Beware of False Doctrine

“And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”  Matthew 16:5-6

After receiving another round of verbal attacks, accusations, insults, and intentional refusals to at least try and understand what Jesus was saying, Jesus departed from these hard-hearted religious leaders, boarding a ship to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  This had been His final visit to this area on the western shore of Galilee.  When Jesus and the disciples arrived on the eastern shore, the disciples had forgotten to bring something to eat.  Their ship wasn’t exactly a cruise ship with an all-you-can-eat buffet.  If one was to be gone from home for a lengthy time, he or she had to pack a lunch or do without unless, of course, one was traveling with Jesus.  However, the disciples were still in that “woe is me, what am I going to do?” mindset.

One would expect Jesus to respond to the disciples with a “No problem” answer, but He didn’t say anything like that.  What He did say was to “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”.  How does this tie in with the lack of planning that the disciples displayed in forgetting to bring food on their journey?  Since Jesus used the word “leaven” which is also known as yeast in baking, the disciples must have assumed that Jesus was making a remark about their lack of foresight.  How could adult men, who are always concerned with eating, forget to bring something to eat while they traveled?  Jesus perceived their misguided thinking and spoke up.

Jesus said, “O ye of little faith…”  The first time that Jesus used this phrase was when He was speaking on the same subject about worrying over food and clothing (Matthew 6:30).  Again, He used it when the disciples were fearful of the storm as they sailed across the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:26).   The disciples were still in the infancy stage of their faith, and Jesus asked them why they were so concerned over their forgetfulness.  He reminded them of the five loaves that fed 5,000 men plus women and children and the seven loaves that fed 4,000 families.  What about all those leftovers?  It is easy for us to criticize the disciples for their constant worrying even after seeing Jesus do many miracles but look at many of us.  We have the entire word of God filled with assurances of His love, care, and promises, yet we still have worries and doubts when trials and troubles come our way.  Why is it so difficult to completely surrender every burden and care to the only One who has all the answers?  What we fail to realize is that God is working on our behalf even though we may not be seeing any results.  He will provide a solution on His timetable.  All things work out for the good of those who belong to and serve the Lord (Romans 8:28).

Jesus continued by expressing His frustration to His disciples for their lack of understanding the point He was making to them.  The leaven in Jesus’ statement had nothing to do with bread, but everything to do with the corrupt, sinful, self-righteous doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The Pharisees came from the scribes and were the less elite while the Sadducees came from the priesthood and were of the wealthier and more affluent.  The Sadducees were less inclined to observe ceremonial law and more concerned about social position, while the Pharisees were certainly more zealous about observing the law.  After Israel came under Roman rule, the Pharisees set forth the rules and traditions which were enforced upon the general public.  They believed in the afterlife, but the Sadducees did not.

The Pharisees believed they were pleasing God by their strict observance of the law and by making everyone else do the same.  They knew that it was wrong to murder, but they saw nothing wrong with hating someone.  Since the Sadducees did not believe in the afterlife, they had more of a “live and let live” attitude.  They did not see God’s hand in anything pertaining to life and death.  They believed that man’s free will triumphed anything pre-ordained by God.  It is no wonder that Jesus warned His disciples to beware of what these religious leaders taught.  The disciples knew enough about these leaders to begin to understand what Jesus was saying.  As leaven, or yeast, spreads throughout bread causing it to expand, so does false doctrine spread throughout the hearts and minds leading people away from the truth.  Peter re-emphasized Jesus’ warning in I Peter 5:8:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Is that not the truth?

If we ever have a question about a particular doctrine or belief, then our “go-to” book for answers is, of course, God’s word.  There are churches who teach doctrine that is not found in scripture.  If a belief or doctrine can’t be supported by what God has written in His word, then don’t buy it.  To depend upon a false teaching is to put oneself at risk of missing out on the most wonderful, joyful, glorious, and peaceful benefits in life, and that is becoming a brother or sister of Jesus Christ and a child of the living God.