Matthew 16:1-12 – False Leaven
Jesus takes the opportunity here to warn His disciples. Even these disciples, the future leaders of the Church, can fall into temptation. He warns them against the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He describes their false teaching as leaven. Like leaven it might seem a small thing compared to the whole body of truth; like leaven, once allowed in, it will work secretly and noiselessly; like leaven, it will gradually change everything with which it is mixed.
But what is this false teaching? Well, the Pharisees think they can work their way into heaven. So, they keep up a show of doing the right things and don’t bother with the state of their hearts. They are great believers in routine religion and in being self-righteous. The Sadducees are skeptics – they don’t really believe in much of anything and as a result feel free to live their life any way they want. They are the enemies of the Pharisees – in some ways, their polar opposite. But these enemies unite in their hatred of Christ. And things haven’t changed. It may be called by different names, but the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is alive and well today. Some want to add to the Gospel, and some want to take away from it; some would bury it, and some would reduce it to nothing; some would stifle it by heaping on additions, and some would bleed it to death by subtracting from its truths. Both parties agree only in one respect: both would kill and destroy Christianity. We, like the disciples, need to watch and pray.
Questions
- What does Jesus warn His disciples about?
- What is this false teaching?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters