The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

¹⁴ The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ¹⁵ “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 

¹⁶ They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” ¹⁷ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. ²⁰ “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”

²¹ He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Mark 8:14-21

9th October 2024: Paphos, Cyprus

‘To a Jew, leaven was a symbol of evil. Leaven was a piece of dough kept over from a previous baking and fermented. To a Jew, fermentation was identified with putrefaction, and therefore leaven stood for evil. ‘

^{(Wm Barclay, New Daily Study Bible: Gospel of Mark, Kindle Edition Loc 3859)}

Take some flour, water and perhaps a little salt, and mix it into a dough. Cook it in a hot pan or in an oven. You will get something that looks like a flatbread. It is called ‘unleavened bread’.  It will be ok, especially if you mix it with other food, but on its own, you’ll probably find it rather dull.

Repeat the process, but this time put a little yeast (sometimes called ‘leaven’) in the mixture and leave it to rise for an hour before cooking, and some real magic happens. The yeast will move throughout the dough. This time, you will end up with something quite different, and more like ‘proper’ bread.

You may have noticed the quote from William Barclay at the start of this post. For various reasons, in literature, the Jews associated yeast with evil.  Jesus warns the disciples to beware of the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees and of Herod. The followers of both these groups are out to get Jesus.

At this moment, our band of disciples are in the boat with Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee. They had just witnessed a confrontation between Jesus and some of the Jewish leaders, Pharisees and Sadducees, so there is plenty for them to talk about.

Imagine you’re in the boat. It’s a nice enough day. Listen to the chatter of the disciples. ‘Be careful,’ he says to his disciples, ‘of the yeast  of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’

Maybe the disciples, at least some of them, didn’t catch what Jesus said. I can almost hear one of the disciples saying ‘What did he say?’ The reply, ‘I think he mentioned yeast.’ There follows a conversation about bread. ‘We should have brought extra bread for the journey!’ ‘We’ve got one small loaf.’ ‘Yes but why didn’t you bring some more bread?’

Then, back to the Scripture, Jesus…“Why are you talking about having no bread?” 

Jesus reminds them of the bread which was multiplied to feed 5000 near Bathsheba, and then later 4000 in the Decapolis. He reminds them of the baskets of bread which were collected at the end of these miracles. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘When did you lack for anything?’ ‘Do you still not understand?”

End Piece

The teaching of the Pharisees is based on a rigorous application of God’s Law, and hundreds of detailed regulations which were thought to make a right relationship with God. The teaching of Herod and those who supported him is about living selfishly. It was about suppressing people so that he and his peers can enjoy luxury whilst keeping tight control over the local population.

The teaching of Jesus is about servanthood and selfless love. Jesus warns the disciples that of they allow themselves to be drawn into listening to and accepting any part of the false teachings of he Pharisees or the Herodians, then in the same way that yeast changes the nature of the dough,  so the corrupt teaching of others will permeate their whole being and undermine them.

What has this to do with you and me?

‘Be careful’, Jesus might say to me, ‘of the yeast of social media and the culture all around you.’ In our own culture, we are bombarded by information, much of it manipulative or false. Misinformation, lies, conspiracy theories and half truths of ‘spiritual’ or ‘unspiritual’ friends who either have no concept of following Jesus or are opposed to it. The fact is that we can’t avoid that stuff, any ore than the Disciples could avoid the teaching of Pharisees and Herodians. Jesus was saying don’t engage with it. Listening to or being open to the wrong stuff is like putting yeast in the dough. Allow some of it in, and it will take hold and permeate your whole being, altering, corrupting and undermining our character.

The wise man listens to Christ’s words and puts them into practice. Be on your guard, says Jesus. Be careful.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK