In Mark 8:15, Jesus warned His disciples, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Leaven in Scripture represents influence — especially that which corrupts ...

One aspect of the gospels and of Jesus as a teacher is the power of language to transcend the literal meaning of words that reveal a much deeper realm of metaphor and symbol. If we cannot cross this ...

After the stories about the cures of gentiles and the feeding of gentiles, Mark has Jesus return to Israel and Galilee by boat. Jesus’ sudden remark, that his disciples must guard against the leaven ...