Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
I think I’ve mentioned before how I like to bake bread. A few weeks ago I made some raisin bread with my daughter. The dough took a long time to rise, probably because we let it rise in a place that was not very warm and was somewhat draughty. Yet eventually it did rise, and we were able to bake the bread. In fact it turned out very well. The yeast did its work despite a slow start. In the gospel reading for today Jesus makes reference to “the leaven of the Pharisees,” referring to their teachings and their influence.
Leaven is an interesting metaphor, because it invokes the idea of something that works through the dough and causes it to rise. Yeast multiplies exponentially to cause a significant change. A little bit therefore goes a long way. And in the process, the dough becomes different from what it was before.
Despite the power of this image, nevertheless the gospel passage for today is somewhat cryptic, and I admit I do not fully understand it. Yet there are clues to what Jesus is saying here. First, when he warns his disciples to beware the “leaven” of the Pharisees Jesus is warning them not to follow the Pharisees’ teachings. Second, his own teachings—through his words and the example of his life and public ministry—are an alternative to the teachings of the Pharisees. He refers to some of the miracles that he has performed as signs that his teaching is perfect and comes from God. Jesus’ teaching is true and life-giving while the teaching of the Pharisees is not. Third, Jesus reminds us to think not just the literal meaning of his words and his actions, but of their deeper spiritual significance as well. He reminds the disciples that he is not talking about their lack of bread but rather is warning them against lack of faith: “Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” Finally, Jesus’ reference to numbers with symbolic significance also suggests a meaning that goes beyond his literal words. In the Bible, seven represents completion or perfection. (Think of the seven days of creation). And the number twelve is associated with the God’s action in electing (choosing) people to serve him and to help bestow his grace on the world and to work in history. (Think for instance of the twelve apostles, the twelve tribes of Israel, etc.) Jesus is thus talking here about our response to God’s offer of election to a life in service to him and other people.
Reflecting on Jesus’ words I am thus reminded of the need to look for the ways that God is at work in my life and to pray for the grace to allow God to work in me in the future—as Noah and Jesus’ disciples are both called to do. It also highlights the importance of living out my faith on a daily basis in order to allow it to grow, and to seek to follow Jesus’ teachings in a more significant and deeper way.
Joel Schickel