March 8 2025

Saturday March 08

“Beware of the Leaven”

Luke 11:53-54

53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

Luke 12:1

1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Today, before we begin looking into Luke 12, I want to give you a special invitation to join me and my son, Jonathan Grooms, the president of Global Partners in Peace and Development, for an unforgettable journey through Jordan & Egypt on a special tour we have planned for this fall, October 14-25, 2025!  We will experience seeing and walking through the lands where Jacob wrestled with God, where Moses led his people out of Egypt and through the wilderness, where Mary, Joseph and Jesus sought refuge.

Imagine exploring the ancient Pyramids, wandering through the lost city of Petra, riding through the stunning Wadi Rum desert, and being baptized in the Jordan River—all while walking in the footsteps of biblical history!

Our tour highlights will include:

In Jordan we will visit: Jerash, Amman Citadel, Roman Amphitheatre, view the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mt. Nebo, Tank and Automobile Museum, Jesus' Baptist Site, float in the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum Desert Tour, and relax or swim at the Red Sea.

In Egypt we will visit the Pyramids, Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile River Cruise, old Cairo, Coptic Churches, Memphis, and much more!

Beyond the incredible sights, you’ll have the chance to meet Iraqi and Syrian refugees, hear their stories, and encourage the dedicated people serving them with love and hope.

This trip is about more than just seeing the world—it’s about making a difference, deepening your faith, and experiencing God’s work in powerful ways. Are you ready to be a part of this life-changing journey?

You can find all the details and sign-up at: www.gpartners.org/tour

Now back to Luke! You might have noticed that we didn’t finish the last two verses of Luke 11. After Jesus’ scathing rebuke and condemnation upon the Pharisees and the Lawyers, it appears instead of repenting and seeking His mercy, they were overcome with rage and anger. Hypocrites do not want their sins exposed; it hurts their reputation. They deliberately began to attack Him with "catch questions" in hopes they could trap Him in some heresy and then arrest Him. What a disgraceful way to treat the Son of God.

Verse 53 says: “The Lawyers and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently”. I can only imagine that they are shouting and yelling at Him very loudly! There was already a crowd outside and maybe Jesus is trying to leave the house with His disciples, but the commotion is so loud that the crowd grows larger so that, according to Luke 12:1, they are trampling upon one another.

We are not sure where Jesus was at this time but according to Luke 9:51, He had set His face to go to Jerusalem and it appears that He was somewhere in the region of Samaria that was between Galilee and the city of Jerusalem. Remember also at this time, Jesus has been ministering and healing people for over three years. Hundreds and most likely thousands of blind people have received their sight, the lame and sick have been healed, and hungry people have been miraculously fed! The crowds want to see more miracles and they are curious with all the commotion going on.

Yet with all this happening, Jesus turns His attention to His disciples and warns them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”. Not only can the religious leaders have a problem with hypocrisy, but the close followers of Jesus can face the same temptation. If we are not careful, we can become “pretenders” trying to get people to think better of us than we really are.

May the Lord help us today to heed His warning of hypocrisy in our own lives.

God bless!