Spiritually Leavened Bread

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

SPIRITUALLY LEAVENED BREAD 

Mark 8:14-21

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."  16 They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" 

NIV

We would have to do an extremely in-depth study, using every known scholar in order to determine, if possible, exactly how long the disciples had been with Jesus at this time when they were in the boat and talking about bread. Nevertheless, the point is they still did not understand the fullness of Jesus, and his teachings. How long does it take us to reach a complete understanding of the fullness of Jesus and all His teachings? We think we have ears to hear and eyes to see, however, there is more for us to hear and more for us to see as we continue to study his word. Each day we have more revealed to us, but what use are revelations unless we use or apply them to our lives. Because Jesus warned them about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod or the Herodian’s, or as Matthew includes the Sadducees, he is not talking about bread, which they started this discussion about a loaf of bread, which contained yeast. Without going into the rest of the exchange we understand the point Jesus was making. He was referring to the doctrines and traditions of men as the yeast we are to be aware of. Again, we need not go into detail about each particular doctrine of those three groups Jesus mentioned, but rather we should consider many have taken the truth and twisted it to fit their own personal agenda and created their own form of religion with added traditions of their own making. Jesus is saying we have to be careful not to allow their yeast to infect the loaf of bread we live by, the bread of life, Jesus and His truth. Physical food is just that, but the spiritual food which Jesus gives us has to be free of the leaven of this world. It is so easy to incorporate the ideals of this world into our religious experience, but we should not allow those ideologies to affect our faith in Jesus. There are far too many believers who have taken on those traditions of men, allowing the culture rather than the truth to dictate their beliefs and we cannot follow that path, for we are dedicated to the following Jesus and Jesus alone. What has happened is that some have taken on this Jesus plus life, having allowed the yeast of the world into their daily bread. This is not a condemnation, but rather a revelation so that we are careful not to allow that to happen to our bread of life. Still, it would seem we should have some responsibility to assist others in removing any yeast from their bread. The fact remains, whatever influences has the effect of leaven and spreads throughout our thinking, our emotions, and our faith. Let us eat only from the bread of life, the spiritually leavened bread so that His leaven permeates our lives.