The Word Became Flesh (Reflection on Mark 8)
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(This Blog Post accompanies my video reading of Mark 8 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel.)
God Became Flesh and walked amongst us!
Thanks for reading along as I share, Mark's Gospel, Chapter 8. Personally, I'm in awe of the fact that we are not merely reading a story. We are blessed to be transported back to a time in human history when God became flesh and walked amongst us. Jesus came to talk to us, to live with us and to die for us so that we could spend eternity with Him. We're reading eye witness testimony of His Word and His deeds. It's a truly awesome blessing, so let's dig deep into a few published commentaries and try and understand the messages.
Enduring Word Commentary
I often visit this commentary first because it generally provides a good overall summary and it didn't disappoint. Immediately, I was pleased to read something, I hadn't personally considered. I knew this miracle testimony was almost identical to the previous feeding of the multitude but I'd missed something. This commentary, invites us to consider that Jesus is testing His disciples in light of their previous experiences. They'd been in this exact same situation before!
b. How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness? We can imagine Jesus hoping one of the disciples might say, “Jesus, You did this before. You can do the same kind of work again.” Jesus hoped they would regard His past faithfulness as a promise to meet their present need.
I think it's tempting to think that the disciples should really have known better by now but then I stop and think. How many times do I fail to look to Jesus, despite knowing He always has the answer. I mentioned in the video that I'm experiencing a little anxiety over my up coming surgery but that's just one example. Most days, I get a little anxious over something I read about in the news or some other thing going on in my life. Jesus has been trying to teach the disciples to put their faith in Him. This testimony is a blessing to each of us who reads. I imagine the question penetrating through to me personally, 'Denise, have you got eyes to see and ears to hear'?Jesus is teaching us through His Word to have faith in Him. I believe it's why the Gospel's were written. To deliver His Word of guidance to every one who chooses to follow Him. Literally, Jesus is leaving instructions on how to follow Him. Jesus is explaining how to go about picking up our personal cross. I wonder at the notion of being ashamed. There seems a focus on how we would go about demonstrating that we are not ashamed. It seems to me these verses are an encouragement to be proactively proud doers.
I was interested that this commentary mentioned that some scholars have questioned whether this miracle testimony is a retelling of the feeding of the 5000 rather than a separate miracle. I find that a little surprising in light of Jesus' reference to the previous miracle. Only a scholar who doubts the authenticity of the Bible could doubt this as a separate miracle, in my humble opinion. I'm mindful to always question which side of the 'faith' fence, so called scholars are sitting. To believe in a miracle, requires a faith in the miracle maker. A miracle isn't a wonderful magic trick that leaves us wondering how the magician accomplished his trick. These biblical miracles are evidence of the awesome power of God. Only God can create a miracle and therefore we can have faith that Jesus is one with God because He created miracles.
i. Some scholars argue this specific miracle never happened. They claim that this was merely a retelling of the feeding of the 5,000. Their main argument is, “how could the disciples forget Jesus’ previous work so quickly?” Yet even mature Christians, having experienced God’s power and provision, sometimes go on to act in unbelief. This wasn’t so surprising after all.
There's much more to learn from this commentary, take a look.
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-8/
Bible Ref Commentary
This is a much shorter commentary but I found yet another aspect of the reading, I'd personally overlooked. I'd forgotten where Jesus and the Disciples were in terms of location. We were given this information in Mark 7:31 (KJV), "31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.". Here the commentary clarifies.
Jesus had taken His disciples—apparently more than just the Twelve—into Gentile territory, presumably in an attempt to find a quiet place to teach. In Mark 7, they traveled northwest of Capernaum to the region of Tyre (Mark 7:24), then continued farther north to Sidon (Mark 7:31). Now they are in the district east of the Sea of Galilee.
The significant context for us is that Jesus' mission is expanding to include both Jew and Gentile. It's a turning point. For further information, have a read of the full commentary.
https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/8/Mark-chapter-8.html
Blue Letter Commentary
This is a full commentary with a good level of detail, inviting thought. They provide a good discussion on Jesus' warning to His Disciples about the 'leaven' of the Pharisees. I make my own bread and I enjoy coming across analogies of 'yeast' or 'leaven' in the Bible. Often it describes the way a sin grows and occasionally an increase in spirit. I watch my lump of dough rise to double it's size because a tiny bit of yeast has been added and I understand. I'm understanding that the disbelief of the Pharisees is an example of how sin magnifies sin. As we read we see how more and more people become infected and sinful thoughts become sinful actions.
3. The reproof Christ gave them for their uneasiness in this matter, as it argued a disbelief of his power to supply them, notwithstanding the abundant experience they had had of it.
For the full commentary, follow the link.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_008.cfm
Bible Hub Commentary
I've shared a lot of personal thoughts so far in this post and there's still much I haven't covered from this very important chapter. Rather than make this post overly long, I'll simply finish with the concluding points from the Bible Hub Commentary. For all of the teachings I haven't mentioned, I really recommend this commentary.
Personally, I heard Jesus providing unquestionable clarity on the relationship between faith and salvation in this chapter. For example in His reference to the second coming.
