In Mathew chapter 16 Jesus spoke:
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?
9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?
10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?
11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Pharisees and Sadducees they were formalists, tradition-worshipers, and self-righteous. A formalist is a person who focuses on strict adherence to or observance of a prescribed tradition. Church history shows us what was once a revelation has slowly turned into a tradition. A miracle may have happened once given a particular set of circumstances and people have since created a formula hoping to get FATHER to bring forth another miracle. Consider the pool at Bethesda in John chapter 5:
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
The tradition formed after the miracle occurred. People began to focus on the location of the miracle rather than the Miracle Giver. Only the first one to step in the water after being stirred could receive? Really? Do miracles only occur to those who have fully worked the formula prescribed by men? FATHER’S mercies are greater than any level of man’s performance or strict adherence to a set of rules or conditions. Jesus exposed the emptiness of that formality:
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
A tradition-worshiper is one who reverences and protects a tradition against any challenge, information, understanding, or opposing revelation. Instead of rejoicing over the miracle which just occurred, men were more interested in the tradition of doing nothing on the Sabbath. A man who had suffered for thirty-eight years was healed yet their tradition was more important? Self-righteousness is a feeling or display of (usually smug) moral superiority derived from a sense that one’s beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those of the average person. Jesus exposed the Pharisees when He spoke in Matthew chapter 15:
1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—
6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
It is easy for us to see what others are doing by custom and tradition but the challenge is to look in the mirror and see if we are guilty by our own preferences or actions. Are we making excuses or building walls keeping us from ministering to the needs of others? Love looks beyond self to find out how to be a blessing to those in need. Self-sacrificing acts can be found among those who walk in Love. Jesus warned the disciples and us as well to beware of the leaven. A little bit of selfish motive can grow into a major issue. Let us remove that little lump before it takes over.