Feeding of the 4,000

And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matt 16:6 (NAS95S)

They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” Matt 16:7 (NAS95S)

But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?” Matt 16:8 (NAS95S)

Why did Jesus say these men had little faith? Are we to assume that Jesus expected, them to be able to create their own food as He did? Jesus’ next statement revealed why He called them men of little faith.

Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? Matt 16:9-10 (NAS95S)

No, Jesus is not concerned with food. Nor should they have been. They should have known that Jesus could meet their need. They had just watched Jesus feed an enormous crowd with a small amount of bread and fish and ended up with more food than that with which they had started. The disciples were indeed men of little faith. Food was not the issue. Something else was the topic of conservation. Oh, did you notice that Jesus reveals that both miracles of feeding four thousand and five thousand actually did occur?

How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matt 16:11 (NAS95S)

What they missed was that food should never be a concern with Jesus. What they should have understood was that Jesus was warning them about the false teaching of the Pharisees. Their teaching was like leaven or yeast. It grows on its own during heat. It rises and spreads and cannot be stopped. Their false accusations about Jesus were dangerous, and their teachings about the scriptures were false. Religious leaders can be dangerous. After Jesus’ last comment, they finally understood, as we discover in the next verse.

Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matt 16:12 (NAS95S)

False Teachers. Jesus warned the disciples about false teachers, and so did the apostles. The apostle Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28-30 that men would come into air meetings or churches and teach error.

. . . savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30 (NAS95S)

In Galatians 1:6-9 Paul wrote that he was surprised the Galatians were so quickly accepting falsehood as being truth. In Colossians the apostle was defending the deity of Jesus Christ. In 2 Thessalonians he had to remind them about the truth of future things. In 2 Timothy 2:16-18 Paul reveals that some individuals were claiming that the final resurrection had already occurred. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 the apostle predicted what would occur in our times,

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Tim 4:1-3 (NAS95S)

False teachers and false teaching did not just occur in Jesus’ day. Error has been a problem for all ages. Today, error is very common. It seems to be everywhere. It is in the public arena as well as in the church. Some call it liberalism and others simply call it error. Dr. J. Vernon McGee made the following comment some years ago,

Actually, what is liberalism? It all came into existence by the pulpit trying to please the unsaved members. And today we have a lot of men trying to please the congregation, even when they are unsaved. And that, may I say, is putting leaven in - that is, mixing wrong teaching with the truth of the gospel. The only kind of bread they will eat is that which has leaven because leaven makes bread taste good. I was brought up on hot biscuits, friend, and the natural man likes them. Leaven is the evil that is put in. And these He is warning about the wrong teaching of the Pharisees . . .[2]

Conclusion. Jesus warned His disciples about false teachers and their teachings. It is present today in our churches, nations, and in our world. Today, many avoid unpleasant topics in order to appeal to a wide range of people. I once visited a church where the pastor did not believe that Jesus was God, but one could not discover that from his sermon. He kept that a secret. He never revealed that to the congregation. That was discovered in a private conversation after the church service. A growing, spiritually healthy church is not necessarily one that is large, wealthy, or looks great on the outside. While several things must exist for a church to be spiritually healthy, there is at least one thing that must be true. It must at least teach the truth.

The disciples were part of a great ministry. They saw wonderful miracles, wonders, and incredible events. They saw Jesus in action with false teachers. But best of all, they heard the truth. What do you look for in a church? Do you look for pleasant surroundings, worship music, friends, or a dynamic preacher? But are you discovering spiritual truth? Are you truly growing spiritually? Are you learning something new each Sunday? Is truth being taught? Why are you attending your church? Remember Jesus’ warning!

2. J. Vernon McGee. Thru The Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishing. 1983., vol. iv p. 195.211