Beware of the Leaven

Issue 009

What's shaping your walk with God?

I've been reading through the Gospel of Mark this week and came across the word “ leaven” and it made me stop and consider…what is the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod? And is it relevant to us today?

And I discovered that it's very relevant to where we are right now.

There's a moment in Mark's Gospel where Jesus pulls His disciples aside and gives them a strange warning: "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

At first it sounds like He's talking about bread. But He's not.

Leaven is a corrupting agent; a tiny substance that works silently through a large lump of dough changing its entire form.

Jesus wasn't warning His disciples about what they ate. He was warning them about what quietly gets into a persons life and changes then from the inside, long before anyone notices.

We need to be aware of those small things that slide into our lives without us even realising and begin to change us, and cause us to compromise.

How many things are in our lives that are like leaven – things we watch, listen to etc.

It might be due to circumstances that cause us to be disappointed and grieved and the anger creeps in; or when we feel our prayers are not answered, so the doubt begins to form in our minds. We allow to fear to creep in. We have a bad attitude toward someone…

It might be pride, even of our Christianity or our walk with God; our legalism our traditions, our unbelief.  

And if we don’t catch it, it will infect our walk with God.

Jesus warned against this happening, He challenged the disciples because they were thinking carnally…they were looking at the physical, “Why do you reason because you have not bread?”

And then He proceeded to remind them of what they had just seen – the miracle of changing of the loaves and fish into food to feed thousands, not once but twice!

We are instructed not live carnally, according to the flesh…

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace…” Romans 8:5–8

We are moving very fast toward the end times and now is the time to be focused on our walk with Him, on His word, His truth, on His promises and not letting the world creep into our lives. .

Jesus also warned about the leaven of Herod which was the corrupting influence of worldly power, the compromise of the truth for gain, compromise, sensual living and opposition to God’s truth... Again, so relevant to today.

So, I want to encourage you to take your stand in this world and in your Christian walk. Stand for truth in all that you do and do not excuse compromise however small it may seem.

Guard your heart against the small things - the offence you let sit, the doubt you don't take captive, the compromise you tell yourself doesn't matter. Left unchecked, it will work its way through everything.

Stay in the Word. Stay in prayer. Let the Spirit, not the flesh, set the direction of your mind. And when Jesus asks you, as He asked the disciples, "Why do you reason?" Let this be a reminder to us to not live by the natural world, but by what we see in the promises of God and in His Word.

Seek Him first in all things and let your life shine His glory.

Blessings ❤️ Amanda

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…" Matthew 6:33

Part of Seek First Collective