Matthew 16:12 KJV
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.
At this point we know what the leaven is Jesus warned the disciples to beware of. It is the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
But that still leaves some room for us to do a lot of meditating and consideration; the doctrines of the Pharisees and the Sadducees were just about as opposite as they could be. About the only thing they would have agreed upon is that Israel was God's people. The Pharisees were religious extremists. They believed that a man's righteousness came by his good works. The Pharisees had discovered over the centuries that it was not possible to obey everything in the Bible exactly as it was written, so they had re-written som things to develop and perfect their system of religion.
The Sadducees on the other hand had given up on that kind of righteousness. They had determined that the Bible was more like a guideline anyway and that it probably did not mean what it appeared to mean. They, for instance, had abandoned the doctrine of a literal resurrection. If no one rises from the dead then there are no eternal consequences of our faith and just about anything goes. Today's liberal has done essentially the same thing by teaching that everybody goes to heaven. If everyone goes to heaven regardless of what they believe or do, then there are no consequences or our faith and just about anything goes.
Jesus warned us of both extremes. And the trouble with both of them is that they can sneak in so subtly. Like a small portion of leaven, these doctrines can find their way into our churches, our faith, even our personal worship of the Lord; and once in they begin to grow and fester and can destroy the very faith they claim to adhere to.
The contrasting and proper doctrine is given in the very next passage in Matthew 16 where Jesus deals with who people say He is and the rock of verse 18 upon which Jesus said He would build His church. That rock, of course, is the person of Jesus Christ and those essential truths that have to do with Him.
Genuine faith is not built around a system of religion whereby we are made righteous by what we do. Nor is it proper to give up on doing right because we could never be right enough anyway. Genuine faith and righteousness comes from our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When we aspire to know Him; when we seek Him, He makes us righteous. Then being made righteous in Jesus Christ, we begin to do righteousness.
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.
At this point we know what the leaven is Jesus warned the disciples to beware of. It is the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
But that still leaves some room for us to do a lot of meditating and consideration; the doctrines of the Pharisees and the Sadducees were just about as opposite as they could be. About the only thing they would have agreed upon is that Israel was God's people. The Pharisees were religious extremists. They believed that a man's righteousness came by his good works. The Pharisees had discovered over the centuries that it was not possible to obey everything in the Bible exactly as it was written, so they had re-written som things to develop and perfect their system of religion.
The Sadducees on the other hand had given up on that kind of righteousness. They had determined that the Bible was more like a guideline anyway and that it probably did not mean what it appeared to mean. They, for instance, had abandoned the doctrine of a literal resurrection. If no one rises from the dead then there are no eternal consequences of our faith and just about anything goes. Today's liberal has done essentially the same thing by teaching that everybody goes to heaven. If everyone goes to heaven regardless of what they believe or do, then there are no consequences or our faith and just about anything goes.
Jesus warned us of both extremes. And the trouble with both of them is that they can sneak in so subtly. Like a small portion of leaven, these doctrines can find their way into our churches, our faith, even our personal worship of the Lord; and once in they begin to grow and fester and can destroy the very faith they claim to adhere to.
The contrasting and proper doctrine is given in the very next passage in Matthew 16 where Jesus deals with who people say He is and the rock of verse 18 upon which Jesus said He would build His church. That rock, of course, is the person of Jesus Christ and those essential truths that have to do with Him.
Genuine faith is not built around a system of religion whereby we are made righteous by what we do. Nor is it proper to give up on doing right because we could never be right enough anyway. Genuine faith and righteousness comes from our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When we aspire to know Him; when we seek Him, He makes us righteous. Then being made righteous in Jesus Christ, we begin to do righteousness.
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