We are Leavens Ourselves
The story of Noah and the Flood is not only a well-told epic but also marks the great divide between the world of the ancient myths, swept away in the flood, and an approach approximating more nearly to a historical presentation, which starts gaining shape as from Gen 13. God here is angry, regretting why he created humanity, which had turned into evil, and so decides to destroy the whole humanity and all created things. However, Noah won favour before God and was instructed to build the ark to save that which would bring life again after the great flood. Noah, by faith, obedience, and listening, heeded God's call. Do we sometimes make God regret why he created us?
In the New Testament, Noah’s Flood is no doubt a prototype of the final, eschatological flood, which will sweep away all evil-doers (Matthew 24.38) and thus an invitation as well as a warning to the followers of Christ who must be alert and responsive to warnings as Noah was. Several times Noah also features in the Old Testament as an example of righteousness, which won salvation for his family. In the Letter to the Hebrews 11.7, he is cited as the example of faith in heeding the warning given to him and building the ark. There is perhaps also a reminiscence of Noah and the Flood in Jesus emerging from the River Jordan at the beginning of the new era, to be greeted by the dove of peace. The point of the passage is an invitation to become like Noah to always heed to God's warning but also know that God will punish for sin, and in connection to today's Gospel, God will punish those whose leaven is left unattended to.
Jesus warns his disciples to be aware of the leaven of Pharisees and Herod. Leaven is a powdery substance that is used as a raising agent in the baking of bread. There are different types of leavening used in baking, but they all have one thing in common: they make dough or batter rise or expand. Just a little quantity can have a tremendous effect on the dough. For the Jews, leaven was a sign of evil influence. It signified anything that rots and corrupts, not just physically but spiritually and morally as well. So which evil pharisaic and Herodic leaven or influence is Jesus warning his disciples from?
The Pharisees tried to test Jesus, demanded signs from him, and tried to turn the crowds against him. Their concern for their position, their way of understanding their faith, and their pride coalesced into disbelieving hardness of heart that affected those around them. They were blinded by their own arrogance and were unable to recognise the truth and wisdom that Jesus spoke in the name of his Father in heaven. Herod provided a scandalous example through his disordered life. Their leaven was to draw people away from Christ’s message. Jesus thus had to warn his disciples not to be contaminated by their way of life and wrong teachings. Up today, Jesus still warns us of such people in our midst; don't be taken away by them.
Jesus though warning his disciples against Pharisaic and Herodic leavens, also warns us to attend to leavens too because we sometimes become leavens ourselves. We may tend to be thinking about all of those people we know with pharisaic leaven, but we’d miss an important opportunity for growth if we failed to first look at ourselves. Do I do this sometimes? Do I say things that mislead in small or subtle ways? Or do I mislead others by my non-verbal negative attitudes? Am I a “negative person” sometimes? All these are leavens that influence or affect people in a bad way; we are the leaven ourselves.
This leaven sometimes does not necessarily affect others but also tempts our real selves into sin. We need to look at ourselves and our basic disordered desires, our inner leavens, and take responsibility for our sins. Sometimes, we even come close to blaming God when we pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation’. God does not ‘lead us into temptation’; it is our own desires and passions, unschooled, flattered, and magnified on relatively harmless occasions, that trap us into misbehaviour. It is these desires that conceive and give birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death.' (1.15).
Today we are invited to work on our leavens. How do your words, actions, and nonverbal actions lead others in the wrong way? How often do you fall to sin because of your unattended to leavens? Pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten you so that you can see your leaven and work on it.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, give me joy and strength to serve you always, and help me to turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness that brings corruption and death. Amen
Be blessed
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