The cross of Christ appeared to the great body of mankind to be shameful and contemptible. To the Jews it was a stumbling-block, and to the Greek's foolishness. Hence vast numbers, whether through shame or fear, did not dare to confess it, and still less to preach it. And therefore it is that St. Paul says (Romans 1:l6), "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."
Follow the link for more clarity.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/8.htm
I hope you will have been inspired to read more and understand more. Until next time, God bless you 🙏
The leaven of the Pharisees in Mark chapter 4 jumped out at me. I read all your commentaries and found the following commentary on my own. Have you any thought on this commentary? 4aug 2021
Leaven/Yeast: Assumptions and Bad Bible Reading
Author: Bobby Valentine | Filed under: Exegesis, Hebrew Bible, Jesus, Jewish Backgrounds
Assumptions, Bad Bible Reading, and Leaven/Yeast
A Quote to Begin with: “Leaven in the Bible, without exception, is used as a symbol of corruption by unclean or sinful things … Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, leaven is a symbol of the unholy” (David Buttrick, Speaking Parables: A Homiletic Guide, p.147).
Is leaven (or yeast) a symbol of corruption, uncleanness, or sin in Scripture? Many have made such claims. Leaven is this microscopic (even invisible!) substance that invades from without (like secret sin). Thus Jesus famously said we are to “avoid the leaven/yeast of the Pharisees” (Mt 16.6). And at the Passover, Jews were instructed to clean their house so that no leaven could be found (interesting instructions if leaven/yeast is invisible!). Leaven is bad. I’ve heard/read these statements many times over the years.
But these statements, that can even be documented in some scholarly materials, simply conflates the historical gap between the biblical text and our own lives. We know what “yeast” is in our modern world, microbes right. Essentially germs. However, no one in Israel/Palestine in either Moses’s day nor Jesus’s day knew about “yeast/leaven” in such a scientific fashion. That was not known until Louis Pasteur.
Not only is the historical/cultural context simply ignored and we assume that yeast means what it does in today’s kitchen, it ignores the Hebrew Bible and second temple Judaism. Leaven/yeast must be those little organisms that we know today.
Let me put the cards on the table. In Scripture “leaven” (NRSV) or “yeast” (NIV) is a neutral metaphor. There is nothing inherently negative about the symbolism of leaven/yeast anywhere in Scripture. The use of leaven, as a symbol, depends on the context. By itself, leaven is positive. Leaven can have a negative meaning in a given context.
First, leaven is not invisible in the ancient world. All around the Mediterranean, including Palestine, what we call “leaven/yeast” is what a modern chef might call a “sourdough starter” and not stuff in little red packets. And it was never regarded negatively in Jewish culture.
Second, what about the Passover? Israel was indeed commanded to remove all the yeast from the house. But here we simply do not read the Scriptures very closely. The yeast/leaven is not removed, according to Exodus, because it is unclean. The unleaven bread symbolizes the hastein which Israel left. Israel was in such a hurry to flee Egypt there was not even time to make bread (Exodus 13). In the Passover it is the bitter herbs that remind Israel of the misery and suffering of slavery in Egypt, not leaven. The bitter herbs might be considered a negative image.
There are sacrifices in which leaven is excluded as well but the rational is never given.
On the other side of the coin, leaven/yeast is commanded to be used in thanksgiving /fellowship offerings to Yahweh. The leavened bread is offered to the Lord and eaten (Lev 7.13ff).
“With your thanksgiving of well-being you shall bring your offering with cakes of leavened bread.From this you shall offer one cake from each offering, as a gift to the LORD …”
This is one of the most common offerings in the Hebrew Bible.
The regulations for the the Feast of First Fruits/Weeks/Pentecost are very different than Passover on the matter of leaven/yeast. No requirement for avoiding yeast is to be found anywhere. Such would have been impractical at best. Grapes and barely harvest are pretty difficult to not have yeast. Grapes naturally have yeast that live on the skin (and if we think leaven is microbes, you would think God knew about those invisible things on the grape) and begin to make wine the instant the skin is broken and barley is used in the beverage known as beer. There was a reason the disciples could have been accused of being slightly intoxicated on Pentecost, because “leaven/yeast” is not excluded from Pentecost. But without any of that, leaven/yeast is simply commanded.
“You shall bring your from your home two loaves of bread as an elevation offering, each made with two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of choice flour, baked with yeast/leaven, as first fruits to the LORD …” (Lev 23.17)
This leavened bread is offered along with the leavened drink offering (wine. Israelites did not consider wine to be leavened, again because they associate leaven with the bread), you invite the priest and the poor and then eat and drink in the presence of the Lord. I add that the shewbread used in the daily offerings in the Temple were made out of leavened bread. Clearly not unclean. The “daily bread” Jesus teaches us to pray for is leavened bread.
The Lord Jesus compares the kingdom of God to leaven, surely he is not casting negativity on the kingdom.
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast/leaven that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until it was all leavened” (Mt 13.33)”
And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast/leaven that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” (Lk 13.20-21).
