The Dangers of Yeast

Yeast according to Wikipedia is a growth form of eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, and while that does nothing for me and my guess is you either then why am I wasting your time blogging about yeast? Good question.

In the beloved book of Mark that we as a community journeyed through for 16 weeks last winter, an interesting passage in chapter 8 talks about Yeast and warns us on the dangers of our lives representing this eukaryotic microorganism.

"But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up? “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them."

As I studied this passage this morning, It was 1st hard for me to understand why the disciples didn’t believe, I mean how could they doubt after what they had recently witnessed right? How could they not be confident that one piece of bread was more then they would ever need, not because one piece is an impressive surplus but because the "bread of Life" himself was on the boat with them. How can this happen, how can they're hearts be so easily and consistently hardened as we see throughout the book of Mark?

I've found that the Human element is one that is powerful and is one that is also contrary to the Spirit element if you will. How often do we believe only as long as we can see? How often do we trust as long as we have plenty? Why do we continue to fail at times to make the same mistakes that we see throughout the meta-narrative? The human element that the 12 struggled with is the same that the nation of Israel struggled with in the wilderness, and is without a doubt the same we are in danger of struggling with today.

So what about the yeast? Good question once again. In verse 17 we see "At this they began to argue with each other" and as I was studying this I realized that maybe I was missing some of the point here. The Greek word used to describe this conversation going on in verse 17 is "meteorizomai" that describes to be of doubtful mind. This conversation they were having was not a profitable one, but one where they're unbelief spread, it was if the more they talked, the more they forgot the past, the more they didnt believe, the less present their faith was. Yeast is a powerful little microorganism and grows and spreads quickly, as does unbelief. Yeast was a common Jewish metaphor for an invisible, pervasive influence, this is why before the Passover every year they would clear their homes of this, as if the presence of yeast alone would hinder the movement of God.

So what clearing do you need to do in your life today? I realize its hard to spot, hence the "micro" within microorganism but we need to relentlessly rid our lives of unbelief because it doesn’t just effect our life but those around us as well.

What has worked for you? What steps, choices, disciplines have helped you in the past of believing God?

Lets chat!

-Jon