Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Matthew 16.5-12]
So, what WAS the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Could it be, that relative to the context of the the situation and conversation in this passage that the Pharisees' and Sadducees' teaching had to do with a worldly view of life (maybe like, God helps those who help themselves) rather than a Kingdom view of life (seek first the Kingdom of God and all things, food for one thing, would be taken care of...)?
I think it is not enough to be religious like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Religion is very carnal - in other words, it defines God by the situations it encounters. Jesus on the other hand, encouraged His followers to be Kingdom-minded and define situations by God.
The miracles of feeding thousands of people (in addition to all the other miracles) prove that Jesus demanded that situations do not indicate Who God is! God is over every situation! God can and will overcome any situation put before Him (like 5000 and 4000 hungry people or 12 hungry disciples). Clearly these situations did not define God!
The 'poison' of religion teaches that situations define God. Instead of seeing obstacles and difficulties as situations to overcome by the miraculous Kingdom power of God, religion (like that of the Pharisees and Sadducees), sees obstacles and difficulties as signs of God that we are powerless to overcome (and thus, the argument of the disciples of who's fault it was that they forgot to bring food).
This "yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" is still very much among us today.
To call accepting a situation or circumstance (resignation) an act of faith is to completely ignore the life and teaching of Jesus. Note: One must be aware that Jesus did NOT resign Himself to the Cross - He went there on PURPOSE! No, His flesh did not want to ("Father, if there be any other way..."), but His Spirit knew God's will was the driving factor of the Cross.
Religion really requires no faith. To religiously accept circumstances as God's will requires not faith, but resignation. Jesus scolded the disciples at the beginning of His response to them - FOR THEIR LACK OF FAITH!
Kingdom-focused relationship with God (as opposed to religion) requires all faith. It will not be attained by any other means than faith. The righteous MUST live by faith (NOT RESIGNATION)!
Father, I want to live by faith, not resignation!
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