Leaven

When the disciples reached the other side…Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began…saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus…said, “O you of little faith…Do you not yet perceive…How is it that you fail to understand…Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees…Then they understood…to beware of the…teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:5-12

Jesus and His Disciples had recently fed 4,000 men and their families and encountered a group of the Pharisees and Sadducees, in the region of Magadan, who were looking for Jesus to perform some miracle to convince them He was the Messiah. Then, Matthew tells us Jesus and His Disciples travelled to the other side. So, Jesus and His Disciples have, once again, travelled across the Sea of Galilee and, upon arriving, Jesus tells His Disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The Disciples, having forgotten to bring any food with them, began to think/say that Jesus was talking of food. Jesus says to His Disciples, “O, you of little faith…” Jesus, then, tells His Disciples of the recent feeding of the 5,000 men and their families, then, the feeding of the 4,000 men and their families, both great miracles of God’s provision for His people. Next, Jesus tells them that they are not understanding that He is not talking about food. Jesus is talking about the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees that is anything but godly! Today, there may not be Pharisees and Sadducees to lead Christians astray. But, there are plenty of other so called “religious leaders” who do NOT espouse the Gospel as it is given in the Word of God. Many so called Christians are being led down a broad path to destruction because they do not understand the Scriptures and cannot confront those who are leading them astray! Christians are not to blindly follow a “religious leader” who says, “thus says the Lord” when what is said is so far from the truth of God’s Holy Bible! Christians are to read Scripture for themselves and, through the power of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, discern truth from error. God will hold false teachers accountable for their heresies and He will hold unbelievers accountable for blindly following such false teachers.

Source: S C Ball February 1, 2023