Beware the Leaven–A Sign Demanded in Dalmanutha
Posted by Pastor Pat on July 14, 2009
Read Mark 8:10-21
In this short study, I would like us to consider the biblical warning to “watch out” and “beware.” The word “watch out” is used three times in Mark’s Gospel (1:44; 8:15, 24). It is only here where it is used with the force of an imperative. Mark uses the word for “beware” fourteen times. It is used with force in Mark 4:24; 12:38; 13:5, 9, 23, and 33.
The words “watch out” or “beware” call for a quick response. They warn us of immediate or impending danger. In the passage before us we are warned of three potential adversaries: hypocrisy in fake questions, hostility in false teachers, and hardness in fat hearts.
All three areas can cause the unaware to be positioned against God. The first danger of hypocrisy is seen in the question asked by the religious establishment. Their questioning attempted to cloak the deception of their hearts. They did not ask to investigate, but to ensnare. Their sole intent was to trap and destroy. They had no desire to hear, examine, and grow through change. Their minds were already made-up and their resolution was already against Him.
