Two Bad Leaven

by ‘Layo Oladejo

Mark 8:15
And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES, and of the LEAVEN OF HEROD.

These are two important things the Lord Jesus asked His disciples to watch out for and invariably telling us the same thing. And this verse is one of Jesus’ many Imperatives. In fact, this thought should captivate us in that there are two active imperative in this text. “TAKE HEED” and “BEWARE.” Although saying the same thing, it shows emphasis of what Jesus was about to say.

Leaven speaks metaphorically of doctrines and traditions. The Pharisees according to scriptures are custodians of the Law of Moses. In other words, they represent a religious system or movement, but many times they have being found to corrupt that Law by their own vain traditions, contrary to the Law of God.

On the other hand, “Herod” here in Mark’s Gospel and “Sadducees” in Matthews Gospel are saying the same thing. More so, the Herodians are amplified Sadducees, Scholars believe they were a political party that supported Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea, and the Roman Empire in general. They are found to have rejected the oral law, which was good, but welcomed the influence of Greek and Roman culture, which was bad. They tended to seek positions of power in the secular realm, and usually controlled the Sanhedrin.

In summary, one represents a RELIGIOUS SYSTEM and the other a HUMANISTIC or SECULAR VIEW/SYSTEM. Christians unknowingly find themselves dancing along this two world view today, hence, there is need to remind ourselves strictly of this Jesus’ statement to His disciples and also invariably to us.

Now, one common threat to this two systems is Jesus Christ. He poses a great threat to their equilibrium.

The reason is this;

the Pharisees are against Him because He so flagrantly dismisses their extra-biblical traditions. The Pharisees had added so many regulations to God’s Law that its original intent had been blocked. 

Many do the same today, the Gospel message has been corrupted as a result of some folks initiating religious rules, regulations and inventing traditions that is foreign to the Gospel. This was Paul’s fear for the Corinthians, he said, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.” 2Cor 11:3.

If one is not careful, a preoccupation with minor doctrinal details or biblical intricacies can trap us in a legalistic mindset that leads away from the message of love that stands at the heart of the Bible. Turning the Gospel message in on ourselves conceals God’s light under a bowl instead of allowing it to shine from a lampstand.

On the other hand; the Herodians (Sadducees) fear He will bring political instability and they will lose their secular authority and acceptability.

I see this sect of Christianity as those who by all means think they can add to the gospel message or reduce the tenacity of it to suit the public so as not to lose relevance and acceptance from the public. They  try to make the Gospel more palatable for a modern-day audience by diluting Jesus’ message of repentance and faith. In these cases, listeners often become enamored with the messenger instead of the message. The end result is a corrupt church system that parodies what a true community of believers should be.

Having said all,one thing we must remember is this, Jesus did not die to give us a religion but a life, and He modelled this life for us. His fasting and prayer was not to the end that he fulfills an obligation – He fasted and prayed often into a lifestyle. Paul also describe this other side in Colossians, he said in Colossians 2:20-23 NLT

[20]You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,
[21]“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
[22]Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
[23]These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

I hope you try to read this again
“And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”