Read Matthew 16:5-12

“⁵ When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶ Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”…¹¹ How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Unless you’re a baker, you may not know what ‘leaven’ is and why Jesus is talking about kitchen ingredients with his disciples. Leaven, was fermented dough from a previous batch of baking that was used in making new dough rise. Similarly, modern bakers use a very small amount of yeast to transform flat flour into the soft, fluffy loaves we love to eat.

For Jesus’ illustration, the key characteristic of leaven is that only a small amount can transform a whole loaf. While in other teachings of Jesus, yeast is the heroic truth of Christ which permeates the whole loaf; in this story, the leaven is the villain who spoils the truth of Jesus. Put simply, while a hint of Jesus’ truth can transform your life, a hint of lies can destroy it.

While this concept makes perfect sense to us, like the disciples, few of us stop to consider what lies could be diminishing the truth Jesus offers us. While the disciples found themselves worrying about their daily “bread” (our food, shelter and clothing), Jesus knew the greatest challenge ahead of them wasn’t unleavened bread, but untainted truth.

History often reminds us that, “The pen is mightier than the sword”. What we believe can conquer what no soldier could. And, like a double-bladed sword, the pen, can cut both ways. While the truth can set people and nations free, lies can, and still do, enslave individuals, families and nations. For some, their life has been derailed by a single sentence: “God couldn’t love you”. Some groups are told, “People like you, don’t belong here.” These lies can ‘leaven’ even the strongest of hearts.

Conspiracy Theories are still alive and well in the 2020s! While some seem increasingly plausible, others are simply magical thinking. However, no matter their validity, conspiracies have the power to overtake our lives. Everyone has met someone whose life and thoughts have been radically altered by a ‘tainted’ view of reality. A tiny conspiracy has “leavened” their entire worldview.

Have you added a lie, religious or otherwise, to Jesus’ truth? Typically, lies revolve around religious striving or earthly comforts: “If you don’t do xyz, you’re not good enough for God”, or, “If you aren’t rich and healthy, God’s upset with you”. Whatever the lie, they can very easily steal the joy and freedom of knowing Jesus personally. Like Jesus taught the disciples, their greatest challenge is not bread but truth. If you add anything to Jesus, you don’t have the simple freedom he offers.