Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 3 Study # 2
September 6, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: Jesus' warning against the "leaven" of "The Pharisees" and of "Herod" was a warning against using "the ministry of The Word" to build one's own reputation in the eyes of men.
Introduction: In our studies of Mark's record, we have finally come to what Mark had in mind when he began to write
3:13, or, to be even more "seminal"
1:7 as it applied to
1:17. "Seminal" refers to "semen" as the fluid that carries the one-cell sperm of the male which, when joined to the one-cell egg of the female, initiates the multiplication of cells that, in nine months, make up the entire physical body of a baby that can have as many as three trillion cells in it.
When Mark began his record, he had a "single cell" doctrine that he hoped to unite to a "single-cell" receptor in the hearts of men that would produce legitimate disciples of Jesus. The "doctrine" was "Jesus as the Mighty Provider of Life" and the "receptor" was "faith" as it was implanted into the "hearts" of human beings.
In our studies, we have come to the core issue as it is cast in terms of "leaven". The "core issue" is presented as "The Leaven of The Pharisees and of Herod". Therefore, we are going to consider Mark's use of "leaven" in comparison to the other uses in the New Testament.
- I. Leaven As A "Core Issue".
- A. Leaven is used as "the ingredient in bread that makes it appealing as a basic life-support food".
- B. Food is, then, used as "the basic life-support" for the physical body.
- C. The physical body is, in its turn, presented as the primary agent of accomplishment in a cause-and-effect world.
- 1. As the "primary agent" for accomplishment in the physical world, the "body" becomes the primary metaphor for "accomplishment in the spiritual/relational world".
- 2. For this cause, Paul summons all believers to "present" their "bodies" to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) and the individual members of the body as the active agents of "righteousness" in action (Romans 6:13) in a corrupted relational world.
- D. So that, "leaven" is the critical issue of whether "life" will ever become "Life".
- II. Mark's Use Of "Leaven" In Comparison To Other Inspired Writers Of The New Testament.
- A. Matthew's use of "leaven".
- 1. In 13:33 he puts the word in Jesus' mouth in the form of a "parable" which likens the Kingdom of Heaven to "leaven". In this context, this "parable" is directly linked to the Kingdom having the characteristic of mustard seed that is extremely small but, over time, it becomes such a very large tree that the birds nest in its branches.
- a. The "point" seems to be that the Kingdom is to grow to an enormous size over time though it doesn't initially appear to be of any significance at all.
- b. The parable indicates that God's "Kingdom Plans" will ultimately be seen as the original goal of God in all that He has done since the creation of the world of men.
- 2. In 16:6 he quotes Jesus in His warning against the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" and, when the disciples do not understand, he says that Jesus was speaking of the teaching of those groups (16:11-12).
- a. This indicates that there is a certain kind of "leaven" that results in doctrines.
- b. But, those doctrines arise out of a deeper level of the "leaven".
- B. Luke's use of "leaven".
- 1. In 12:1 he says that Jesus was referring to "hypocrisy" and its inevitable unveiling to the dismay of those who thought they were operating in the safety of "secrecy".
- 2. In 13:21 he reports the same "parable" to which Matthew referred in Matthew 13:33.
- C. Paul's use of "leaven".
- 1. Three of his uses are in 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7, and 8.
- a. In all three of these, the "leaven" is a reference to the behavior of a believer who is living in serious, blatant, sin and to "the leaven of malice and wickedness" in contrast to "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth".
- b. His use in this context is "leaven at the level of behavior" rather than "leaven" at the level of "root identity".
- 2. His final use is in Galatians 5:9 where he uses it to refer to the "doctrine" of "merit through performance" rather than "faith working through love" on the basis of the doctrines of "grace".
- a. This use is "leaven at the level of doctrine", which is more significant than "the level of behavior" because what is believed precedes what is done.
- b. And, again, he is not dealing with "root identity".
- C. In summary, what we find is that "leaven" is a multi-layered factor that has the capacity to completely subvert whatever into which it is introduced.
- 1. Mark, alone, does not specify exactly what he understands Jesus to mean in words.
- a. Instead, he allows the "Herod" material and the "Pharisee" material to speak for him.
- b. In both sets of verses in his presentation of "Herod" and "The Pharisees" there exists the multi-layered reality, but he presses for a kind of "bottom line": the ultimate foundation of all of the "layers".
- 2. That "foundation" is what John characterized as "the arrogance of functional capacity" in 1 John 2:16.
- a. Ultimately, the "leaven" is the driving force of the "lust" for the exaltation of oneself in the eyes of others who are not "God" and, therefore, not "important".
- b. This "leaven" will produce murderous opposition to anyone who threatens that sought-after "status".
- c. This "leaven" will produce "doctrines" which are intended to subvert men into seeking to impress and be impressive.
- d. This "leaven" will have the fruits of "malice and wickedness".
- e. It will also produce extremely perverse immoral behaviors.
- 3. But, only Mark presses for the "root identity".
- a. It is his position that the "leaven" is seen as what produces "Life".
- 1) "Life" is the goal.
- 2) "Leaven" is the means to the achievement of the goal.
- b. Thus, Mark sees the "root identity" of "leaven" to be the pursuit of "Life" by the flawed method of self-promotion.
- 1) This is directly contrary to John the Baptizer's attitude in 1:7.
- 2) This is in direct contradiction to Jesus' declared intent in 1:17.
- 3) The "dangerous seed" that the "semen" is carrying is the lust for approval from "not-gods" as opposed to being like Jesus Whose "food" was to have the approval of God by doing His will.
