Matthew 16:5-12
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
7They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."
8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
When the disciples crossed lake Galilee they had forgotten to take bread...Jesus warns them to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees...The disciples ask each other, is this because we did not bring any bread...The disciples did not understand...Jesus was not talking about the disciples forgetting to bring bread or food...He was talking about their faith, and how others can impact our faith...Jesus ask them why were they talking about bringing bread...Had He not recently taken five loaves of bread and turned those five into five thousand...Didn't He also recently take seven loaves and turn them into four thousand, to feed His followers...And in both these times there were baskets gathered after everyone had eaten the bread...Jesus bluntly tells them that He is not talking about bread...He was talking about the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and how it impacts their and our faith...
Jesus was a little bit upset that His disciples were thinking He was talking about their daily bread...Jesus knows God would provide the daily bread for Him and His disciples...Did He not teach them to pray to God, our Father "to give us this day our daily bread."?...He knows God will provide for them...
Jesus was talking about the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees...The Sadducees taught that there was no resurrection...The Sadducees were followers of Herod...The Pharisees taught the commandments, but also taught the tradition of the elders...Jesus points out that the Pharisee's beliefs and their own self righteous in His teachings...The Pharisees ask Jesus why He ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors, when He is recruiting Matthew... Jesus responds, to the Pharisees, that it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repent (Luke 5:30-32)...When He tells us the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, He teaches us the value of being humble and asking for mercy, over seeking and displaying pride over one's own righteousness (Luke 18:9-14)...Jesus tells us more about righteousness and being humble...If our righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees then we will certainly not enter heaven (Matthew 5:20)...Blessed and happy are the poor in spirit...The Pharisees did not understand this...Their righteousness kept them from checking their spiritual condition, their faith, and their closeness to God...Many of the Pharisees could not admit, they were poor in spirit, and had doubts in their faith...Their outward religious acting, doing, and teachings were more about appearance than it was about their faith in God...
Jesus warns us that certain people and groups will impact our faith...Their teachings can spread and spread quickly like yeast...Instead of encouraging us towards God, some think more of the majesty of man...We must be on guard for these people and groups...Intelligent false teachers can lead us astray from the truth...