Lent - 23rd Day
The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod
"Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? ‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they answered.
“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:14-20
This is the 23rd day of our 40 day journey reading through the Book of Mark. I trust you already have a daily reading routine and have found the time to join up and to start from Day 1, even if you started late.
The passage above follows the one from the previous day and Jesus is now speaking about the Pharisees (the religious leaders of His day). In the previous message, He was speaking to them as they were again up to their usual schemes, testing Him.
Confused
Luke, one of the other gospel writers added another thing that Jesus said about this (in Luke 12:1-3).
And for good measure, as His followers seemed to be lost again as to what He was teaching them about.
As we have come to know by now, Jesus taught them using stories, metaphors and similes.
This time is no different, He is comparing the yeast of everyday bread to the yeast of the Pharisees.
But because Jesus have multiplied bread a couple of times to feed thousands (a sign that the Pharisees missed or refused to see), His followers were confused if Jesus was telling them this because they forgot to bring more bread with them. Which might be often.
Explanation
Whatever the case was, they were still at a loss as to what Jesus was trying to tell them. And as His usual practice, Jesus explains to them what He meant. And almost always only to them, His closest followers.
If we want to know the meaning to His stories and teachings, we too like His closest followers have to follow Him closely. Reading the gospels is one sure way to do so.
Jesus, as expounded on by Luke, wrote that Jesus explained it this way, that they should be wary of the yeast of the Pharisees. Because this yeast, even in a small amount, would work its way to the entire batch of bread, making it all swell (mostly with air). And this is what was wrong with these religious leaders -- they were so full of it. They make it appear that they know it all, and that they have it all together and that they are so good and great that they have surpassed even God.
Two Kinds of People
Most people would want nothing to do with God, and would not even lift a finger to open a page of Scriptures (the bible), even though it is so much easier now more than ever. Everything is online now and there are even "talking" bibles or audio bibles, where people can listen to someone reading it for them. There are bible apps on smart phones and electrobic devices. There are teachers of the Word on radio and TV. People just do not have time for God or do not believe in one.
But there are others who go the other extreme, and that they read and study and memorize Scriptures. And that they project an image of piousness and religiosity, to the point that they are too good, they do not even need God. Kind of like the first group but reversed.
Either way, the end result is that they both have no need of God.
Jesus is seeking out those who are in the first group but He isn't really all that too excited about those in the second group.
40 Day Lenten Study
I trust that we are in that first group who mostly really just do not have time to read the bible or even not sure if there is a God or believe in one.
But as we have been talking about this past few days, this 40 days of Lent would be the perfect time to read the gospels for ourselves, to find out who Christ is and what Christianity is all about. Well it's not like there are many other choices to do or go out to anyway, that is if we could even go out of our homes.
And although we are already half way into our 40 day Lenten journey, I pray that even if you weren't able to be with us from the start you still could join up by reading the book of Mark, praying, fasting and abstaining from activities that by now we know we could do without.
It's still not too late, please start from Day 1 if you haven't.
See you back soon.
"Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? ‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they answered.
“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:14-20
This is the 23rd day of our 40 day journey reading through the Book of Mark. I trust you already have a daily reading routine and have found the time to join up and to start from Day 1, even if you started late.
The passage above follows the one from the previous day and Jesus is now speaking about the Pharisees (the religious leaders of His day). In the previous message, He was speaking to them as they were again up to their usual schemes, testing Him.
Confused
Luke, one of the other gospel writers added another thing that Jesus said about this (in Luke 12:1-3).
And for good measure, as His followers seemed to be lost again as to what He was teaching them about.
As we have come to know by now, Jesus taught them using stories, metaphors and similes.
This time is no different, He is comparing the yeast of everyday bread to the yeast of the Pharisees.
But because Jesus have multiplied bread a couple of times to feed thousands (a sign that the Pharisees missed or refused to see), His followers were confused if Jesus was telling them this because they forgot to bring more bread with them. Which might be often.
Explanation
Whatever the case was, they were still at a loss as to what Jesus was trying to tell them. And as His usual practice, Jesus explains to them what He meant. And almost always only to them, His closest followers.
If we want to know the meaning to His stories and teachings, we too like His closest followers have to follow Him closely. Reading the gospels is one sure way to do so.
Jesus, as expounded on by Luke, wrote that Jesus explained it this way, that they should be wary of the yeast of the Pharisees. Because this yeast, even in a small amount, would work its way to the entire batch of bread, making it all swell (mostly with air). And this is what was wrong with these religious leaders -- they were so full of it. They make it appear that they know it all, and that they have it all together and that they are so good and great that they have surpassed even God.
Too much yeast makes bread to rise too much. From the outside they look bigger than life, from the inside, nothing but air.
Most people would want nothing to do with God, and would not even lift a finger to open a page of Scriptures (the bible), even though it is so much easier now more than ever. Everything is online now and there are even "talking" bibles or audio bibles, where people can listen to someone reading it for them. There are bible apps on smart phones and electrobic devices. There are teachers of the Word on radio and TV. People just do not have time for God or do not believe in one.
But there are others who go the other extreme, and that they read and study and memorize Scriptures. And that they project an image of piousness and religiosity, to the point that they are too good, they do not even need God. Kind of like the first group but reversed.
Either way, the end result is that they both have no need of God.
Jesus is seeking out those who are in the first group but He isn't really all that too excited about those in the second group.
40 Day Lenten Study
I trust that we are in that first group who mostly really just do not have time to read the bible or even not sure if there is a God or believe in one.
But as we have been talking about this past few days, this 40 days of Lent would be the perfect time to read the gospels for ourselves, to find out who Christ is and what Christianity is all about. Well it's not like there are many other choices to do or go out to anyway, that is if we could even go out of our homes.
And although we are already half way into our 40 day Lenten journey, I pray that even if you weren't able to be with us from the start you still could join up by reading the book of Mark, praying, fasting and abstaining from activities that by now we know we could do without.
It's still not too late, please start from Day 1 if you haven't.
See you back soon.
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