Luke 11:53-54; Luke 12:1 - "Beware of the Leaven..."

Luke 12:11 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of peoplehad gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say toHis 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 giveyou a special invitation to join me and my son, Jonathan Grooms, the presidentof Global Partners in Peace and Development, for an unforgettable journeythrough Jordan & Egypt on a special tour we have planned for this fall, October14-25, 2025!  We will experience seeingand walking through the lands where Jacob wrestled with God, where Moses ledhis people out of Egypt and through the wilderness, where Mary, Joseph andJesus sought refuge.  Imagine exploring the ancient Pyramids, wandering throughthe lost city of Petra, riding through the stunning Wadi Rum desert, and beingbaptized in the Jordan River—all while walking in the footsteps of biblicalhistory!  Our tour highlights will include: In Jordan we will visit: Jerash, Amman Citadel, RomanAmphitheatre, view the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mt. Nebo, Tank and Automobile Museum,Jesus' Baptist Site, float in the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum Desert Tour, andrelax or swim at the Red Sea.In Egypt we will visit the Pyramids, Sphinx, Grand EgyptianMuseum, Nile River Cruise, old Cairo, Coptic Churches, Memphis, and much more! Beyond the incredible sights, you’ll have the chance tomeet Iraqi and Syrian refugees, hear their stories, and encourage the dedicatedpeople serving them with love and hope.  This trip is about more than just seeing the world—it’sabout making a difference, deepening your faith, and experiencing God’s work inpowerful 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’tfinish the last two verses of Luke 11. After Jesus’ scathing rebuke and condemnationupon the Pharisees and the Lawyers, it appears instead of repenting and seekingHis mercy, they were overcome with rage and anger. Hypocrites do not want theirsins exposed; it hurts their reputation. They deliberately began to attack Himwith "catch questions" in hopes they could trap Him in some heresyand then arrest Him. What a disgraceful way to treat the Son of God. Verse 53 says: “The Lawyers and the Pharisees began toassail Him vehemently”. I can only imagine that they are shouting andyelling at Him very loudly! There was already a crowd outside and maybe Jesusis trying to leave the house with His disciples, but the commotion is so loudthat the crowd grows larger so that, according to Luke 12:1, they are tramplingupon one another.  We are not sure where Jesus was at this time but according toLuke 9:51, He had set His face to go to Jerusalem and it appears that He wassomewhere in the region of Samaria that was between Galilee and the city ofJerusalem. Remember also at this time, Jesus has been ministering and healingpeople for over three years. Hundreds and most likely thousands of blind peoplehave received their sight, the lame and sick have been healed, and hungry peoplehave been miraculously fed! The crowds want to see more miracles and they arecurious with all the commotion going on. Yet with all this happening, Jesus turns His attention toHis disciples and warns them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, whichis 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 wereally are.  May the Lord help us today to heed His warning of hypocrisyin our own lives. God bless!