Matthew 15:7-9 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from
Me.And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men.' "
Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the
Sadducees."
Take heed. Beware. Strong words of warning. We might think at first that we are to take heed/beware of the Phariseees and Sadducees. True. But, we should all the more beware of their leaven.
The effect of their leaven was worship in vain. I'd call it an unreal or ineffective connection or relationship with the Lord.
So, for us - anything that keeps us from a "heart" relationship with the Lord is leaven. As Pastor Dale said, "Leaven spreads unseen until the whole loaf is changed. It takes very little leaven to do that."
There is much leaven in our world today. We must take heed of it. We must beware of it. Hypocrites concern themselves with the outward impression. God is interested in the inward. So, is Satan. If he can permeate the inward, the outward will reflect that. Take heed. Beware. Leaven was designed to permeate the inside, so as to affect the outside. Is there leaven in your life that you are viewing as small and not really a threat to your relationship with the Lord? Take heed. Jesus' warning came from a heart of love, concern, and an acute awareness of the effectiveness of a "little" leaven.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Galatians 5:9
