I love to make bread.  I love to watch the rise of the dough.  I know the science behind it but to watch it work amazes me.  I know that the yeast is good when it reacts with the other ingredients, causing the dough to rise to a beautiful tall loaf ready to bake.  I can smell it now from memory.  Good yeast produces good bread.  Bad yeast, working its way through the dough in the same process, produces flat, tasteless bread not worthy to bring to the table.

Matthew 16, The Message

Some Bad Yeast

^1-4 Some Pharisees and Sadducees badgered him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, “You have a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can’t you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign.” Then he spun around and walked away.

^5-6 On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, “Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.”

^7-12 Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, “Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Baby believers! Haven’t you caught on yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven’t you realized yet that bread isn’t the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.” Then they got it: that he wasn’t concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The disciples, bless their hearts, still have their thoughts on the bread they didn’t bring along for the journey. Are they thinking about the leftovers from the feeding of thousands with baskets full of bread and fish they forgot to pack for the boatride?  Apparently so.  I cannot judge.  I rareely eat all my food at a restaurant so I put the leftovers in a box they bring me.  Distracted with conversation, I am notorious for leaving the box on the table without a another thought until I am on the journey home.  I get it, disciple friends, I totally get it!

We are so easily distracted when Jesus wants to teach us a lesson, especially those lessons of warning to beware of those who want to lead us into what is not good for us.  We are drawn to those in power.  The world is full of pretenders, forecasters, and false teachers.  Jesus is pointing them out to the disciples but they are sorry that forgot bread!  Jesus, the Bread of Life, the Sustainer of all their lives, offers a warning for them. “Stop talking about physical bread,” my friends, you’re missing the point”!  It’s not about physical bread, It’s about who I am and what you must know that will sustain you for Life everlasting! 

Keep a sharp eye out for anything that leads you from Truth—The Bread of Life—Jesus!

Ah, now we get it, says Jesus’ motley crew.  We cannot fault them.  We also miss the point on the journey with Jesus, too. 

• Beware of teaching that leads believers to following a human put on a pedestal of pride.
• Beware of teaching that seems close to Scripture but it is not exact Truth. 
• Beware of evasive teaching that distracts us from truth by telling us only what we want to hear.
• Beware of teaching that leads to a human cause but not Christ and what He wants.
• Beware of those who hide truth under a cloak of misleading, persuasive talk that leads nowhere.

We cannot rise with Christ unless the good yeast from the Bread of Life permeates our daily living!

Jesus, you have given us much to think about as we pray for wisdom and discernment, keeping a “sharp eye” out for bad yeast.  Help us to avoid it!  Our lives depend on it!

Lord,

You think eternal and we think present.  We are most often distracted with what is right in front of us that we must deal with currently.  But you are patient with us as you teach us about the dangers that lie ahead of us on our journey with you that are worse than our daily concerns.  So, may your eyes be fixed on you.  May our ears be open to hear and discern the true and false teachings of our day.  May our minds be filled with your wisdom.  Cleanse our hearts daily, transform our thinking, feed our souls with the Bread of Life, and restore the joy of your salvation working all through our lives—like good yeast that produces great bread—fit for the Table of our Lord!

In Jesus Name, Amen

“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”  2 Timothy 4:3-4, NLT

That time is here.