OUR FATHER WHO INTRODUCED NEW WINE FOR NEW WINESKINS

The Lord Jesus, having just confronted the Pharisees and religious leaders over their hypocrisy of playing the role of spiritual leaders while knowing nothing of spiritual things, wanted to warn His disciples to stay clear of that kind of hypocritical conduct.

In Matthew chapter 16 verses 5 - 12, Jesus said to them to be on high alert against the yeast of the pharisees and Saddusees.

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 

11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The disciples mistook Jesusˋ caution to be a rebuke for forgetting to bring bread with them on the journey across the sea of galilee and they discussed this among themselves.

Jesus,  knowing about their conversation, was exasperated by their inability to understand that bread (or the lack thereof) should not have been a concern for them especially having, on two occassions, seen bread being multiplied enough to feed thousands of people.

Jesus clarified for them that the yeast He was speaking about were the teachings of the religious leaders whose corrupt doctrines were devised to benefit themselves and to maximize their dominance over the people of Israel.

Jesus was warning them that based on their failure to understand the times, the Pharisees and the Saddusees were going to be their primary persecutors starting with Jesus Himself and then the disciples after Him.

Jesus was also warning them against letting the same corruption infect their own doctrines where lifeless religious traditions replaced the potent spiritual life of faith.

In the absence of true spiritul understanding, their own teaching would devolve into the  same corruption that the Pharisees and Saddusees propagated: A directionless and contradictory corpus of man-made traditions enforced by intimidation.

Have mercy on us Lord.

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