Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

September 1st, 2024

Today, we are going to investigate what Jesus meant by beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod and how that applies to us in our lives.

During the time when Jesus spoke to his disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees," many people were already following him to hear his teachings. They were amazed not only by what he said about God but also by the miracles he performed. Jesus healed the sick, helped the disabled, and even fed thousands with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. Among the crowds were Pharisees, scribes, and other religious leaders who wanted to meet him. They asked him questions and challenged his teachings, which often contradicted their own beliefs and teachings.

After speaking to the crowd and interacting with the Pharisees, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to travel to another place. While they were on the boat, Jesus warned them to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." The disciples misunderstood his warning and thought he was talking about actual bread since leaven (or yeast) is used to make bread rise. They began to worry because they hadn't brought any bread with them. Jesus then criticized them for being concerned about having nothing to eat, reminding them that they had witnessed him feeding thousands of people with just a small amount of food.

To fully grasp what Jesus is trying to convey to his disciples, it's important to consider the broader context of his message. To do this, we'll explore a few earlier verses that provide more insight into what Jesus means by the "leaven of the Pharisees." By examining these passages, we can better understand why Jesus issued this warning to his disciples and how it relates not only to them but also to us today as we reflect on his teachings. This will help us see the significance of Jesus' caution and how the principles he was addressing are still relevant in our lives.

First, we must ask the question, what does Jesus mean when he says the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. The first thing we need to understand is that Jesus is using a metaphor of leaven or yeast. Once yeast is introduced in a dough of bread, it begins to react with the dough and makes it bigger than its original size. Just like this, whatever the Pharisees, the scribes, Herodians and religious leaders represent, Jesus is telling the disciples to be aware of those things and not let that take root in their heart. He is emphasizing that we must always reflect and be aware so that these don’t change our heart.

The next question we need to ask is, what exactly are we supposed to be aware of and vigilant about, so that it doesn't enter our hearts? To answer this, we need to understand more about who the Pharisees are and what they represent. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 23, verses 1-7, Jesus provides a clear picture of who these people are and why he strongly condemns them. By examining these verses, we can gain insight into the attitudes and behaviors that Jesus warns against. The Pharisees were religious leaders who were highly regarded in society, but Jesus criticizes them for their hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and desire for public recognition. He condemns them for placing heavy burdens on others while not practicing what they preach. Jesus' warning to his disciples—and to us—is to be careful not to adopt this mindset, which is more concerned with outward appearances and human approval than with genuine faith and humility. By understanding who the Pharisees are and what they represent, we can better grasp what Jesus is cautioning us to guard against in our own lives.

Matthew 23:1-7

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

Here, we see that from Jesus' perspective, these religious leaders are hypocrites because they don't practice what they preach. He criticizes them for doing things just to be seen by others, as they crave praise and approval for living an honorable life. On the surface, they appear to do everything right from a religious standpoint. They know the scriptures well, study them, and can teach others what they should do. They even tithe meticulously, giving a tenth of everything they earn, down to the smallest amount. For example, if they found a dime on the street, they would make sure to tithe 1 cent. Their focus is on doing all these things to earn respect and admiration from people, rather than genuinely living out their faith.

Jesus addresses this in Matthew 23:23, saying, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."

In this verse, Jesus is pointing out that these religious leaders are so focused on following the rules and doing the right things outwardly that they neglect the deeper, more important aspects of the law, like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Even though they might claim they’re doing these things to please God, their real motivation is to look good in front of others. They are more concerned with appearing righteous and gaining approval from people, rather than genuinely pleasing God.

Jesus says this behavior is very misleading and is not what God wants from us. By focusing on their own self-righteousness, these leaders are worshiping themselves rather than God and acknowledging His grace and sovereignty. Jesus strongly rebukes them in Matthew 23:13-14: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."

In this passage, Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for not only failing to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves but also preventing others from entering. Their actions and teachings mislead people, turning them away from the true path to God. Instead of guiding people toward God’s grace, they are blocking the way, leading others—and themselves—away from what God truly desires.

Now that we have some context, let's return to Jesus' warning to his disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees" and the "leaven of Herod." When Jesus gives this warning, he is telling his disciples to be vigilant in guarding their hearts. This warning isn't just for the Pharisees; it applies to the disciples as well. Jesus is emphasizing that anyone can fall into the same traps as the Pharisees, so it's important to continually examine our hearts and stay focused on what truly matters: obeying God's commandments and living them out in our daily lives. We must love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and we must love our neighbor as ourselves. By keeping these priorities at the center of our lives, we can avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

So then, what now? What should be the direction that we need to take in our lives now that we have come to understand the deeper meaning of Jesus' warning to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees? This phrase isn't just about avoiding hypocrisy or legalism; it's a call to examine the very core of our motives and intentions. We must pause and honestly ask ourselves: What are the things we are currently doing or focusing on that require deep reflection within our hearts?

It's important to consider whether there are areas in our lives where we have convinced ourselves that we are acting out of devotion to God, serving Him with all our hearts. But, could it be that, in reality, these actions are more about fulfilling our own desires or seeking approval from others rather than genuinely loving and honoring God?

I'm going to give you an example in my life, and I'll be vulnerable here. I'm not very proud of this, but it was a very long time ago, and I think I can now share it with everybody.

So, there was a time in my life where I thought—this is funny—that I thought I was a better believer than other people. How can you be a better believer? But in my mind, I genuinely thought I was a better believer. It's either you are a believer or not, but I thought I was a little bit better—a better believer. "Oh, you're a believer, that's great, but I'm a better believer." There was a time that I really genuinely felt that way. At that time, I didn’t even notice it. I didn’t even notice that was in my heart. Now that I look back, I know that I was believing that I was a better person than these people who were going to church.