Leaven of the Pharisees

 

Jesus cautioned us to beware the leaven of the Pharisees.  I have often wondered exactly what He meant by that remark.  We know leaven as yeast.  It is used in the making of bread.  You put a little bit of yeast in your dough and let it stand for a few hours in a warm place and it will cause the dough to rise or get puffed up.  Yeast is like a cancer, it feeds off of the dough and spreads through it.  Once the dough is infected with it, it will infect any dough it comes in contact with.  The culture grows and spreads all by itself.

 

The leaven of the Pharisees is a lot like yeast.  It is an attitude that can be found in religious circles.  Those infected with it, will infect others they come into contact with.  It causes the infected ones to become puffed up (with pride).  Like a cancer it too is a sort of culture that grows and spreads all by itself while it feeds off of the religion.

 

No denomination, church or organization is safe from it!

 

So what exactly is this 'leaven of the Pharisees'? 

 

The Leaven that spoils so many lives comes to us from the last, and often least observed, of the Ten Commandments.  "Thou shalt not covet…"   We are told not to covet what other people have.  This subtle sin can take many forms.  Some people desire Fame, others Fortune, others might pursue Power or Glory or … well whatever.  Anything that you see in another person that you decide is something you want for yourself can become something that you covet. 

 

In religious circles there is more to be desired than fame and fortune.  In fact those two things might appear very low on a list of things to be valued.  Love, Peace, Joy, Understanding… now those are things that we should all desire to have. On top of these are the gifts that God gives us, the gift of tongues, of healing, of prophesy and so on.   Then there are the positions of influence such as Pastor, Prophet, Apostle, Teacher and so forth.  These positions all come with various degrees of power and influence.

 

As a believer, I want to do whatever God has for me to do.  I'm not concerned with any sort of political correctness or public relations image.  But those who are infected with this Leaven of the Pharisees are.  They are more concerned with their public image than they are with their divine relationship.  To them, religion is all about public influence and image by being perceived as a Godly man or woman.  Positions of power and prestige are coveted by them and rated by the size of their sphere of influence.

 

These people have forgotten about lifting up praises to God unless it can be done in a way that makes others lift up praises to them and talk about what a great person they are.  This is the cancer that infects all religions.  When good people forsake the fundamentals and begin practicing a form of the faith that is phony, plastic and self-serving.  We all know them as hypocrites.  It all starts when someone stops desiring good things from God and begins coveting the good things God gave to someone else.  After all,  we do not draw closer to God by breaking one of his ten fundamental rules!

 

So if you have been practicing your faith for the purpose of receiving accolades from your peers, stop.  In fact, bow out.  Start attending church somewhere where no one knows who you are, and sit in the back seats.  Tell God about how you lost your focus and broke his rules and how you need to get back on track.  Then wait for Him to open doors for you.

 

-Dan.