The Day They Forgot to Bring Bread

It’s not About the Bread, it’s About the Yeast

Mark 8:14 (NET) Now they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 And Jesus ordered them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!” 16 So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread. 17 When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? 18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Seven.” 21 Then he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Yeast cells are tiny, egg shaped fungi. They are so tiny, in fact, that it takes more than 500 billion to weigh an ounce.

The yeast cells eat sugar. Yeast’s scientific name, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, means sugar-eating fungus. As it eats the sugar, it converts it to carbon dioxide gas and alcohol.

When yeast invades bread dough, the carbon dioxide gas is trapped in the elastic dough and blows a tiny bubble. When enough of the tiny cells get together and blow up enough bubbles, they create air pockets in the dough, making it rise.

Another characteristic of yeast, it multiplies – slow at first, then fast and furious. Bread yeast reproduces by a process called budding. In budding, the nucleus divides and forms another cell which breaks off. Now, there are two. Then, four. Then, eight. Then, sixteen. Its slow at first. Then, much faster, going from 16,384 to 32,768 cells in the 15th generation. As it grows and spreads, causing the dough to rise on it’s march forward, it eventually takes captive every part of the dough, changing it completely.

The Yeast of the Pharisees (and Herod)

The teachings of the Pharisees permeated every area of Jewish life, changing it completely. They took the pure commands of God and changed them into something different. Something God never intended. Something that benefited the Pharisees instead of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus pointed out in Mark 7 how they side stepped the command to honor father and mother by saying money received was a gift to God and could not be used to assist an elderly parent. They established traditions that nullified the Word of God. They used the money and the prestige of their position to bring honor to themselves and to oppress people instead of using it to help people the way God intended.

Their teachings spread throughout the Jewish world, changing God’s truth into something else. Like yeast, it permeated every area of Jewish life. Now, God’s intent in his commands was unrecognizable because human traditions replaced God’s commands in the same way carbon dioxide and alcohol replaced the sugars in dough.

The Same Happens Today

Not every pastor or church leader today is good. Many are false teachers and false prophets. They use the Scriptures and their positions to benefit themselves instead of those they are responsible to serve. As Jesus said, “Watch out!” “Beware!”