Yeast/leaven is another one of the wonderful examples of what simply assuming can do. I once assumed that “milk and honey” referred to white stuff from a cow and sweet stuff from bees. I was wrong! (See The Bible and Assumptions: The Case of Milk and Honey).
In the ancient world leaven/yeast was most frequently a symbol of life not uncleanness and sin. In the ancient church, Greek speaking church, leaven/yeast is used in powerful ways as symbols of the incarnation, of the resurrection and of life itself. Leaven is the “life” of the bread.
Jesus’s warning to be on guard against the “leaven” of the Pharisees was a warning regarding a certain kind of leaven. Not that leaven itself is corrupt or unholy. We, however, are supposed to be a leaven in the world.
When Jesus tells us to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees he means a particular kind of living. Paul also has particular kind of leaven in mind in 1 Cor 5.8, the leaven of malice and envy. N. T. Wright once noted in Jesus and the Victory of God, “texts matter, but contexts matter more.”
This is apropos for reflecting on leaven. Leaven is commanded. Yeast is used in worship. Without yeast, wine is impossible The kingdom of God is the yeast of God. None of which is bad.
I will give Ignatius of Antioch the final word. Ignatius was a bishop in the Antioch church that supported Paul. He was born in the first century and martyred no later than AD 117. His seven letters were deeply treasured by the early church and sometimes even regarded as inspired. In his Letter to the Magnesians he shows us how leaven was used both good and bad.
“Put aside then the evil leaven, which has grown old and sour, and turn to the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be salted in him, that none among you may be corrupted, since by your savor you shall be tested.” (10.2-3).
We often import filters to the biblical text, especially the New Testament, because we have uninformed or prejudicially informed views of first the Hebrew Bible and secondly of the Judaism of Jesus’s day. Sometimes we can completely miss the meaning because of this.
For more on leaven in the Bible see Amy Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi. Levine is a brilliant Jewish NT scholar. She chastises a NT scholarship for a deeply selective reading of the Hebrew Bible and simply never getting to know the culture in which Jesus lived and taught. Add Levine to your “who I read” list.
Of Related Interest: See How Leavened Bread was used in the early church for the Lord’s Supper.
The Bread on the Table: An Ancient Controversy that Changed the Lord’s Supper
This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 4th, 2021 at 11:07 am and is filed under Exegesis, Hebrew Bible, Jesus, Jewish Backgrounds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to “Leaven/Yeast: Assumptions and Bad Bible Reading”
Gary Huff Says:
August 4th, 2021 at 2:27 pm Reply
Great article! I worshipped once at an Orthodox church but did not partake of the Eucharist elements during the Divine Liturgy. I spoke with a priest who explained why the Orthodox use leaven bread and wine. After the liturgy, the priest offered non Orthodox visitors a sample of the unconsecrated bread. Sure better than the cardboard tasting wafers we are using now in the “rip and taste” disposable communion containers.
Dwight Says:
August 16th, 2021 at 9:05 am Reply
Nice. One reason leaven is conflate with sin is that one of the Temperance Movements argument was that wine was leavened grape juice, thus sinful, but this reaching to find a reason and wrong in what was really going on.
Wow, Edna. I can absolutely testify to the pain after bunion surgery! I had a bilateral Scarf Bunion surgery a few years ago. The reason I had both feet done together was based on my anticipation of a painful recovery, as warned by my surgeon. I honestly thought, that I would likely back out of having the second foot done. My personal experience was obviously magnified by having two feet recovering but it was incredibly painful. I had a text book recovery, with no complications but I couldn't sleep for weeks. The pain and swelling was significant. I have to admit that it's what plays on my mind a little with this upcoming surgery. On the other hand, I know I coped and recovered and so that makes me feel better. I will Absolutely now pray for a pain free recovery and I'm so grateful you shared your story ❤️🙏. You've also reminded me that when I had my bunion surgery, I had not picked up my cross and had quite a fear of dying! This time, I'm trusting God, I've placed myself in His Almighty hands 🙏. Yes, I still find anxiety creeps in but I try and see this as an attack against my faith. This verse is my watch word, 'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:' 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV). I realise that every anxiety is a demonstration of a lack of faith. In response, I try to remember to ask God to tighten up my helmet and breastplate so that I am able to resist temptation. '10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.' Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV). I'm not perfect, I'm describing the faith and practice I am aspiring to. I constantly forget and spend a day fretting but I realise that on that particular day, the roaring lion got control of my life. My faith was diminished by anxiety. This is a clear theme in Chapter 8 here. Christ is sufficient but we have to have the faith to trust in that sufficiency 😊
A quick note on my looming surgery, under two weeks away now. I'm hoping to be able to record and upload chapter 9 next week but then will be forced to take a short break. Our Almighty God willing, I shall be recovering for a time and it will be too challenging to record a video. I'd value your prayers that I am able to recover quickly and resume my mission to share the Gospel as quickly as possible. I imagine I may be able to create a few posts from my recovery chair... Maybe even spend a little time on my Genesis study. Watch out for a burst of general Circular Grace website activity whilst I'm unable to record a reading ❤️