“And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15).
TEXT — Mark 8:10-21
Message
Have you ever heard the expression “face the music”? Here is how that phrase came about. Many years ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but he could not play a note. Since he was a person of great wealth and influence, he requested to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king. The conductor consented to his request. Even though he could not read music, he was given a flute, and when a concert would begin, he would raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound. This deception went on for two years. Then one day, a new conductor took over the Imperial Orchestra who, wanting to personally audition all the players to see how well they could play, discovered his hypocrisy.
Jesus was critical of the Pharisees because He knew of the damnable consequences of hypocrisy. He warns His disciples to guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Here, the leaven of the Pharisees points to their evil disposition: they ask for a sign from Jesus when they have already judged Him as an agent of Beelzebub. Their leaven is in their hostility and unbelief. Herod, on the other hand, seeks Jesus to see a miracle from Him (Luke 23:8). He wants to be entertained and awed. The leaven in his case is the disposition to believe only if signs, which compel faith are produced. In contrast, Jesus calls for faith and understanding apart from signs.
Many people attend church services and recite Bible verses, but lack genuine conversion. A time is coming when sinners and backsliders will be called to stand before the Judge of heaven and earth and “face the music”. No one will be able to hide in the crowd. The phonies will be separated from the true players (Matthew 12:36,37).
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
