Thursday, March 11, 2010

Read Mark 8:1-21

In the gospel of Mark chapter eight verses one through twenty-one, Jesus feeds four thousand with seven loaves and a few fishes. He warned His disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.

Leaven is an "agent of fermentation or a pervasive influence that produces a significant change". Leaven (yeast), is usually a symbol for corruption in the New Testament. If a person uses a small amount of leaven, it could ferment and affect the whole (mat.13:33). In the Old Testament, leaven is not used in a metaphorically sense. It was used in general in making bread. The Israelis were forbidden to use leaven for seven days at the time of Passover (Ex.12:8).

As symbol for corruption in the new testament, Jesus used the word "leaven" to indicate that the leaven of the Pharisees refers to their religious traditions by which they turned God's word in the opposite direction to suit their own practices(mat.16:6,11). Many Biblical scholars identified the leaven of Herod with that of the Sadducees. It refers to a spirit of worldliness.

The disciples of Jesus are identified as discipline human kind following him in a relationship with a task to fulfill or bring into light His teachings.
In the passage reviewed, Jesus' disciples followed Him in the way of duty. As they followed him, they knew that they were being empowered with leadership skills that would enable them to win others to Christ.

Occasionally, many others followed Jesus for different reasons. At this time, they were with Him three days, and had nothing to eat. This reminds us as followers of Christ, that there are times when we have to go through hardships in the way of duty.

In the way of duty, Jesus is the compassionate leader with sympathy, even though true zeal makes nothing of hardships in the way of duty, He desires that we stay in His sound teachings, while He provides a way for us to get out of our hardships. God thank you for your sympathy and care.

Amen.

Rev. Robert J. Graham.