Gleanings – Leaven Gives Rise to an Increasingly Smaller World

Proper 13, Monday, August 05, 2013

Mark 8:11-21

“Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Apparently leaven is not yeast. But leaven is the part of the old bread that makes the new dough rise. A pinch makes a loaf so to speak.

The disciples did not get it. “We have no bread.”

Do we get it any better? Is it really all that difficult?

It is a warning. The old teaching of the Pharisees could adversely permeate the new teachings given in Jesus. The law blunts grace. The self-righteousness of man blurs the gift of righteousness given in the God-man. The traditions of men and teaching of the elders are not equal  to the Word of God.

Phariseeism to this day is often found in Christianity. The myriad of ways are too many to cover here. Here is how you will know. Phariseeism binds and robs one of life in spite of who we are. Christianity liberates and gives life in spite of who we are, where we’ve been and what we’ve done. No wonder the teachings of Jesus spread.