Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G077 The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The Lord Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
Matthew 16:1-12; Mark 8:11-26

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 16:1-12

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And He left them, and departed.

5 And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jesus perceived, He said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

12 Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mark 8:11-26

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.

12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

13 And He left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

15 And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

17 And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto Him, Twelve.

20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

21 And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

22 And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.

23 And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought.

24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

25 After that He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

26 And He sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

In this lesson, we will learn together about the Pharisees and Sadducees testing the Lord Jesus; His warning to His disciples about their doctrine; and His healing of a blind man at Bethsaida.

Matthew 16:1-3

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

Mark 8:11

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.

The term “pharisee” means those who set themselves apart to serve God. The Pharisees viewed themselves as those who were set apart to copy and interpret the Scriptures. Most of them were Rabbis, who specialized in teaching the Scriptures, or scribes, who specialized in copying and interpreting the Scriptures, or members of the Sanhedrin.

The term “sadducee” means the righteous ones. The Sadducees likely originated from the lineage of the High Priest Zadok, who served as high priest during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. The Sadducees included the high priests, noble families, merchants, and wealthy individuals. The Sadducees significantly differed from the Pharisees in their theology. The Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife or the literal resurrection of the body. They only believed in what was written in the Scriptures and thus did not accept oral traditions like the Pharisees. They interpreted and applied the commandments strictly literally.

The Pharisees and Sadducees did not like each other, but when the opportunity arose, they joined forces to oppose the Lord Jesus. Matthew records that both the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to test the Lord Jesus, while Mark only mentions the Pharisees. We understand that Matthew recorded the event based on his own observations, while Mark recorded it based on someone else’s account. The storyteller may not have been aware of the presence of the Sadducees.

At the time of this event, the Lord Jesus and His disciples were likely still in Dalmanutha, near the town of Magadan (Matthew 15:39; Mark 8:10). However, it is also possible that He and His disciples had walked back to Capernaum, a journey of about 8 km. The Pharisees and Sadducees could have been residents of Capernaum. They asked the Lord Jesus to show them a sign from heaven to prove that He was the promised Christ according to the Scriptures. However, their true intention was to have a reason to discredit Him if He could not produce a sign from heaven. The sign from heaven they demanded was a miracle that did not occur on earth. They wanted to see something similar to manna falling from heaven (Exodus 16), the sun stopping or moving backward (Joshua 10:12-13; Isaiah 38:8), or sudden rain and thunder (1 Samuel 12:16-18).

However, the Lord Jesus did not fulfill their request. Instead, He rebuked them for being able to read the sky to predict the weather but failing to discern the times by looking at the signs.

The term “the times” (G2540) used by the Lord Jesus refers to three periods:

• The period when Christ came to carry out the redemption of humanity and establish the Church. The signs that foretold this period include the star that guided the wise men from the East to worship the Lord Jesus when He was born in Bethlehem, as well as all the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus, His death, resurrection, and ascension.

• The period when Christ returns to take the Church out of the world. The signs that foretell this period include the two World Wars and very likely the third World War, the reestablishment of the nation of Israel, the complete control of the holy city of Jerusalem by the people of Israel, along with famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. The Lord Jesus Himself prophesied these signs.

• The end times, encompassing seven years, which is also the final week of years within the 70 weeks prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). The signs that foretell this period were also prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself.

Many people who call themselves God’s people have not paid attention to the Lord Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which we are studying in this lesson. They only cite the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in Matthew and Mark to suggest that God’s people should not seek to understand the time frame of the Lord’s coming.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32)

These people do not understand that no one knows the day or hour when Christ will come to take the Church out of the world. However, Christ Himself advises people to look at current events to recognize the time frame of His coming. If God’s people do not know the time frame of His coming, how can they be motivated to eagerly stay alert and prepared? How can they know that the day is approaching and thus be more diligent in encouraging one another, according to the command of the Holy Spirit?

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrew 10:25)

In the parable of the fig tree recorded in Matthew 24:32-34, the Lord Jesus affirmed that His coming will occur within the generation of those who witness the signs of the nation of Israel being reestablished after more than 2,500 years of exile and the sign of Israel fully regaining control over the holy city of Jerusalem. The reestablishment of the nation of Israel is the fig tree of Israel being replanted on the territory of Canaan. The full reclamation of Jerusalem by the Israelites is the fig tree of Israel budding and putting forth leaves. The generation of those born between May 14, 1948, the day Israel was reestablished, and June 7, 1967, the day Israel fully regained control over the holy city of Jerusalem, will not pass away before Christ comes. According to the Bible, a generation lasts about 70 or 80 years.

