Matthew 16:5-6 (NIV) When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Fresh from His encounter with the sign-demanding Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus gave His followers a stern warning: “Be careful. Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
The teachings of these religious leaders were eagerly lapped up by many people, because these men had authority in their eyes based on the positions and titles that they held. They were admired by the people, who considered them especially holy and close to God.
But many of their teachings had nothing to do with God. They were simply traditions handed down from the teachers of previous generations, and rules made by men. These rules were so strict and difficult to follow that conventional wisdom said that they must have come from God. But, as Paul pointed out to the Colossians, that was only appearance. The rules taught by these leaders were completely impotent, unable to develop real righteousness in people (cf. Colossians 2:20-23).
The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees spread like yeast. They went from teacher to student, who then inculcated them into their families. And from there, they continued to permeate the very fabric of society.
Jesus’ point to His followers was that, despite the seeming righteousness and holiness of these men, they were really whitewashed tombs, nice looking on the outside, but full of corruption within (cf. Matthew 23:27-28). Their corrupt teachings were not to be taken up by the people of the kingdom, but counteracted with the truth. Only if someone refused to allow their theology to be coopted by those teachings would the spread of false doctrine cease.
Father, we live in a similar world today. Many in the Church hang on the words of charismatic religious teachers who seem to be blessed, to have it all. But some of those teachings are not only non-scriptural, but anti-scriptural, and taint the hearts and minds of those who buy into them. As Your people, we must not allow our hearts and minds to become infected with these false teachings that spread like yeast, but instead, cling simply to Your word. Thank You. Amen.