5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (Matthew 16:5-12 KJV)
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
We have here Christ’s discourse with his disciples concerning bread, in which, as in many other conversations, he speaks to them of spiritual matters using a metaphor, and they misunderstand him to be speaking of physical things. The occasion was that they forgot to bring food for the journey across the water; they usually carried bread with them, especially when traveling through deserted places. Even when they weren’t in such areas, they preferred not to be a burden to others. But now they forgot—hopefully because their thoughts were occupied with better things. Christ’s disciples often aren’t the most mindful of worldly matters.
Jesus cautioned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. He had just been in discussion with the Pharisees and Sadducees and saw that they were of such a spirit that it was necessary to warn his disciples to keep away from them. Disciples are in the most danger from hypocrites. They are generally alert to those who are openly immoral, but they are often unguarded against Pharisees, who appear devout, and Sadducees, who claim to seek truth openly and impartially. That’s why Christ gave a strong caution: “Take heed, and beware.”
The corrupt principles and practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees are compared to leaven—they were souring, spreading, and infectious wherever they went.
The disciples misunderstood this caution (Matthew 16:7). They thought Jesus was rebuking them for forgetting bread, assuming he was upset they were so absorbed in his earlier conversation with the Pharisees that they neglected their practical needs. Or, they assumed he was telling them not to accept any food or help from the Pharisees and Sadducees, perhaps fearing they would use it to harm them under the pretense of hospitality. They might have even taken it as a warning not to socialize with them, misunderstanding the danger to be in their food rather than their teachings. Jesus corrected them for this misunderstanding.
He reproved them for their lack of faith (Matthew 16:8): “You of little faith, why are you so concerned about not bringing bread? Is that all you can think about? Do you think I’m worried about it too, and that everything I say must relate to it?” He didn’t scold them for being forgetful. Parents and leaders shouldn’t be overly harsh when their children or subordinates forget something – rather they should encourage them to be more careful next time—we all forget our duties sometimes. Jesus easily forgave the disciples’ forgetfulness, even though it was about something as essential as bringing food. The real issue was their weak faith.
He was displeased not with their forgetfulness to take bread but with their worry. Distrusting Christ and becoming anxious in hard times shows weak faith. If our faith were active, it would relieve us of worry by entrusting our concerns to God, who cares for us. He wanted them to trust him for provision, even in difficult circumstances. Even if they found themselves in need because of their mistakes, he still encouraged them to rely on him. We must not let someone’s mistakes keep us from helping them when they are in genuine need.
Their failure to trust was especially troubling because they had just witnessed Christ’s miraculous power and compassion (Matthew 16:9–10). Though they had no bread, they had with them the one who could provide it. “Don’t you remember?” Jesus asked. He reminded them of when he fed five thousand people with five loaves, and another time, four thousand with seven loaves—and in both cases, there were leftovers. These events were meant to strengthen their faith, much like the jar of manna kept in the ark was meant to help Israel remember God’s provision (Exodus 16:32). The leftovers from those miracles could have been a feast for them now. The one who gave them more than enough before could certainly provide what they needed in the present. We often worry now because we forget what God has done for us in the past.
He also rebuked them for misunderstanding his warning (Matthew 16:11). “How do you still not understand?” he asked. Christ’s followers should be ashamed when they are slow to grasp spiritual truth, especially when they’ve had so much time and opportunity to learn. “I wasn’t talking about bread,” he said. Jesus was disappointed that they thought he was as focused on physical needs as they were when his true focus was doing his Father’s will. He was also disappointed that they didn’t yet understand his teaching method—that they took literally what was meant metaphorically. This was how the crowds responded to his parables: seeing, they didn’t see; and hearing, they didn’t hear (Matthew 13:13).
This reproof helped clear up the confusion (Matthew 16:12); then they understood what he meant. Christ shows us our ignorance so that we’ll be stirred to understand better. He didn’t directly tell them the meaning but repeated his words, forcing them to reflect and compare it with what they had heard before. In this way, Christ teaches us by the Spirit of wisdom, opening our understanding to see the truth in his Word. The truths we wrestle with and discover after initial confusion are often the most valuable.
Though Christ didn’t explain outright, they now realized that “leaven” referred to the teachings and practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These were corrupt and dangerous, and like leaven, they spread subtly and widely, infecting minds like cancer. These groups were influential and respected, which made their errors even more dangerous. Today, atheism and deism resemble the leaven of the Sadducees, and legalistic religion resembles the leaven of the Pharisees. All Christians must be on guard against both.