What was the “leaven of the Pharisees and…of Herod” that Jesus warned about?
Today's Bible Study:
What was the “leaven of the Pharisees and…of Herod” that Jesus warned about?
The skeptical Pharisees asked for a “sign from heaven” in Mark 8:11, demanding further miraculous proof of Jesus’ messianic claims. Not content with the countless miracles He had performed on earth, they demanded some sort of astronomical miracle. Having already given them more than enough proof, Jesus refused to accommodate their spiritual blindness. The supreme sign verifying His claim to be the Son of God and Messiah was to be His resurrection (Matt. 16:39, 40).
Jesus warned the disciples about “the leaven of the Pharisees and…of Herod.” “Leaven” is a yeast that multiplies quietly and permeates all that it contacts. In the New Testament, “leaven” most often symbolizes the evil influence of sin. The “leaven” of the Pharisees included both their false teaching (Matt. 16:12) and their hypocritical behavior (Luke 12:1). The “leaven” of Herod Antipas was his immoral, corrupt conduct (see 6:17–29). The Pharisees and the Herodians were allied against Christ (3:6).
To Jesus’ amazement, the disciples completely missed His point, thinking He was talking about physical bread. He was concerned with spiritual truth, not mundane physical matters. Jesus asks them, “Is your heart still hardened?” (v. 17), which implies that they were rebellious, spiritually insensitive, and unable to understand spiritual truth. And He also reminded them of His ability to provide anything they might lack.
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