“The leaven to avoid?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Thursday, November 11, 2021
Matthew 16:1-12 (Forward, p. 13) CEV p. 1003
A mistake that readers of the Scriptures sometimes make is to assume that any particular word in the text always has the same meaning or always the same application. Doing so can lead to confusion, or worse, to some serious misunderstanding. One such word is the word ‘leaven’ or its modern translation ‘yeast.’
A brief survey of the New Testament will illustrate this. In Jesus’ section on the Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13), Jesus casts leaven, or yeast, in a somewhat positive light (verse 13). Here He speaks of just a bit of leaven as being added to a lump of flour and gradually, bit by bit, transforming it from something that was listless and tasteless into a full loaf or bun, something that was wholesome and tasty. It was that little bit of yeast that caused the dough to rise. That little bit went a long way, even though it took a while!
Here Jesus uses it as an illustration of the Kingdom of God: when inserted into our world, into our society, it gradually permeates it, has its mark, and eventually transforms it. But, it takes time. In a sense, we, you and I, are to be like that leaven, that yeast. And like yeast in a literal sense, it only takes a bit to have an impact.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, however, leaven or yeast is used in a far less positive way, as in today’s passage. The Pharisees and Sadducees have come to Jesus with what might well seem to be an honest and sincere question. They ask Him for a sign from heaven. But Jesus knows their intent and the state of their hearts. He knows that this request is not sincere, that they do not really want an answer but have only come to test Him. It is only a façade of piety, of wanting to know more, nothing else.
In parallel passage (in Luke), He calls this hypocrisy and compares it to leaven, in that just this little bit can permeate and impact so much else. He warns His disciples not to be taken in by it or allow themselves to be impacted by it, and not just their behaviour and example but their teaching as well. He warns that this can unknowingly and surreptitiously corrupt their thinking and their character as individuals.
Likewise, the apostle Paul, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, uses the word in a similarly negative way. Here there has been blatant sin, which the local church has seemingly just shut their eyes to, seemingly acquiesced in. Paul warns them that allowing this yeast, this leaven, can permeate and transform the whole lump, the whole church, just as literal yeast can. He advises them to correct the situation lest it hurt everyone.
If we look back to the Hebrew scriptures, we discover that leaven or yeast also was used in a negative way, here denoting sin or corruption. Thus, leaven or yeast, in its physical sense, was therefore not allowed in grain offerings, nor any sacrifice given on God’s altar. Clearly, they are again saying that even a little effect ‘goes a long way’, that just a little bit can have a big impact.
That said, I think that there is a clear message about leaven, or yeast, whether used in a positive sense or a negative one. It is that even seemingly small, insignificant actions, seemingly accidental or unintentional deeds and decisions, can have profound and incredibly lasting impacts or effects.
As I have suggested, I think that this is true, regardless of whether they were negative or positive. And so, we need to be careful, deliberate and thoughtful in terms of our actions—for we never know just what impact they might have. And, while our actions and decisions may be forgiven sometime down the road (as was David’s ‘indiscretion with Bathsheba), we can never count on their impacts or consequences not being more lasting in their effect. David’s past never failed to haunt him as the years went by, and so can it be with us. And so, yes, it pays, as the Scripture say, to ‘count our days’ and be intentional with them, for we just never know where they will take us or where they will end up. Amen.
Forward notes: “Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (verse 12).
“A few years ago, my wife and I spent a day with a French bread baker learning a bit about bread making. Life is flour, water, and salt, she told us, as she showed us how to use levain to start our bread.
“I’ve continued the learning in our own kitchen and have found that there is much to learn, mostly by trial and error. Despite my practice, I am no expert. Some loaves turn out great, and others not so well. It might have to do with the temperature during the rise, the levain not being ready, or the baking time not on the mark.
“Yeast is similar to levain in that it causes the bread to rise, and without it, the bread is flat. As with most of his parables, Jesus uses the familiar yeast as a symbol for the spiritual life. What is the yeast (or levain) in your life? And what do you need to beware of?”
Moving Forward: “What practice helps your spiritual life rise? Make sure to set aside the time for this practice each day.”