“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10)

We are truly living in the last days of the Church’s history. We will be witnesses to Christ’s coming to take the Church out of the world. Based on the prophecies in the Bible, we understand and can believe that this event could happen at any time, and even if it is delayed, it will not be later than June 7, 2040. Certainly, no one knows the hour or day of Christ’s coming. But by looking at current events, we know that we are living in the time frame of Christ’s return. Please read the article “The End Times and the Year 2027” [1] and the article “The End Times and the Years 2030, 2040” [2].

Those who reject the understanding and recognition of the time frame of Christ’s return will miss out on many blessings that the Lord has reserved for those who meditate on the prophecies of His return. In reality, their lives lack the eagerness to await the Lord’s return and the encouragement to strive to live in a way that pleases Him. The lives of those who recognize that they are living in the time frame of the Lord’s return are lives filled with joy in all circumstances because they are actively preparing themselves to go with the Lord at any moment.

Matthew 16:4

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And He left them, and departed.

Mark 8:12-13

12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

13 And He left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

The Lord Jesus referred to the Pharisees, who set themselves apart to live for God, and the Sadducees, who proclaimed themselves righteous, as a “wicked and adulterous generation.” The term translated as “generation” (G1074) can also be translated as “lineage.” However, given the context, “generation” is the more accurate translation. A generation refers to a group of people living within the same time frame, while lineage includes multiple generations of a family, tribe, or ethnic group.

“Wicked” refers to intentionally living in opposition to the commandments of God, causing suffering and injustice to others.

“Adulterous” can refer to physical immorality as well as spiritual adultery. Spiritual adultery is the violation of the first commandment. In the case of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it was placing themselves and their sects above God.

This is not the first time the Pharisees have asked the Lord Jesus for a sign. The phrase “the sign of the Prophet Jonah” was also used by the Lord Jesus earlier, as we have seen in Matthew 12:39-40 and Luke 11:29-30.

In Mark’s account, we see a surprising detail. Mark records that “He sighed deeply in His spirit.” Mark was not a direct witness like Matthew. Mark recorded the events based on someone else’s account. How could the storyteller for Mark know that the Lord Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit? Or was it the Holy Spirit who revealed this detail to Mark? This is similar to Luke, who was not a direct witness but recorded that while the Lord Jesus was praying alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

The Lord Jesus left the Pharisees and Sadducees, boarded a boat, and crossed to the opposite shore. Based on Mark 8:22, we understand that He landed near the village of Bethsaida.

Matthew 16:5-6

5 And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mark 8:14-15

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

15 And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

Although the Lord Jesus had previously multiplied the loaves and fish to feed more than 4,000 people and His disciples had gathered seven baskets of leftovers, they did not bring any of that food with them. It is possible that by the time they landed, it was already lunchtime, and the disciples found they only had one piece of bread. They might have been arguing about forgetting to bring food. At that moment, the Lord Jesus taught them to beware and be cautious of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Mark, however, replaces the term “Sadducees” with “Herod.”

Herod is the title given to the kings of Edom appointed by the Roman Empire to rule the region of Judea. The first was Herod the Great: He ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is known for his major building projects, including the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He also ordered the massacre of all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, hoping to kill the infant Jesus. Herod is his name. Later, his sons and grandsons who became kings used this title. The name Herod means “hero.”

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and ruled Galilee from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was the one who executed John the Baptist and who Governor Pilate sent the Lord Jesus to for trial.

Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, ruled over a large area including Judea, Samaria, Idumea, Galilee, and Perea from 41 AD to 44 AD. He killed the Apostle James and imprisoned the Apostle Peter, who was later freed by an angel. He accepted the people’s praise, calling him a god, leading to his being struck by an angel and dying from a severe illness (Acts 12:20-23).

Herod Agrippa II, the son of Herod Agrippa I, governed a portion of the northern territory of Canaan and had jurisdiction over the Temple in Jerusalem, including the authority to appoint high priests, from 50 AD to 93 AD. He was the one before whom the Apostle Paul testified and preached the Gospel, before Paul was sent to Rome. He also witnessed the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by Roman soldiers in 70 AD, but he sided with the Romans.

“The leaven of Herod” likely refers to the pro-Roman policies of the Herodian dynasty and the cooperation between the Herods and the Sadducees. The leaven of Herod can be understood as the policy of collaborating with the ruling authorities and wealthy elites for personal gain, regardless of the difficulties and harm it caused to the people of Israel. The leaven of the Sadducees is similar to that of Herod, as they also pursued cooperation with the ruling authorities. In contrast, the “leaven of the Pharisees” refers to their teachings that are inconsistent with the Word of God.

Matthew 16:7-8

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jesus perceived, He said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Mark 8:16-18

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

17 And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

When the Lord told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and Herod, they thought He was subtly rebuking them for forgetting to bring bread. Thus, they discussed among themselves that the Lord was speaking in this way because they had not brought bread.

