Mark 8:14-2114Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? (Mark 8:14‑21)
“NOW the disciples had forgotten to take bread... And He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.”
The disciples no doubt were discussing their failure to provide for their journey and when the Lord speaks to them they think His warning is connected with securing more bread. But the Lord had a more serious meaning in His warning. In telling them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, He referred not only to the evil ways of that group, but to their hypocrisy, their holding the outward religious forms and the traditions and commandments of men.
Religion itself, although dressed up with all sorts of fine decorations, will always be abhorrent to God, if it is only an outward form. This was “the leaven of the Pharisees” in its worst form and there is much of the same in the world about us today. We need this warning ourselves, for the attractive and formal ceremonies of much of the religious world may ensnare us if we are not keeping our eyes on the Saviour.
In the Old Testament the priest’s garments of glorious design and formalities of worship were entirely correct — given by God Himself. They spoke, in type, of the Lord Jesus who was coming, as well as of heaven not yet fully understood by Old Testament people. In the Book of Hebrews there is much help for us in seeing the truth of this. For instance: Chapter 8:4, 5: "... there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.”
Chapter 9:6, 9: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God...which was a figure for the time then present...”
Chapter 9:23: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
Many other scriptures emphasize that the old formal ritualism (entirely correct before the Lord Jesus came into the world), is no longer suitable for today, since the One of whom they spoke has now come, has offered Himself the perfect Sacrifice for sins on Calvary, was raised from among the dead, and is now in heaven.
This truth cannot be too strongly emphasized, because it is most important that anyone seeking to come to Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins, or the saved person desiring to please Him, must understand that he cannot do so through formality or ritualism. The Lord wants our hearts through simple faith and obedience to the Word, and we must look with serious question on any religious practice that does not see the difference between Old Testament rituals and the simple faith and behavior shown us in New Testament truths, which are written for us today.
The leaven of Herod, against which the Lord also warned, was connected with worldliness, for Herod was determined to make a great name for himself and was full of selfish pride.
Not only does Satan use both these snares to keep the unsaved from coming simply to God through the work of the cross, but the Christian as well needs to be concerned about these two dangers that will take our eyes off the Lord. May it be our dire to be “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2).
ML-09/29/1963