should smell, Emet,” Yosef said, intentionally emphasizing the word smell while crossing his arms over his chest. Sniffing the air contemptuously, he chastised, “If this is how you’re baking bread these days, I want nothing to do with it.” Tossing the loaf he’d purchased a bit earlier on the counter, he snapped, “And I’d like to be reimbursed for this.” Emet sighed. He knew Yosef extended about as much Grace to himself as he did to others—which was basically none—so he could only imagine how miserable Yosef felt on the inside. “I’m terribly sorry, Yosef,” Emet began. “I was in the middle of teaching my grandson, and we completely forgot about the bread in the oven. Please forgive us. This rarely happens.” Yosef lifted his chin, narrowed his eyes, and looked disapprovingly around the small shop, then sneered, “This should never happen, Emet.” Hanan—trying not to be noticed—slipped over to the oven and quietly removed the Unleavened Bread his grandad had put there during their talk. Unlike the earlier loaf, this bread without Yeast was baked perfectly. Hanan quickly wrapped it up, tying it with a red thread—the trademark of their shop—then quietly set it on the sales counter next to his grandpa. “Oh, look here!” Emet exclaimed. “This Unleavened Bread is warm and perfect, Yosef. We just baked it. Please—take this as a gift.” “A gift? No, thank you,” Yosef scoffed. “You know, Emet, that’s your problem.” “I’m not sure I understand, Yosef,” Emet searched Yosef’s face, trying to discern his meaning, while Hanan retrieved the Unleavened Loaf and put it on the workbench in the back of the bakery. Yosef softened a bit, paused, then suggested, “You have a habit of giving things away to people who don’t need or want your charity, Emet.” Squaring his shoulders, he smirked and continued, “We just want a decent loaf of Leavened Bread.” “It’s not charity, Yosef,” Emet said as he handed Yosef’s money back to him. “God has always been gracious to us, so we do what we can to extend His Grace to others.” Yosef forced a smile, then remarked flatly, “Yes, I’m sure. But I believe God is more concerned with basic rules and standards than He is in your kind graces.” Putting the money in his satchel, Yosef added, “I’ll be taking my business elsewhere, Emet. Good day.” Then Yosef turned and walked out the door of the shop. Still listening from the back, Hanan walked over and put his hand on his grandpa’s shoulder. “Sorry about that, Grandpa. I should have been more mindful of the bread in the oven.” “Oh, it’s not your fault,” Emet sighed, forcing a smile. “Sadly, Yosef has just been consuming too much of the bread in that upper left-hand corner.” Hanan’s hand dropped from his grandad’s shoulder. “What do you mean?” he asked, glancing back at the counter where the three mounds of dough were rising. “We haven’t even baked that bread yet.” Emet chuckled. “I’m speaking metaphorically, Hanan. Our friend Yosef is mindful of certain matters of the law, but he often neglects the more important matters—things like justice, mercy, faithfulness, and Grace.” Then, recalling the words of Jesus he’d heard as a boy, Emet quietly observed, “Yosef ‘strains out a gnat, but swallows a camel.’” Hanan gave his grandfather a confused look. “But since you’ve mentioned the bread,” Emet said, smiling, “let’s go ahead and put those loaves into the oven.” The two walked back to the wooden workbench where Emet scored the top of the three loaves—the final preparation before baking—and Hanan carried them across the bakery and slipped them into the oven.
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