Do Not Be Afraid
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 12:1 · Berean Standard Bible
With thousands of people pressing in, Jesus turns to His disciples first and warns: watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees -- hypocrisy. It spreads quietly and corrupts everything it touches.
Just like a little yeast works through an entire batch of dough, a little hypocrisy can infect your entire spiritual life. Jesus just saw it up close at dinner, and He wants His followers to avoid it.
Jesus speaks privately to His closest followers amid the chaos of a massive crowd, prioritizing this warning above everything else.
After exposing hypocrisy at the Pharisee's table, Jesus makes sure His own people hear this warning first. Hypocrisy is contagious, and prevention is better than cure.
Jesus warns of the 'leaven of the Pharisees' (zymē tōn Pharisaiōn), which He identifies as hypokrisis (hypocrisy). Leaven as metaphor represents a small corrupting influence that permeates everything, applied here to religious pretense.
The massive crowd (myriades, myriads/tens of thousands) creates urgency. Jesus prioritizes warning His disciples about internal corruption over addressing the masses, suggesting hypocrisy is the greatest threat to the community of faith.
Jesus addresses His disciples first amid a massive crowd, warning them about the Pharisees' corrupting influence.
Fresh from the confrontation at the Pharisee's dinner, Jesus now warns His own followers. The most dangerous infection in religious life isn't persecution from outside but hypocrisy from within.
1In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
3What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
Read all of Luke 12 — Sparrows, barns, and a thief in the night — Jesus teaches his followers to stop hoarding and start trusting. Worry is the opposite of faith.
This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.
Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad