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arcura
Feb 17, 2009, 12:02 AM
Today's Gospel (Mk 8:14-21): The disciples had forgotten to bring more bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, "Keep your eyes open and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod". And they said to one another, "He saw that we have no bread". Aware of this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that don't see and ears that don't hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?". They answered, "Twelve".
"And having seven loaves for the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?". They answered, "Seven". Then Jesus said to them, "Do you still not understand?".
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:confused:What is the yeast of Herod?:confused:
:confused:What was Jesus asking them to understand?:confused:
:)Peace and kindness,:)
Fred (arcura)

samdarwen
Feb 17, 2009, 02:22 AM
I believe that the answer to your question is FAITH...
Faith in God, in what you believe.. It's more than hard and less than simple..
Think and remember.. They all had forogten,, Is that possible? Or God has his ways to show us things we didn't see before...
I think reading more will be a better answer for you.

jakester
Feb 17, 2009, 01:15 PM
arcura - if you read Matthew's account of the same event, the explanation for what leaven (yeast) is, is given:

16:1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, [1] “When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3 And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

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.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 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.

So yeast is synonymous with the teaching or doctrine of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and evidently Herod (Antipas). My guess is that Jesus mentions Herod due to his influence over the ruling hierarchy in Israel... he was also responsible for silencing John the Baptist by having him beheaded. Undoubtedly, his teaching or leaven was to shut up the truth from being conveyed and he felt threatened by John the Baptist and by Jesus Christ.

Akoue
Feb 17, 2009, 04:15 PM
This will overlap with something we've been discussing on the Romans thread, but yeast or leaven is sometimes used to symbolize something with its own internal vital force. So the yeast refers to an infection that can spread like a disease. This has been understood as a comment on the demand of the Pharisees in v.12 for a sign.

arcura
Feb 17, 2009, 08:32 PM
Jakester and akoue and others.
Thanks much.
Peace and kindness.
Fred