An amusing conversation about yeast, between Jesus and his friends, is our source of inspiration today. It fits happily with Shrove Tuesday!

Thanks to Project Management Works for the image : )

Find the story in the 8th chapter of the Gospel according to Mark. (It is in verses 14 - 21 but the first 13 verses give some context.)

This is a rather comical story of misunderstanding.

Jesus, possibly still pondering and emotionally affected by the argument he just had with some religious leaders - Pharisees - warns his companions:

“Be careful…Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

Yeast is an organic catalyst: it promotes the start of growth reactions leading to a change of state. It can help flour become bread and do less pleasant things as well. It is a motivator, an initiator. It also needs only be present in miniscule amounts for a reaction to occur - hence the popular if tricky trend of starting sourdough from yeast only existing in the kitchen environment!

The disciples miss Jesus’ point (and mood?) and what they think they hear gets them speculating and gossiping. Perhaps they are still on a high after their rabbi’s earlier miracle. Perhaps they are nervous about forgetting to bring the lunch again! In any case, they assume Jesus also remains fixated on bread. The response is rather cutting!

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Pause for a moment and remember similar moments where you have missed someone’s meaning because you were focused on something inside yourself; or where you were misunderstood in this way. Was it funny? Painful? Something else…..

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Stories, be they biblical and historical or contemporary and personal, often feature the yeast in human hearts that leads to self-righteousness and self-interest. It leads to closed minds and hearts. Very often, in the ‘real world’ it means the rich get stronger while the poor, weak, foreigner and ‘Other’ get exploited. This was what made Jesus angry.

How might we start to challenge this influence? Exemplars for our time might be people on the streets in Belarus and Myanmar, Black Lives Matter protestors, climate change activists …. many of us can count ourselves among them. Maybe God’s good yeast is in them - and us?

Maybe, also, honing our listening ear will help us pick up on the true meanings of the stories being told around us!

Grace, Peace and Love to you - and enjoy your pancakes!