What Appeals in the Dark
“Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:15
Leaven of Herod – Seeking the praises of men was the sin of the Pharisees. There’s plenty of that around today. We just have a different name for them – celebrities. But Jesus differentiates these glory-seekers from another kind of destructive potential – the leaven of Herod. Unless we know what Jesus means, we might think that putting aside self-glorification is enough. That would be a tragic mistake.
What did Jesus mean when he pointed to Herod’s leaven. First, we need to know that zumes is a word used for something that infects a larger substance. Like a little yeast in flour, it spreads its effects throughout the whole loaf. Jesus cautions that this little bit will corrupt it all. What is this little bit? For that, we need to know something about Herod.
Herod Antipas was the son of King Herod who executed all the children in Bethlehem. He was fanatical about power and intended to keep it at all costs. He even had his own children killed in order to preserve his throne. Eventually he died and his son took the reins. This Herod was the one who imprisoned John the Baptist. Why? Because John condemned this Herod who stole his brother’s wife and was living in adultery. This Herod was afraid of John because he felt the pang of conviction. He knew he should repent, but he found a secret fascination in sin. He let just a little leaven creep into his life – just enough for him to enjoy a little moral vacation once in awhile; just a tiny bit of pleasure; just a small disregard for God’s thoughts. As far as he was concerned, it was a “private” matter. He was the king and what happened in the king’s bedroom was nobody’s business. But that’s not what Jesus thought.
This is one of the very few times that Jesus uses the word ‘orate. It means “beware.” It’s a strong appeal for intense scrutiny. There are just two things to watch out for: seeking self-glory and seeking private sins. One is public proclamation. The other is what happens in the dark. Both are deadly.
Most Christians proclaim intolerance for the leaven of the Pharisees. They recognize glory-hounds. But there is another dangerous leaven. It is the hidden world of self-seeking sin. And most Christians today tolerate this kind of leaven because most Christians entertain a private little closet somewhere in the dark recesses of their souls. It’s no good to be almost clean. Beware!
