Jesus Warns Against Wrong Teaching

Continuing in Matthew 16 Jesus warns His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." The disciples thought He was speaking about the fact that they had brought no bread with them. They misunderstood His meaning.

Jesus said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (Matt. 16:8-11)

Here's what my bible study says about it: "Leaven (yeast) is put into bread to make it rise, and it takes only a little to affect a whole batch of dough. Jesus used leaven as an example of how a small amount of evil can affect a large group of people. The wrong teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were leading many people astray. Beware of the tendency to say, 'How can this little wrong possible affect anyone?'".

This made me think of my walk. Am I living in a way that shines for Christ, or do I committ small evils that completely destroy my witness to those around me who need to see what Christianity is truly about? I pray that God helps to keep me in check in moments like this. In all situations, really. I pray that I don't even have to think twice, that I will live more and more like Christ daily so that people will be drawn to Him through me.