Beware the Yeast
Chapter 8 is a pivotal point in the gospel of Mark. We begin with the miraculous feeding of the 4000 in the wilderness. It is a major display of the miraculous. Yet the Pharisees and the disciples will both see the evidence, but miss the sign. Despite everything Jesus has done so far, they have yet to reckon with the single most important evidence - Jesus himself. As we’ll see by looking at their reaction to the feeding of the 4000, the lesson for us is that Jesus is more than enough.
The Pharisees Demanded Too Much
Mark 8:11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
By this point in time, Jesus was widely known to be an extraordinary figure, enough that he could hardly venture anywhere without being recognised by crowds. Concurrently, Jesus found himself increasingly at odds with the religious establishment, who took issue with many of the things he had said or done. There was no doubt that comparisons were already being made between Jesus and the Jewish prophecies of a divinely anointed king. In that sense, Jesus isn’t introducing an entirely new category of thought in Jewish identity. The Pharisees never challenged the legitimacy of messianic hope which was prevalent among the people. The question was simply whether Jesus fit the bill.
It would have been laughably ironic for the Pharisees to demand a sign from Jesus after everything he had done so far. After all, what more could they expect in addition to the exorcisms, healings, and even raising of the dead? More to the point, what exactly about Jesus were they testing by demanding a sign from heaven? It is doubtful they were testing Jesus’ ability to perform something miraculous. They had seen with their own eyes Jesus healing the sick in a manner unquestioningly miraculous. If performing miracles could authenticate who Jesus really was, he would have passed that test long ago.
Furthermore, Jesus’ refusal to accede to their demand, even going so far as to say, “Truly I tell you, no sign will be given…”, indicates something more than just miracles especially considering Jesus proceeds to heal a blind man in the very same chapter. Signs here must mean more than just miracles.
I think the test wasn’t on Jesus’ ability, but his allegiance. Specifically, whether Jesus would agree to their demands and with it the recognition of their authority. The Pharisees were less concerned about Jesus possibly being the promised king than they were about how that would alter their place in society. This is made explicit in John’s gospel.
John 11:48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
Before the Pharisees could endorse Jesus for who he is, they likely wanted assurances of their place in any change to come. It is not unlike politics, whereby parties often communicate by signals. Instead of endorsing a politician on social media, a large campaign donation would signal to a candidate similar support without public exposure. The exact nature of the sign is of little consequence to the Pharisees. It is what it signifies that is important, hence a sign. The test then is not on Jesus’ ability but his allegiance.
This might help explain Jesus’ exasperation in verse 12, where he lamented “why does this generation ask for a sign?” This is not to say that subsequent generations never sought the miraculous. The charismatic movement is evidence that we are still enthralled with signs 2000 years later. In other words, every generation seeks signs. Why then does Jesus single out the generation of the Pharisees for something that every generation is guilty of? Unless of course signs refer to more than just miracles. The Pharisees, ever consumed by their place in society, sought a sign to allay their fears. Subsequent generations would have had no such concerns. Jesus lamented because the Pharisees demanded too much.
A Warning to Us
“Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain?”
- Stephen Fry
The Pharisees’ fears might be misplaced, but it wasn’t completely unwarranted. As it turns out, they did end up being relegated to a place of irrelevance. The lesson for us however is to avoid a similar attitude to that which they embodied. The question commonly asked today is not whether Jesus is the messiah but rather why would we even need one. How many people have ever said they could never believe in God? As Stephen Fry so deftly professed, “Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain?” It is not hard to empathize with the grievances of those who have suffered much. It would be naïve of us to think that were we to experience the same suffering, we would not protest the same way against God. But to make belief in God contingent on the favourableness of our circumstance is foolish. To say we would believe in God only if [insert conditions here] is to do as the Pharisees did. We demand God perform for us and proceed to decide whether or not He passes the test. We are not so different to the Pharisees after all.
Jesus’ refusal to bow to pressure from the Pharisees should serve to warn us about the futility of negotiating with God. Still, I often find myself doubting God’s goodness on account of a perceived lack. Although I know not to define God’s generosity toward me by my circumstances, it sure is a lot easier to give thanks on a full stomach than with empty pockets. Lord help my unbelief!
The Disciples Expected Too Little
Mark 8:14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
If the error of the Pharisees was in demanding too much, the folly of the disciples was expecting too little. By warning his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees, Jesus is drawing their attention to the insidiousness of making demands of God. Just as only a tiny amount of yeast is sufficient to cause bread to rise, the slightest hint of Pharisaic behaviour or attitude can corrupt the disciples’ fledging faith.
Granted, the meaning couldn’t be more obvious for us who are reading the narrative as it is arranged. But for the disciples who were experiencing events first hand, many of which were perhaps spaced days apart, the implications of what Jesus meant would not have been so obvious. Which is why they could be forgiven for worrying about having not enough food, were it not for the fact that lacking bread had never stopped Jesus before. If five loaves could feed five thousand and seven loaves four thousand, a single loaf for 12 disciples would seem excessive. Yet they could not see it. The disciples were fixated on the physical for which Jesus admonishes them. In other words, they were concerned about their physical needs there and then, in much the same way as the Pharisees were concerned about their own needs. This is why Jesus warns them to be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees.
Worry Hardens Hearts
Whether it is by demanding too much or expecting too little, both the Pharisees and the disciples demonstrate a similar overemphasis on their present circumstance. And as is often the case, this blinds them to the actual reality of who Jesus is. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a potential political rival, heralding in a kingdom that will be the antithesis to Rome. In reality, Jesus came not to rescue geopolitical Israel from Rome, but the entire world from sin. The disciples likewise had not realised the divinity of Jesus, hence were wrongly concerned about having not enough to eat. In reality, Jesus is the giver of life who doesn’t need bread given to him. This is what Jesus meant when he says, “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”
These questions may sound accusatory, but they are especially important even for us today. Have we in any way been kept from seeing the reality of who Jesus is because we were too focused on the here and now? Put another way, am I letting my lack of bread blind me to the Bread of Life? Let’s remember that Jesus is more than enough.