28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to … To us, this might seem just like a strange ritual since we can just go to the store for packets of yeast. Absorbed in materialistic concerns about our future, we study weather forecasts, political trends, and stock market predictions, unaware of the many miracles taking place in the present moment. . And eventually they had to learn Jesus’ warning was about watching out for those teachings. In the Bible, the use of yeast is strongly prohibited when the bread is prepared to be the offering to God and/or to be used for a special occasion. You can search/browse their whole library at the New Church Vineyard website. This kind of salvation could only be accomplished through Jesus’ experiencing combats against every evil that could ever assail humanity. However, in order to triumph in the combats of temptation, we need to know that they are coming, that they cannot be avoided, and that there are spiritual truths for dealing with them. To be good enough. This is sometimes referred to as, “The Way of the Cross.” In fact, the cross would be the only way; spiritual temptation would be inevitable, both for Jesus and His followers. And so, Jesus says, “But who do you say that I am?” (16:15).It’s a question that is the very center of this gospel, all the gospels, and Christianity itself: “Who do you say that I am?” (16:15).Without a moment’s hesitation Peter responds and says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16). It doesn’t require giant willpower from us! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (You can do that anytime with our language chooser button ). In fact, Jesus is more than satisfied with Peter’s answer. Junchol Lee I’ll spend my energy improving everyone else.” thoughts. Hopefully you heard the irony in that paragraph. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Just a smidgen of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod suffices t… ( Log Out /  11 Therefore, Jesus adds these words, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Working so hard to be right that we convince ourselves that the hurt we cause is justified. The operant word here is “live.” Religion is not something merely to be believed — it must be lived. And this is how we fall victim to the yeast of the Pharisees. This is what Jesus was communicating when He told the Pharisees, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:20b–21, NIV). That we as a Christian culture are so focused on being right that we do not let ourselves be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit showing us where we are wrong. Even though Jesus has done numerous miracles, they remain unconvinced. As a general rule, the Pharisees were self-righteousness and smug in their delusion that they were pleasing to God because they kept the Law—or parts of it, at least. Yeast in this context is false teaching, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, and hypocrisy. Aware that the religious leaders are not really interested in a sign, but are only testing Him, Jesus says, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites. This also is what is meant in the internal sense by the manna being received ‘day by day’ from heaven, and by the ‘daily bread’ in the Lord’s Prayer.”3. It is for this reason that Jesus now warns His disciples: “Take heed and beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (16:6).The disciples do not understand Jesus’ warning about “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They think that Jesus is using the term “leaven” to refer to physical bread, because it is the essential ingredient that makes bread rise. Arcana Coelestia 2493: “2493. And they had convinced everyone that they were. Examine your beliefs and actions. For instance, in Matthew 16:6, He gave His disciples a command: “Be careful. It wasn’t that they were legalistically trying to attain righteousness as much as the fact that their Talmud had superseded the actual Torah. Now, you may right now be thinking, but God wants more for us than just the inward status of righteousness Christ assigned to us. Because they put so much emphasis on righteousness. Since they worked so hard to maintain their “clean” status, they kept themselves away from those considered “unrighteous” in their eyes. So they asked him for a sign from heaven. Because the yeast they had was the yeast from their slavery. Then they understood that He did not say they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.---By this time, it has become quite clear that the religious leaders want to destroy Jesus who directly challenges their teachings and their practices. They had only one loaf with them in the boat. Answer: Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven is found in two of the Gospels. Jesus warned them, ‘Be careful! He couldn’t have that bad of things to say about me! For others, however, it is not grievous; let them resist evils in intention only once a week, or twice in a month, and they will perceive a change.”6. So when Jesus did things they certainly wouldn’t do, like hang around those making poor life choices or letting his disciples violate their traditions, they got all sorts of bothered! Having a show of piety, without true holiness, is like leaven in that it gradually increases and spreads corruption, puffing up a person with vanity. var sStoryLink1 = aStoryLink[1].trim(); So the things He says about the Pharisees are cautionary tales for someone else, surely! God wanted to start fresh with His people. It is a very simple story—a snapshot of life, really: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33; cf. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Many scholars believe that the Herodians looked to Herod as a messiah, a savior of sorts who would put the Jewish land in favor with the Roman Empire and bring blessings to them. I absolutely agree with you. He was talking about Passover and the importance God put on getting rid of all the yeast they had. The more we get our identity caught up in being right (which is easy to do when society is screaming at us that we are wrong for following Christ), the more we lose our identity of being hidden with God in Christ. Whenever we feel ourselves slipping into contempt for others, feeling superior in some way, or believing that others should think the way we do and behave in the ways that we regard as “righteous,” we are indulging in “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” This “leaven” which Jesus tells us to “beware of” can secretly fill us with confidence in self rather than in God, inflates us with feelings of pride rather than humility, and delude us into thinking that we have risen above othersTo avoid being “leavened” in this way, it’s important to remember that the Lord will always provide “the true bread” — not the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They would not — and therefore could not — see beyond their own prejudices and preconceptions. 