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.” (Matthew 16:5–12 (ESV)
Jesus used leaven as a spiritual and theological metaphor for ungodliness and hypocrisy. He directed this illustration toward the Pharisees and the Sadducees. However, as they often did, Jesus’ disciples did not immediately understand the Lord’s object lesson. They thought He was literally talking about leaven and bread.
In a display of His omniscience, Jesus said to His disciples, “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?”
In today’s passage, Jesus alludes to this phenomenon of yeast’s making dough rise in order to teach a spiritual lesson. It is a natural image to use because our Lord has just fed four thousand people with seven loaves of bread, and the disciples are noting how they forgot to bring enough bread for a meal with them in the boat (Mark 8:1–10, 14–15). Jesus issues this warning: “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“Since it only takes a small amount of yeast or other leavening agent to transform an entire lump of dough, Jesus must mean that it takes only a little bit of what the Pharisees and Herod have to offer to ruin a person. We say “ruin” because Christ is giving a warning statement and because leaven almost always represents sin in the New Testament; only Jesus’ parable of the leaven uses leaven in a positive sense (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20–21).”
The warning Jesus gave is as follows. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Twice the Lord gives this command to His disciples. He is placing strong emphasis to pay careful attention to the teachings of these legalistic, religious teachers.
As it was true in Jesus’ day, legalistic teaching still pervades the church. While licentiousness takes truth from God’s Word, legalists add to the Scriptures. Pastors and parishioners alike must be on their guard for both people groups (Acts 20:17-35; Jude 1-25). Pray for your spiritual leaders as they guard over your soul (Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 5:1-3).
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 