Each day I will be posting from the daily Bible Reading plan we will be doing at West Side. On weekdays we will be going through the New Testament. On the weekends we will read passages from the Old Testament books of Psalms and Proverbs. We invite you to join along.
Jesus is a master teacher. He is always looking for that special moment with his disciples where he can really plant a nugget of truth. Today’s reading shows us that (Matthew 16). His disciples forget to bring bread along. Now that does not mean they do not have any food, they just did not have bread. Realizing this, they make a comment, and Jesus seizes an opportunity to teach.
One of the key ingredients in making bread is yeast. Yeast is a living organism put into bread. As the yeast lives it converts oxygen into carbon dioxide causing it the dough to rise. When the bread is baked the yeast dies off leaving air pockets. Bread without yeast, or very little yeast, is normally flat and has a tougher texture.
Jesus confuses his disciples when tells them to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their minds are thinking about physical food while Jesus is thinking about spiritual food. We can picture the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees as an additive to their teaching. Not only did they teach about the Laws of Moses they would also sprinkle in their own little teachings, their own oral law. Jesus wanted them to be careful to focus on correct teaching.
So is there any yeast creeping into your life? What laws and regulations are you putting into your life that makes it impossible for you to get close to God? Jesus calls us to guard ourselves of false teachers. Paul reminds us that in Christ we are free. It is for freedom we have been saved.
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