SECTION EIGHT Mark 8:14 to 9:50. 1. THE LEAVEN OF THE AND OF HEROD Mark 8:14-21 (Matthew 16:5-12.) 14 And they forgot to take bread;--Probably through their anxiety and interest in the attack of the Pharisees on Jesus the disciples forgot to take food on their journey. and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. --Our Lord noticed their search and disappointment, and took occasion to call their attention to something of infinitely greater importance. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees--"Leaven" is generally, though not always, used in scripture to represent that which is corrupt and evil. The leaven was their teaching (Matthew 16:12), both by word and by example. Leaven is the type of an active, persuasive influence, whether for good or bad. It works out of sight; it eats its way in the dark; it never ceases till it makes a full end. A dull unlikely something was hid in a measure of meal, and it proved itself there a secret, silent force that first contaminated and then changed the whole. The disciples were dull, in comprehending the meaning of Christ's language. They thought he had spoken unto them of the leaven of bread; what he intended was the leaven of the Pharisees' doctrine. and the leaven of Herod.--The leaven of Herod was a corrupting political influence. They had need to be guarded against this, because the disputes of political partisans are not only corrupting to those who indulge in them, but they impair the influence of men whose business it is to guide all parties in the way of holiness. The apostles adhered strictly throughout their career to the rule of action here given. Christ compares false doctrine to leaven, because as that diffuses itself into the whole mass or lump of dough with which it is mixed, so false doctrine is not only evil and corrupt in itself, but apt to spread its contagion further and further, to the affecting of others with it. Error is as damnable as vice, and persons erroneous in judgment are to be avoided, as well as those who are wicked in conversation; and he that has a due care of his soul's salvation will be as much afraid of erroneous principles as he is of debauched practices. Jesus does not command his disciples to separate from communion with the Pharisees and oblige them not to hear their doctrine, but only to beware of their errors, which they mix with their doctrine. More truth there is mixed with error, the more dangerous it is, for the reason the error is harder to detect. 16 And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread.--The disciples talked the matter over among themselves, comparing their views, and agreed that it was a reproof for their neglecting to take bread along with them. 17 And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread?--How could they be so troubled about bread when they so recently saw him provide bread for thousands? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand?--They did not understand his meaning, neither did they comprehend what he said. have ye your heart hardened?--No abiding impression had yet been made upon their minds by the many great miracles he had performed in their presence, and the many discourses they had heard him deliver. The real need is a better life. The real danger is not from hunger for the want of physical bread, but from the forces and influences around you that are working silently in so many hearts. Put down, crush out, destroy in yourselves the first signs and workings of these leavens of evil. 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?--Having the powers of seeing and hearing, they did not exercise them so as to remember the miraculous feeding of the large multitudes. If they had properly exercised these powers, they would have seen and understood that he did not refer to literal bread but to the doctrines of the Pharisees. 19-20 When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven.--Their anxiety about food to nourish the body, which Jesus rebuked, showed a dullness of spiritual perception and probably a want of faith. These questions of Jesus show beyond doubt that he fed the multitudes on two different occasions and not one as some suppose. 21 And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand?--Matthew (Matthew 16:11-12) says: "How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They at the last understood that, which they ought to have understood at the first. But they, like we, were slow to understand.