Dangerous Leaven – Matthew 16:1-12

What do we need to watch out for as the Christian movement? What are the dangers we face, dangers that will steer us away from Christ? There are many, but one of the key dangers we face is to give ground to the most pervasive mindset on our planet. That mindset is that humans have the ability and the need to perform and demonstrate our goodness as a way of meriting acclaim from God and people. Think about it. Every religion on earth, except Christianity, teaches that we have to do good works to earn God’s love and praise.

Jesus did not leave his disciples without a warning in this regard.

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 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 16:1-12 ESV)

You realize how much Jesus had stirred things up in Israel when you have two normally opposing groups joining together to oppose Jesus.  The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed vehemently with each other on most issues but were united in seeing Jesus as a threat to their hold on the people.  Jesus had already told them he would not give any sign to them but that of Jonah (i.e., the resurrection) but here he chides them again for their failure to do their job, which was to help the people receive the Messiah.  This might indeed require some testing but by this time Jesus had given too much clear evidence to require more.

Jesus’ warning about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees suggests strongly that we are all susceptible to losing the purity of the gospel.  We are most prone to move towards a works-based interaction with God, thinking that He demands certain behaviors in order to have relationship, as if we are capable of being good enough to merit His love.  This view so readily creeps in that, like leaven or yeast, it eventually can permeate our whole thinking and we lose the gospel of free grace and demanding discipleship.  The one does not cancel out the other, but both work in concert. False gospels always get this mixed up.

The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is not only works-based relationship to God but the self-promotion that springs from that mindset. Works-based relating to God is really also about making myself better than others. I compare myself to others as I work to exceed them in performance. And of course, this ultimately also leads to despising those who don’t excel and wanting to rule them.

Help us beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Lord.