Matthew 16:6

Main Thought: When Jesus speaks of leaven here, He is not speaking literally of leaven, the ingredient that makes bread rise, but He is speaking of leaven in a figurative way, in the spiritual sense that represents wickedness and sin (1 Cor. 5:8). Jesus is warning the apostles of the sinfulness and wickedness of the Pharisees and their teaching. The Pharisees had an outward appearance of religiosity and righteousness, but inwardly later on Jesus said concerning the Pharisees “You are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:28). They were extolled and held in high esteem by Jewish culture, but Jesus saw through their outward appearance and revealed their sin and wickedness. There is a warning here for us as Christians, to be discerning concerning those who appear religious outwardly but in reality are concerned first with the adoration and admiration of men, and are full of sin and hypocrisy. Their love is for self first, not God and the people of God. They are more concerned about appearance and success than being humble servants of God. They are more concerned with the opinions of men and pleasing the surrounding culture than they are about preaching the Gospel of Christ, seeing men and women repent of their sins, and equipping the church to advance the kingdom of God. They will be the ones who on the day of God’s judgment will say to Christ, “Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'” (Matt. 7:22-23). The call of Christ here is for us to be discerning about who we listen to and who we follow as teachers of the things of God. Be sure that those you listen to extol the Gospel and the Word of God without apology, serve God humbly and do not brag about their own accomplishments, and demonstrate love for the kingdom of God and His people above themselves. May God give us more spiritual shepherds in this day who are not full of ‘leaven’, but are full of humility, a love for God and His Word, and love for the people of God.