Mark 8:13-21
13 And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.
14 And the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15 And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet comprehend or understand? Do you still have your heart hardened?
18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember,
19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They *said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.”
21 And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
The Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees
Disciples who forgot to take the bread
Jesus after departing from the Pharisees, again boarded a boat and crossed to the other side. This time, the disciples were concerned of the bread that they had forgotten to bring. In fact, there was only one loaf of bread in the boat. At that moment, Jesus warned them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.” Hearing the word “leaven,” the disciples began to discuss among themselves, thinking they were being rebuked. However, their discussion was off the mark. Whenever the word “leaven” is used symbolically (Matt. 13:33), it always refers to sin or false teaching (ref. 1 Cor. 5:6-8). Jesus, hearing the disciples’ discussion, corrected their misunderstanding.
Jesus teaching the meaning of leaven
Jesus reminds His disciples of the two occasions when the miracle of bread happened. On both occasions, a great amount of bread was offered, more than enough to eat, with many baskets full of leftovers. Through the two miracles, the disciples should have experientially learned the truth that they do not need to worry about food. What they do need to be careful of is the “leaven,” which symbolically means “false teaching.” The leaven that Jesus warned about includes the following: (1) The leaven of the Pharisees, which is the false understanding that “Jesus is performing miracles by the power of Satan.” (2) The leaven of the Sadducees, which refers to the accusation that “Jesus denies the very essence of temple worship.” While Jesus criticized the ritualistic and commercialized temple practices, He remained faithful to the Law of Moses. (3) The leaven of Herod, which refers to the teachings of the Herodians that “Jesus is opposing the rule of Rome and Herod.” Even a small amount of leaven can affect the entire dough. We too, should be aware that even a little spiritual impurity, lack of faith, or negative words can have a detrimental effect on the entire community. Jesus’ advice to His disciples was, “Be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please open my spiritual eyes and enlighten me to understand Your words. Please help me discern the leaven that causes bad influence. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.