In our study of Matthew, we have repeatedly noticed that
Jesus does not just make random statements.
Matthew has deliberately arranged his historical narrative concerning
Jesus’ ministry in such a way that we can view certain themes that Matthew
found most compelling concerning the life and mission of the Messiah. He has done this most effectively through the
record of His interaction with the people, with their leaders and with His
followers.
In our last study, we saw how the leaders – the Pharisees
and Sadducees – like everyone – felt fairly confident in their ability to
discern and respond to issues in the physical realm. Jesus used the example of their ability to
discern the weather from simple observations of the sky. However, they were unable to discern “the
signs of the times.” They had dismissed
the gospel of the kingdom that both John the Baptist and the Messiah had
proclaimed saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God is within reach.’ Both of these divinely appointed spokesmen
saw their message being embraced in the physical realm but rejected in the
spiritual realm. This was in large part due
to the religious leaders being blind guides who both Jesus and John called
‘hypocrites’ – a term we need to investigate in the way that Jesus used
it. The result of their ‘hypocrisy’ was
that they tended to focus on externals at the expense of the root problem which
was in the heart. Thus, there was no
repentance—not even a recognition of the depth of the problem. It was a fatal inability for them.
We saw how the sign of Jonah was the only external sign they
would get—and they would reject it.
Nineveh repented and yet God’s own chosen people refused to listen to
the warning.
So now in verses 5-12
of chapter 16, Jesus takes his disciples back across the Sea of Galilee to
Dalmanutha (which means harbor in Aramaic)—the port of the city of
Magadan. They apparently left in such a
hurry that the disciples forgot to purchase enough bread for the trip. So, they began arguing about whose fault it
was.
Matthew reports that Jesus made a rather pointed observation
and warning. “Beware the leaven of the
Pharisees.” Now, the disciples wrongly
but naturally connected His comment with their failure to buy enough bread
since leaven is a crucial ingredient in making bread. Perhaps, Jesus’ comment came across as
warning them not to buy bread from the Pharisees. They were totally focused on the fact they
had no bread and now it looked like Jesus didn’t want them buying bread from
outsiders. (This can be a problem for us, too.
As we spend time in the Word, it is quite tempting to attempt to relate
the passage of Scripture to our immediate felt needs instead of asking for God
to open our eyes to what He is trying to show us.)
But Jesus used the opportunity to help them learn from the
events of the past few weeks. “Don’t you
get it, guys? Have you forgotten how God
supplied our daily bread even miraculously with the feeding of the 5000 and
then the 4000. Remember all the
leftovers from those events?”
Then He repeated His enigmatic warning: “Beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees.” What kind of
bread had the Pharisees supplied? Not
bread but leaven—an ingredient known for its ability to spread throughout the
whole batch of dough and make it rise and when baked the flour has been
transformed from a powder into bread.”
What is this ingredient that spreads and transforms that was propagated
by the Pharisees? Jesus had His words
and works that presented the Word of God to repent for the kingdom of God is
within reach. The Pharisees had their
words and works also.
Jesus revealed that their words and works needed
repentance—change—because they dealt with the externals only and even that was
corrupt when examined in the light of Scripture. So, to repeat the earlier assertion, their
words and works were labeled by both John and Jesus as ‘hypocrisy.’ What exactly does Jesus mean by this?
In today’s usage, a hypocrite is one whose words do not
match his works. But this is not the whole
picture as it is used in the New Testament.
In Greek, a hypocrite was the term used for orators and poetry readers
and actors. These were people who were
attempting to give ‘an answer’ to a situation—which is the root meaning of
‘hypocrite’. Eventually, its use for
actors gave it a figurative emphasis on someone who was playacting. But among the Greek speaking Jews, it was
used to describe those who were godless despite a polished exterior.
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were attempting to give their
‘answer’—their solution—to the problem of estrangement from God. Their solution—their leaven—their
teaching—was to polish the exterior. Or,
as Jesus put it later, ‘whitewash the mausoleum.’ But how do you ‘bring forth fruit in keeping
with righteousness’ (as John the Baptist put it), when the condition of the
heart was wicked (as Jesus had just pointed out)?
The Pharisees resisted Jesus message that the interior world
needed total transformation. It conflicted with their message, their teaching,
their leaven, that the physical world was where the problem lay. And the disciples’ argument about bread was a
subtle shift in their understanding of ‘the answer.’ Jesus uses the incident to point out that
‘the answer’ is not to be found in our efforts surrounding the physical world. We don’t ignore it, because Jesus did use
real bread in the physical world to provide for a miracle feast—twice. But, conflict in the physical world stems
from unresolved issues in the unseen world of the heart. In this case, a lack of faith and trust in
their Leader. This lack of faith was due
to a spirit of self-reliance in the outer world—a whiff of the leaven of the
Pharisees.
How is this focus on the exterior world affecting our hearts
today? I am speaking of believers. Who or what are we looking at to save us, to
sustain us, to provide for us? I am
afraid that even among believers there are differing visions of ’the answer’ to
this need—differences that are causing divisions and bitterness between
brothers and sisters in some quarters and even worse bitterness among some
against the God Who provided a Savior—because their own expectations were not
met in this outer world.
In Biblical terms, hypocrisy is ultimately a focus on the
physical realm to solve a spiritual problem.
Jesus says, ‘Beware the leaven of the Pharisees.’ This is a leaven that spreads and affects
everyone whom it contacts.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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