One of the things I most appreciate about the Bible is how it treats the primary characters. We see Jesus’ followers, who would become the pillars of the church, flawed and at times doubtful.
The way the Bible treats the heroes of the faith is dramatically different from other ancient pieces of literature. In those instances, the heroes are always bigger than life and never with any flaws.
One of the things we can learn from Jesus’ followers is that faith is a process. It is established by a choice, but then it grows incrementally day after day.
This is laid out plainly in many stories in the Gospel of Matthew, and we return to it again in this instance.
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.
Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread” (Matthew 16.5-7).
In the past, bakers used a technique called leavening. They would save a portion of dough from a previous batch and incorporate it into their new dough mixture. This “old dough,” which contained active yeast, would ferment and cause the new dough to rise.
Today, we achieve the same result by directly adding baker’s yeast (which is how the NRSV translates the word), a specific type of fungus, to the dough.
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross directs our attention to Leviticus 2. In this chapter, there is God’s prescription for offerings on the altar. The only kind of offering that can be made on the altar must eliminate any kind of leavening or yeast.
Rudy explains that leavening should be understood as human wisdom. Human wisdom is not equal to God’s and is prohibited from being placed on the altar.
The disciples should have picked up on Jesus’ intended thoughts, but they didn’t. Instead, they wondered about whether they had not brought food along.
Little Faith
Jesus called attention to the disciples’ lack of faith. He could have also talked about their lack of understanding.
And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread?” (Matthew 16.8).
Instead of being discouraged by the disciples’ limited faith early on, I find it encouraging. It reminds me that faith is a journey, not a destination.
Just like the disciples, I too experience moments of doubt and limited understanding. As we walk with God and learn more about His ways, our faith will deepen.
May I invite you to participate in a spiritual exercise?
Grab a cup of coffee and settle into a comfortable chair.
Take some time to reflect on your life’s journey.
Think back on significant experiences you’ve shared with God. Consider your doubts and fears, and how God helped you through them.
Reflect on how your relationship and faith with God have deepened over time.
It’s Not About Bread
Jesus told his followers that his words were not about bread.
He said, “Do you still not 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 could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16.9-12).
Thinking about Rudy’s understanding of leaven as wisdom, Jesus is advising his disciples to be wary of the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees. True wisdom lies in following Jesus’ attitudes, actions, and teachings.
A person who studies communication has recently written a book on the subject. They said that the average age of CNN listeners is 70, and it is believed that Fox viewers are older, even though Fox won’t reveal the age of their listeners.
All major cable news networks are losing audiences, as the younger generation gets their news from YouTube, X, and other media platforms.
In contrast to news presentations in years gone by, what we find on cable news and media on our phones is more entertainment than the reporting of actual events. They do so because they are in intense competition with one another for viewers.
Jesus’s caution to be aware of the leaven of the scribes and Pharisees applies equally to modern-day media presentations of the news. We need to be aware of their wisdom, knowing that it is faulty.
How do we overcome this? The first Psalm provides an excellent answer.
Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
But their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night. (Psalm 1.1-2)
If we delight in God’s teaching and allow it to permeate our minds throughout the day, we will embrace God’s wisdom and limit the “leaven or yeast” of our culture.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 