Scripture reading – Mark 8; Matthew 17
* This brief Bible study is the second for today and is taken from Mark 8.
Mark 8:1-9 begins with the account of the Feeding of the Four Thousand. Immediately after, Jesus and the disciples departed by ship to an area known as “Dalmanutha,” which was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee near Magdala (Mark 8:10). It was in Dalmanutha that the LORD had a confrontation with the Pharisees, the religious legalists of His day. They came to Jesus and demanded that He prove Himself with a “sign [i.e., a miraculous sight] from heaven” (Mark 8:11). Mark declared the purpose of their coming was to tempt Jesus, meaning to put Him to the test in hopes He would fail (Mark 8:11).
Jesus, knowing what lay within the hearts of men, rebuked the Pharisees, saying, “There shall no sign be given unto this generation” (Mark 8:12b). He and the disciples then departed and set sail for Bethsaida (Mark 8:13-22). Bethsaida was the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (John 1:44-45) and was located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
As they crossed the sea, Jesus charged His disciples, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (8:15). “Leaven,” like yeast, was used in dough to induce bread to rise when baked. Hearing Jesus speak of leaven, the disciples assumed He was speaking of bread, for they had neglected to bring bread on their journey (8:14, 16).
The irony of the moment was summed up when Jesus asked His disciples, “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?” (8:17-18).
What was the irony? It was that the disciples would be concerned with what they would eat at their next meal (8:19-20)! Twice, they witnessed Jesus feed thousands. On one occasion, he fed 5,000 men with no more than a boy’s lunch. On a later occasion, Jesus took seven loaves of bread and fed 4,000 men, and they were not only filled but blessed with leftovers for their next meal.
Jesus then asked, “How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:21)
Matthew summarized the same narrative and concluded that the disciples then understood “how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12).
What was the “leaven (i.e., doctrine) of the Pharisees, and of the leaven (i.e., doctrine) of Herod?” (Mark 8:15)
The Pharisees were guilty of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1; Matthew 23:27). They also denied the Lord and spoke against Him (Luke 12:9-10). Matthew observed in this same setting Christ’s warning concerning the doctrine or “leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6). Mark introduced “the leaven of Herod,” perhaps indicative of that king’s openly immoral and idolatrous ways and influence (Mark 8:15).
Though those parties differed much, they were united by one thing—their determination to destroy and kill Jesus.
Copyright © 2024 – Travis D. Smith
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