The disciples not only failed to understand that the Lord was teaching them an important lesson, but they also underestimated Him, thinking of Him as someone who makes indirect remarks to criticize others.

Although they were discussing the Lord’s teaching among themselves, He knew their discussion and rebuked them.

It is possible that Matthew recorded the Lord’s rebuke briefly, while Mark recorded it in more detail. The Lord called the disciples “ye of little faith” because, having witnessed twice how He multiplied loaves and fish, they still thought He was making indirect remarks to rebuke them for forgetting to bring bread.

The Lord asked them why they still did not perceive the works He did to understand who He was and the supernatural power He possessed. Was it their hardness of heart that made it difficult for them to believe that the Lord was the promised Christ in the Scriptures? Hardness of heart is the refusal to accept the truth, even when it has been taught and proven. Just as Pharaoh of old hardened his heart against the words of Moses and the miracles performed by God through Moses.

Today, among God’s people, there are still those who are hardened, not believing that God is the one who provides for all their material needs. They remain anxious about this life and spend time and effort on material needs rather than “seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). As a result, their lives are full of worry and fatigue, and they still experience lack and hardship. On the other hand, some say that God takes care of them, so they do not diligently work to earn a living, instead relying on others for help. They have not learned this command of the Holy Spirit:

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

“Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?” These two verses refer to both physical and spiritual eyes and ears. A person who only observes and listens with their physical eyes and ears can still understand that what the Lord Jesus does and teaches is not ordinary. However, a person who uses their mind to reflect on what they have seen and heard from the Lord Jesus will perceive and understand the truth about Christ.

“And do ye not remember?” This question is meant to remind the disciples of the miracles the Lord Jesus performed, including the most recent ones where He multiplied bread and fish to feed a total of more than 9,000 people abundantly. The miracles performed by the Lord Jesus in the presence of the disciples were sufficient to prove that He is the Christ.

Matthew 16:9-10

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Mark 8:19-20

19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto Him, Twelve.

20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

Matthew continues to record briefly, while Mark provides more detail. The Lord Jesus reminds the disciples of the two recent instances where He multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands of people abundantly. If He could do that, why would He rebuke them for forgetting to bring bread? And even if the Lord intended to rebuke them for forgetting the bread, He would do so directly. The Lord Jesus never used vague language to rebuke the disciples.

Similarly, God’s people should avoid using vague language and instead speak directly about what they want to say.

Matthew 16:11-12

11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

12 Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mark 8:21

21 And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

The conclusion of the matter is recorded in more detail by Matthew than by Mark. The Lord Jesus clarified to the disciples that He was not speaking about bread but about the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. At that point, the disciples understood that the Lord wanted them to beware of the teachings of those two groups.

The Lord Jesus referred to the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees as leaven because of their characteristic of spreading quickly and altering the perspectives of those who listen to and follow them. This spreading and altering is harmful because it involves the spread of false teaching, which changes the righteous views of those who hear and believe it. False teaching is any doctrine claimed in the name of the Lord but not aligned with Scripture.

Mark 8:22-24

22 And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.

23 And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought.

24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Perhaps the place where the boat landed was not far from the village of Bethsaida. After the boat landed, the Lord Jesus and His disciples went into the village. There, people brought a blind man to Him, asking Him to heal him.

The Lord Jesus did not heal the man in front of others but took him by the hand and led him out of the village. Perhaps at that moment, the Lord Jesus wanted to rest and did not want many people to see the healing, which might lead to more people with other ailments coming to Him.

He did not speak a word to heal the blind man but instead spat on his eyes. This is one of the cases where the Lord Jesus did not heal by speaking a word, as recorded in Mark 10:46-53, but through certain actions. Other instances where the Lord Jesus healed by actions rather than words are recorded in Mark 7:31-37, which we studied previously, in Matthew 20:29-34, and in John 9:1-41, which we will study.

The blind man was not healed immediately, but his vision gradually returned. At first, he saw people walking around, like trees. This means that if people were not moving, he would not be able to distinguish between people and trees.

Mark 8:25-26

25 After that He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

26 And He sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

The Lord Jesus laid His hands on the man’s eyes, and the man’s vision was completely restored, allowing him to see everything clearly.

We do not know why, in some instances of healing, the Lord Jesus did not use only words but also performed certain actions. The Bible does not explain this, so any interpretation is an attempt to understand the purpose behind the Lord’s actions. Such reasoning can only suggest whether it is reasonable or not but cannot assert whether it is right or wrong.

The Lord Jesus instructed the man to go straight home, not to enter the village, and not to tell anyone in the village. Perhaps the Lord wanted a period of rest.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
08/31/2024

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/067-the-end-of-the-world-and-the-year-2027/

[2] https://preachingfromthebible.net/075-the-end-of-the-world-and-years-2030-2040/

Note About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.