Hi First Presbyterian Church,
It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Today is Day 24 of our one-year Bible reading plan, and our New Testament readings still have us in the Gospel of Matthew. I’m excited to share some thoughts with you on some really interesting passages we read this week!
On Friday last week, we read in Matthew 13:33 that Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” And then in today’s reading, Jesus said in Matthew 16:6, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” which he then clarifies refers to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (verse 12). What’s with all the bread metaphors, and how can yeast be both a metaphor for the kingdom of God and for the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Well, the first thing you need to understand about the kind of “yeast” that Jesus is referring to is that it is not the yeast we can buy in modern grocery stores. When we buy active dry yeast at the grocery store, we’re buying yeast (which is actually a fungus) coated in synthetic wax. So when we make bread and add the yeast to our mixture, the synthetic wax dissolves and the yeast fungus is released to do its work immediately. Active dry yeast didn’t exist in the days of Jesus. They had to collect yeast naturally. Microscopic yeast fungus is in the air all around us. In the ancient world, they would collect yeast by making a wet dough mixture and letting the dough sit out in the air for a few days. As it was exposed to the air, the wet dough would collect the yeast that was naturally occurring in the air. Then, that little batch of wet dough could be used again and again (a little at a time), by adding it to a freshly made dough mixture. The yeast in the starter dough would be kneaded into the new mixture, and slowly the yeast would be worked into the whole batch. When the bread is baked, the yeast caused the entire loaf to rise. That’s what Jesus is referring to by saying the kingdom of God is like yeast. All it takes is one person who loves God and commits themselves to following Jesus, and soon their lives begin to impact others to also love God and follow Jesus.
However, do you know what happens if you use the same starter dough for too long? It begins to collect other microorganisms that are also naturally occurring in the air around us - like deadly bacteria! Using the same starter dough for too long will not only work the yeast into the whole batch of dough, it will also work the bacteria into the dough and make a loaf of bread that’s dangerous to eat! That’s what Jesus is referring to by cautioning his followers to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees! When churches hold on to traditions and practices simply because “we’ve always done it that way,” we put ourselves at risk of infecting our faith community with religion that can harm us! This is why churches must always evaluate themselves to ensure that their focus is only on following Jesus and not just preserving traditions for their own sake - which is what our Faith Forward initiative is all about. There’s a reason that in Exodus 12 (which we’ll soon be reading), God commanded the Israelites to throw out their leaven every year!
Speaking of Exodus, tomorrow (Thursday), we finish the book of Genesis and begin reading Exodus. Each week when we begin a new book of the Bible, I will send out some commentary that will help to put that new book into context for you. So, allow me to do that for us today with the book of Exodus.
Exodus
The book of Exodus begins as a continuation of the story of Genesis. In fact, the first five books of the Old Testament, which are collectively called the Pentateuch (a Greek word meaning “the five books”), were compiled and are to be read as a coherent story. That means the focus of Genesis continues to be the focus of Exodus (as well as the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). I told you a few weeks ago that the plot line of Genesis centers on God’s promises to give Abraham land, descendants, and to make him and his descendants a blessing. These promises continue to be the focus of Exodus. Additionally, the introduction of the Law of Moses (Exodus 20-31) becomes the condition of God fulfilling the promise to make Abraham’s descendants a blessing. As you read Exodus, ask yourself: What do we learn about God and God’s faithfulness to these promises if the Israelites are slaves in Egypt, wandering in the desert, or threatened by surrounding nations?
Happy reading this week!
Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron