Beware The Leaven

[Christsfreeservant]

“Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.’” (Luke 12:1-3 NASB1995)​

Under These Circumstances

In the previous chapter, Jesus was having a conversation with the Pharisees. Some of the things he said to them were that they were hypocrites who liked to appear spiritually clean on the outside while inside they were full of robbery and wickedness. They strictly observed certain religious rituals, but they disregarded justice and the love of God, and they were like graves of the dead. He spoke to the lawyers, too, for they had corrupted the true gospel of salvation, and they kept themselves and others from salvation.

And when he left their presence, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Jesus closely on many subjects, plotting against him to catch him in something he might say (see Luke 11:37-54).

So, it was under these circumstances that Jesus began to warn his disciples about the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. And yeast, in this context, was in reference to the spreading influence of evil which can be hidden from view, like yeast in bread, but then spread throughout all who are influenced by it. And this is happening within the gatherings of the church in the USA, where I live, and perhaps throughout the whole world. For hypocrisy is making a profession of something but living the opposite.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

But many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are living the opposite of this. Sin is still what they practice, and not obedience to God. And they may or may not be people who are living in addictive sin, deliberately and habitually, but their lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ to live for him and to do his will. They are still lord over their own lives, making all their own choices, without regard for God and for what he wants for their lives. So they are not walking in obedience to his commands, but they live for self.

Proclaimed Upon Housetops

Whenever I read this I cannot help but think of the era in which we now live where pretty much everyone’s business is being shouted on the internet or on television or on the radio or other media outlets, and 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week, non-stop. And if you are in possession of a television or have access to the internet or you have a smartphone or any smart-device, your private conversations are no longer private, and someone (or a robot) is listening in and perhaps recording what you are saying.

Mainly I believe they are using this for marketing purposes, for if we mention a particular product in a private conversation, it will frequently show up in our advertisements on the internet, especially on social media. But I believe they are also looking for certain key words to learn who they should regard as a threat or as opposition to what the government is doing. And please know that many government (and church) heads are corrupt, and they are not working for the good of the people, even if they say they are.

But it isn’t just that. Everywhere you go out in public, pretty much, people are taking pictures of other people, or they are secretly video recording them and their conversations. So there really isn’t such a thing as privacy anymore. And one day the things we said in private, where we thought no one could hear but whoever we were talking with, may indeed be broadcast via media sources to where everyone can hear what we have said when we thought no one was listening. So all of us should be careful what we say.

But it isn’t just that. Many people are sinning in secret against their spouses, or against their bosses, or against their co-workers or their relatives or against their neighbors, etc. God can still see what they are doing, but they are able to manage keeping it a secret from others. But one day this is all going to come out into the open, perhaps sooner, or perhaps later, and then those secret sins will no longer be secret, kind of like we are learning some of the secret sins of our government heads. So, please take this to heart.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Beware The Leaven
An Original Work / August 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love