BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES

Eph 1.11-14; Ps 32; Lk 12.1-7
19 OCTOBER

A few grams of yeast are sufficient in the dough and it all ferments. Jesus sees the kingdom of God as true leaven in the world’s pasta. Concretely leaven of the kingdom is the disciple of the Lord in turn leavened with the leaven of the heart of Christ Jesus, the leaven of truth, charity, eternal life, Holy Spirit and most pure Gospel.

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened” (Mt 13,33).

Saint Paul knows the power of leaven not only in good, but also in evil, he invites the community of Corinth to get rid from its breast of all yeast of immorality.

It is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans – a man living with his father’s wife. And you are inflated with pride. Should you not rather have been sorrowful? The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst. I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as if present, pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus: when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people, not at all referring to the immoral of this world or the greedy and robbers or idolaters; for you would then have to leave the world. But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. For why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within? God will judge those outside. “Purge the evil person from your midst” (1Cor 5,1-13).

Jesus warns his apostles. He invites them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Image of the hypocrite is the whitewashed sepulchre. Outside he is wonderfully beautiful, he is often also monumental. Instead, in his bosom there are filth and bones. Thus the Pharisees are civilly without any stain. Instead, within the heart, there is every wickedness and iniquity. Jesus does not need a religion of hypocrites. The world has a particular nose to sense hypocrisy. It senses its smell miles away. It might never believe in the Gospel of Christ Jesus if it is announced by hypocritical apostles, who say one thing and do another. They take care of their exterior, while the interior is full of horrible misdeeds.

Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. He began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven – that is, the hypocrisy – of the Pharisees. “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

Another thing from which every Apostle and disciple of Jesus must always remain far is the fear of men, which prevents the straight and visible confession of Lord Jesus. A disciple of Jesus must always be a disciple. It is not his heart that is a disciple and consequently he can hide. It is his body that is a disciple. How do you hide an evangelical body? If the gospel body is hidden, it means that the heart is not evangelical. The body is the truth of our being disciples of the Lord.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that we are always with our body leaven of the kingdom.