Is Your leaven From Heaven?
I have recently been reminded of the words of Jesus to His disciples as recorded in Mark 8:15 - And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
Leaven is yeast in bread that acts similarly to a catalyst. The leaven or yeast determines the quality and density and even the flavour of the bread as it proves. These two leavens of Herod and of the Pharisees were opposed to the leaven (the yeast, the catalyst which make things grow) of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the covenant of Christ and we are to beware of them.
Herod's leaven is all about political control and manipulation and calculation to seize or maintain power. He was even incredible (and I mean incredible in the proper use of the word) in his ability to be self-effacing before the Magi to fake desire to worship Christ but in his heart desired to destroy the child Jesus and quash any chance of change and deliverance.
And the leaven of the Pharisees is all about form and structure, hollow and devoid of the power of Christ. Endless debates about what structure and procedure is right or wrong rather then committing to a journey of life-filled covenant relationships pursuing God's purpose.
The leaven of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is empowering and delivering and dynamic. It's DNA is love not fear and surely any covenant community and Kingdom purpose embarked upon out of each others' insecurities and felt need of one another is doomed to fail as it is fear based not Love based and therefore not based in Christ (1 John 4:16)
Jesus commands us to love one another out of the love He has given us not out of any other motive or source.
I have been reminded the last few days by the Spirit that our battle is not against flesh and blood and that our path is following the way of Love, the way of Christ and making sure our leaven (that which acts as a catalyst to make things grow) is packed with the culture of heaven not packed with control, manipulation or legalistic religion. Christ is our bread from heaven - He is also our leaven!
Geoff Newton