1. Because of the limited availability of yeast, they would save a portion of the dough from the daily bread to use as the yeast for the next day. In the third, Jesus warned of the leaven of Herod (he was evil and immoral: Mt 4:1-12, Mk 6:14-29, Lk 3:18-21, Lk 23:7-12), and again the Pharisees (Mk 8:15). If dealt with properly, however, a process similar to the leavening of bread and the fermenting of wine can take place within us; we can make progress in our spiritual journey. It is this more interior sight that Jesus is speaking about when He says, “There are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (16:28). if(sStoryLink1 != '') They were even counting something so commonplace as mint leaves, and so minute as cumin seeds toward their tithe–while preventing the common person–because the rich had the time to attend to the Talmud–a correct understanding of the Kingdom of YHWH. 1 cf. document.write(sStoryLink1 + "

"); Questions of Identity and raised again the third day” (16:21).Peter does not take it well. } This makes it more impactful that God commanded the Israelites to get rid of all the yeast in their houses before fleeing Egypt for the Promised Land. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in … Jesus issues this warning: Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Jesus makes it abundantly clear to them that temptation will be inevitable, and that it must not be avoided. To say yes, it is OK, would alienate the Jews. 2 you indeed know how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the time you cannot [discern].4. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Disregarding the hurt our words and actions are causing because our cause is righteous and their thinking is wrong because they are sinners. The covenant of salt. Arcana Coelestia 10099:3: “The ancients knew that when people are withdrawn from the sensuous things that belong to the body, they are withdrawn or raised into the light of his spirit, thus into the light of heaven.” Conjugial Love 498: “If people were without the power to raise their understanding above the will’s love, they would not be human beings, but rather beasts, for the beast does not enjoy that power. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?27. But the new thing that was to make us reject the old yeast is Imputed Righteousness, the righteousness we are assigned. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! And He answering said to them, “When it is evening, you say, [There will be] serenity, for the heaven is red;3. Chapter 16.Requesting More Signs---1. Reporting what they have heard others say, they reply, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (16:14). You have missed an important finer point. Lies and hypocrisy can poison one’s whole character. Beware the Yeast of the Pharisees By Rick Warren “Then Jesus left the Pharisees and went in the boat to the other side of the lake. And Peter, taking Him, began to rebuke Him, saying, “Pity Thyself Lord; this shall not be to Thee.”23. Not because of anything I have done, but because of everything He has done. I have spoken to angels about the memory of things of the past and about consequent anxiety concerning things of the future, and I have been informed that the more interior and perfect angels are the less do they care about things of the past or think about those of the future, and that this is also the origin of their happiness. And Jesus, coming into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, besought His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”14. This pictures something about the human condition. “And no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (16:4).As we have seen (12:39), the “sign of the prophet Jonah” is our individual experience of regeneration as we struggle daily to live according to the teachings of our religion. See the way I want to obey all His laws and help others stop sinning as well! Do you ever say something that leaves your listeners boggled because they totally lack the context? In Luke 12:1 Jesus specifies that the leaven of the Pharisees is “hypocrisy.”. After all, the gospel begins with the prophecy, “He will save His people from their sins” — not from their physical oppressors (1:21).This is a new and different kind of salvation, very different from what had been expected of a Messiah. bHasStory1 = true; To the extent that we do this, we begin to notice subtle but significant changes in our character — changes that can only be experienced by those who strive to live their religion. They have said that the Lord provides them every moment with what to think, accompanied by blessing and happiness, and that this being so they have no cares and no worries. Because dollars to doughnuts, the Pharisees didn’t think God would call them out either. On the contrary, just being around Him and His transforming, all-consuming, overwhelming love organically made them look at their lives and want to change. That’s what their righteousness meant. God does not compel our belief. In Luke 12:1, Jesus refers to “the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Jesus’ point was that the teachings of the Pharisees were pervasive and produced hypocrisy and unbelief. Instead of using terms like "wrong," "false" or "selfish," Jesus specifically uses the word "yeast" to describe the things of the Pharisees that are spiritually harmful to his disciples. He says to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16. { 1. That yeast can be tempting. And God didn’t want any of them eating slave yeast and slave bread now that He had freed them. