Key Verse: "How is it you don't understand that I was
not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the
Pharisees and Sadducees."
Matthew 16:11
A big "OOPS," for the disciples here. I guess that
old habits die hard. I suppose that it might have been nice if Jesus had begun
His lesson by saying, "and now for a spiritual lesson." However, is
it possible that the fact that He didn't means that He expected His disciples
to track with Him. After all, He had demonstrated that meeting physical needs
wasn't a problem. I'm sure that He was disappointed that, once again, He had to
explain Himself more plainly.
"Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." (Matt. 16:11b) Why does Jesus compare the teachings of the religious
leaders to yeast? Remember that in scripture, yeast represents evil. The one
exception to this is the woman who hid the yeast in the lump of dough, (Matt.
13:33-35 & Luke 13:20-21). All yeast is removed from the home for the week
of Passover, as a symbol of removing evil from the home and cleansing it,
physically and spiritually for the upcoming celebration.
Yeast grows. It spreads and effects the flour in which it is
kneaded. This may be pleasant to eat in the physical world, but bad teaching,
when it spreads, corrupts the hearers, alters their thinking and perceptions
and can lead them away from God. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:33, "Do not be
misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."" We are affected
by what we hear.
So, what was so dangerous about the teachings of the
Pharisees and Sadducees? We already know that they were hung up on rules and
regulations and they were fond of judging other people's behavior, but is that
worthy of being called, "dangerous?"
Jesus had come to offer a gift of grace, His blood in
payment for our sins so that we could be forgiven by God. We do not earn this
gift. We do not deserve this gift. There is nothing we can do to make God love
us anymore and nothing we can do to make Him love us any less.
In contrast, the Pharisees and Sadducees taught a system of
works righteousness. "If you follow the rules to our satisfaction, you may
earn a place in heaven." Their teaching was completely counter to God's
character and completely counter to what Jesus came to do for everyone, including them. We need to accept the fact that salvation is an undeserved
gift. Their teaching diminishes God’s gift and leaves their followers
hopelessly trapped in a system that will fail for all who try it. It is a
mountain that no one can climb.
The disciples had been freed from this kind of thinking.
Jesus is warning them to beware of the "yeast," or teaching, of the
religious, so that they won't fall back into that hopeless trap again.
Another danger of their teachings is that they sought to
plant doubt in the hearts of those who came to Jesus. Remember, yesterday they
had challenged Jesus again by asking Him to show them a sign so that they would
know that what Jesus is saying is true.
In law, the best defense attorney will
seek to plant doubt in the hearts of the prosecutor's presentation. Even if
their client may be guilty of the offence with which he has been charged, if
the defense attorney can plant seeds of doubt, then perhaps at least one person
on the jury may waver, resulting in a acquittal, or at least having the
defendant found guilty of a lesser charge.
Doubt can serve as a powerful
corruption of the truth. By asking for signs and planting seeds of doubt, the
religious leadership may be able to sway some to reconsider their allegiance, to
rethink what they had heard and seen. Then, the gospel itself, as mentioned
above, could be in question. Jesus is warning His disciples, and us, to beware of
the yeast of the Pharisees, whoever they are. If we keep our eyes fixed on
Jesus, the truth will come plainly into view.
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