Luke 12:1
Rebecca Lightfoot
Jesus gives us all the warnings about how the enemy will creep into our lives in an effort to plant an infection that attacks the Holiness&Righteousness of Christ that was imparted to those that seek to know&follow Christ.These infections r also the very ones that Satan will use to sway others from acknowledging the Truths revealed through Christ and His Words!N Luke12:1,Jesus says,”...Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,which is hypocrisy.”(A definition of hypocrisy is: the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense).N the words of Jesus above,He is warning us that any form of hypocrisy can b like leaven/yeast n bread!When making bread it only takes very little leaven/yeast to “infect” the entire bread mixture w the EFFECT of the leaven/yeast.Very little is used to make the bread rise!Jesus says that HYPOCRISY is so dangerous to our lives,n the way that with only a little bit of it...our entire lives can become infected by it’s presence n our lives.Jesus pleads with us 2 b aware of it.Any time that HYPOCRISY of any kind is a part of my life,Jesus says “BEWARE”!It is infectious!And ultimately effects the whole of my being in some way!Even more of a direct analogy w the action of leaven/yeast - hypocrisy puffs me up!It raises up arrogance n me!(Arrogance = an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions;offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride).And arrogance&pride separates us from The Lord(Proverbs16:5,”Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”Proverbs18:12.”Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”).As one who claims to b a follower of Christ,HYPOCRISY is creeping into my life whenever I act,talk,or even begin to think along ways that do not line up with what Christ teaches!Because at these times I am CLAIMING TO BE ONE THING,& actually BEING something very different!This is the HYPOCRISY that Jesus says is like leaven/yeast...that only takes a little to be dangerous for my life/heart/mind!Might b that this was on Paul’s heart/mind when he wrote n 2Corinthians10:5,”We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”This HYPOCRISY is devastating,not only to myself,but it destroys whatever witness I am when I have claimed to b a follower of Christ!My life n HYPOCRISY will confuse and mislead those around me!We can see why Jesus is so concerned about this in our lives! Satan uses HYPOCRISY to bring harm to ourselves,as well as those around us!And Satan is a “Master Baker” when it comes to how he will introduce this yeast into our lives,& how he will use it through our lives to harm those around us!Dear Jesus,I am soooooo guilty of this hypocrisy in my heart/mind/life.Forgive me!And please,through Your Power,make me know when this is going on....and turn me from it quickly,so I may demolish the arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against You...&b obedient to Your Heart&Ways n my life.