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leavenleaven of breadbread, but of the doctrine of the PhariseesPharisees and of the Sadducees. Trying to fight for right ideas instead of fighting for lost souls. Finally, Paul gives us a … In other words, before they die, or even “taste of death,” Jesus will establish His new kingdom.But Jesus is speaking about something much more interior. You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (16:23).It is natural to prefer the easy way. From this one may recognize that conflict is altogether inevitable; for the life of the old man stands its ground and refuses to be snuffed out, and the life of the new man cannot enter except where the life of the old has been snuffed out. As it is written, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things . You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (16:2-3). As we begin a new year, as the God commanded the Israelites every new year, look through your house for yeast. To be righteous. In the process we become increasingly connected to the Lord, to the point where it seems that our will has become one with His will. Jesus sometimes said things that His listeners felt like we completely out of context. With a deep sigh he asked, “Why do these people demand a sign? 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. Jesus was proposing a different way- infusing us with His righteousness and slowly transforming us so the outside matched the inside. It is the voice of the Chief Shepherd. It promoted dissonance in them as someone they wanted to identify with (hello, miracles!) But they are unable to see Jesus as the promised Messiah whose coming was forecasted by the prophets. And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.6. Whatever is damaging to our spirit will be “bound”; and whatever is life-promoting for our spirit will be “loosed.” And the “key of keys,” the rock of truth upon which all other truth stand, is the confession that Jesus is “the Son of the living God.” 8 So they made sure they were righteous enough. So powerful is this truth that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (16:18); in other words, it will overcome and subdue any evil that threatens to attack it.It should be noted that although Peter refers to Jesus as the Son of the living God, he does not say that Jesus is God Himself. Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. The religious leaders know how to discern the face of the sky; they are adept at predicting the weather. }, Commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew, The Gospel According to Matthew - Translated from the Original Greek, and Illustrated By Extracts from the Theological Writings Of Emanuel Swedenborg, The Parables of the New Testament Explained, Study the original Hebrew/Greek with qBible. They tested him by demanding that he perform a miraculous sign from heaven. Whenever these truths are taken into the mind, loved, and lived, they become “keys” that close the door to hell — allowing nothing evil or false to enter our mind, and open the door to heaven, allowing all that is good and true to flow in. Now, consider: Jesus’ command to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees was not given to the Pharisees- it was not given to the unsaved- it was given to us- followers of Christ. But turning, He said to Peter, “Get thee behind Me, Satan; thou art an offense to Me, because thou art not wise in the things that are of God, but those that are of men.”24. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? The Pharisees Ask for a Sign from Heaven - The Pharisees went to Jesus and began to argue with him. Are you through your political ideals, theological views, perspective on sexuality or gender, understanding of science, or even parenting strategies drawing you into valuing being right over being like Christ? Jesus is warning them, because if they believed in the wrong teachings, … Many of us are at a loss as to what Jesus meant.Don’t worry so were the disciples. Their inability to see past their self-righteousness has blinded them to the divine truth that stands before them.Even so, they still demand “a sign from heaven.” Jesus has already performed numerous miracles, and yet they are unconvinced. He had new mana to introduce them to. Yeast is something that we use to make both the texture and taste of bread more pleasant to us. Absolutely they were doing this. Are you examining your own actions to see if you are valuing being right over all else? The fermentation process may have been connected with death; as such, it could not be associated with the altar, where sacrifices were given to the life-giver—God. But let it be known that no one can be regenerated without temptation, and that he suffers very many temptations, one following after another. Who were theys fighting? They had made stuff up, call it “torah” (Yes, they do call the Talmud “torah.”). A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and there shall no sign be given it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And leaving them He went away.---From the lofty heights of the mountaintop, where Jesus feeds the multitudes, we return to the edge of the sea. They were so good at it! Change ). If their primary goal is themselves and the world, let them know that their life is hellish; but if they have for their primary goal the good of the neighbor, the common good, the Lord’s kingdom, and especially the Lord Himself, let them know that their life is heavenly.”5. And the Pharisees and Sadducees coming, tempting, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.2. Obviously, it was really important to them that they get this righteousness thing right. In this sense is to be understood what the Lord teaches about leaven in Matthew: ‘The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened’…. And there is also more symbolism there. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. of all the truths that are available for successfully moving through these times of spiritual trial, one truth, above all, is necessary. We achieve practical righteousness by joining with the Holy Spirit to let Him change us from the inside out. When Jesus talks about the yeast of the Pharisees, I believe He is talking about this disproportionate focus on righteousness (or right-ness). The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. There might even be a special place for Peter in the new administration!But this is to misunderstand the true purpose of Jesus’ life on earth. Jerusalem and suffer many things own temptations and the yeast of the.... 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