Why do you not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
πως ου νοειτε οτι ου περι αρτου ειπον υμιν προσεχειν απο της ζυμης των φαρισαιων και σαδδουκαιων
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT BREAD I AM REFERRING TO (it is not the yeast of bread that you need to be cautious about): BE ON GUARD AGAINST THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES? The disciples received the Lord's serious admonition with deep respect and were hesitant to inquire about the meaning of leaven.
As he was preparing to leave, he spoke to his disciples in a veiled manner about a particular inquiry, cautioning them to guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which referred to their teachings and insincerity (Mt. 16:12; Mk. 8:15; Lk. 12:1).
Following a confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees in the regions of Dalmanutha and Magdala, Christ journeys once more to the opposite side of the sea, specifically the eastern shore, in order to evade the hostility of His adversaries. Upon His arrival, He cautions His disciples, saying, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Mt. 16:6), referring also to “the leaven of Herod” (Mk. 8:15) and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Lk. 12:1). He emphasizes the secular mindset of the Sadducees and the prioritization of political ambitions over spiritual commitments, which is typical of the Herodians. Meanwhile, the disciples had neglected to bring sufficient bread on their boat, having only one loaf (Mark 8:14).
This oversight distressed them, and upon hearing Christ’s warning about the leaven, they mistakenly concluded that He was cautioning them about purchasing bread from these groups, advising them to avoid interactions with such individuals, whom He regarded as His enemies. With a heavy heart, the Lord began to address their lack of understanding: “Are your hearts still hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?” (Mk. 8:17-18). Had they not witnessed His miraculous provision, feeding thousands with just a few loaves? How could they remain oblivious?
“Do you believe that I, who miraculously provided for five thousand individuals with just five loaves and for four thousand with seven loaves, cannot do the same for you, my twelve followers? Why do you not see with your eyes? Why do you not hear with your ears? Why do you fail to remember what has happened right before you? Do you still not grasp all that is occurring around you? Is your heart hardened like stone? How is it that you do not realize I was not speaking about bread when I warned you to be cautious of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?”
Jesus discerned from the conversation among the disciples that they were struggling to grasp His message and admonished them for their lack of faith, misunderstanding, and forgetfulness. He reminded them of the recent miraculous feedings of thousands with only a few loaves of bread (Matt. 14:14-21; Matt. 15:32-38). As those who had witnessed these signs, they should not have worried excessively about their physical needs, nor interpreted His rebuke as a criticism of their concerns for their daily provisions. If they believed this, it revealed their lack of faith and understanding. Following this rebuke, the disciples came to understand that His words carried a deeper, symbolic meaning, warning them to be cautious of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Lord, recognizing their inner thoughts, reproached them for their lack of reasoning and faith. As Blessed Theophylact notes, they displayed irrationality since they failed to recall how He had miraculously fed a multitude with only a few loaves, and they showed disbelief as they doubted His ability to provide for them despite not having purchased bread from the Jews. He questioned them, saying, "What are you thinking, O you of little faith? Do you think you will not take the loaves? Do you not sense, do you not perceive, do you not comprehend? Is your heart still hardened?
Do you not see with your eyes, hear with your ears, or remember?" He then asked, "When I broke five loaves for five thousand people, how many baskets full of fragments did you gather?" They replied, "Twenty." He further inquired, "And when I broke seven loaves for four thousand, how many baskets of leftovers did you collect?" They answered, "Seven." He then explained, "Why do you not understand that I was not speaking about bread, but about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?"
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS