12. Anna’s Request
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) Acts 23:6–8 “Welcome back, Anna!” Emet sang out as he walked to the sales counter. “I thought you’d be up to your elbows in flour and dough by now!” Anna forced a smile. “I’m afraid I’m going to need a few more measures of flour, Emet,” she said timidly, glancing up at Emet with her hazel eyes. “More friends showed up than I expected.” Emet chuckled, relieved that she hadn’t returned to complain like Yosef had a bit earlier. “Well, that’s no problem, Anna. Would two measures be sufficient?” Anna did a quick calculation in her head. “Probably three, Emet,” she confirmed as she placed her basket on the counter to receive the flour. “Our neighbors also have a few friends over, so I shared the flour you gave me earlier with them.” “Oh?” Emet said as he scooped the flour into Anna’s bag. “Yes, they were so grateful for the free flour, Emet,” Anna replied. She looked up and smiled as she added, “Just as I am for this flour.” “Uh, of course, Anna,” Emet said as he finished emptying the third scoop into the basket. He looked to see if Hanan needed a hand with the other two loaves, then turned back just in time to see Anna walk out the door—without paying or even saying thank you. “Umm, Anna!” he called out, but the door had already shut. “Everything okay, Grandpa?” Hanan had put the two new warm loaves on the workbench and was walking to the sales counter. Cleaning his hands on his apron and looking around the shop, he asked, “Where’s Anna?” Emet sighed. “She’s on her way home to bake the Bread of License, I believe.” “The bread of what?” Hanan inquired, looking from the door to his grandpa and back again. “I don’t understand.” “Let’s head back to the workbench, son.” Emet smiled kindly at Hanan. “It’s time we look at another square of that grid you made.” As they walked back to the workspace, Hanan quietly asked, “Did Anna forget to pay you?” Emet took a deep breath as he set his hands on the workbench. “She either forgot, or she just assumed the flour was free again.” Hanan looked toward the door, then back at Emet. “Should I run after her?” An impish smile formed on his face as he added, “She shouldn’t be too hard to catch.” “No, of course not. But thank you,” Emet replied, scanning the bench thoughtfully. His mind was already moving past the unintentional gift he’d just given Anna. He put the two fresh loaves—as well as the unleavened loaf that was still wrapped up—back on their original quadrants. “It actually sets us up very well to talk about the Yeast of the Sadducees.”
13. Yeast of Sadducees
“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the . . . Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6 Hanan examined his grandpa’s face to see if he was kidding or not, and then asked, “Anna walking off with our flour sets us up for a talk about the Yeast of the Sadducees? Really?” “Sure,” Emet replied as he pointed at the fresh loaves in the bottom two quadrants. “Which of these loaves would be high on Grace, but low on Truth? Do you remember?” Hanan’s eyes darted back and forth between the two loaves, and then he tapped on the one in the lower right-hand square. “This southeast one, Grandpa,” he said confidently. “It’s the exact opposite of the Yeast of the Pharisees.” “Correct,” Emet said, placing his hand on the loaf. “This bread was made with the Yeast of the Sadducees—meaning it’s high on Grace but low on Truth.” “Seriously?” Hanan questioned. “But if the Sadducees believed in Grace, then why did they want to see Jesus killed?” “I can understand your confusion,” Emet began, his fingers drumming the top of the loaf as he thought of the best way to explain what he was thinking. “Granted, you might not guess the Sadducees were big on Grace from your initial interactions with them. But over time, their teachings, beliefs and way of life tend to work together as a destructive Yeast.” Emet paused and then looked Hanan in the eyes. “Once the Yeast of the Sadducees slips into a community of faith, it eventually permeates the whole loaf, creating an atmosphere where Grace is celebrated at the expense of Truth.” “Grace is celebrated . . . at the expense of the Truth,” Hanan repeated slowly, tasting the words like an old piece of stale bread. “So, it really is just the opposite of the Yeast of the Pharisees.” “In a way. One tends to emphasize Truth and the other Grace, yet both equally pull us away from where the Holy Spirit would have us be.” “Which would be right here, correct?” Hanan inquired as he tapped the unleavened loaf in the upper right-hand square. “Exactly,” Emet agreed. “That northeast corner is the convergence of Grace and Truth, which is where we want to be. When we understand that, we realize that the Bread of License—that’s what the Yeast of the Sadducees creates—is no better than the Bread of Legalism.” Resting his hand on the Unleavened Bread, he added, “Both of those other breads draw us away from the Grace and Truth of Jesus.” “The Bread of License, huh?” Hanan said as he tore a small chunk off the loaf and popped it into his mouth. He then asked between chews, “So, what is it about the Yeast of the Sadducees that creates this Bread of License?” Emet sighed and put his hands on his hips. “You know, we could have sold that loaf to the next customer, Hanan.” Hanan grinned. “I figured that since this loaf was all Grace and no Truth—” he paused and swallowed the bite deliberately with an “ahh,” and then joked, “I just figured it would be free, Grandpa!” Emet shook his head. “You’re a clever one, my boy.” Hanan smiled as he took another chunk of the fresh bread. Emet continued, “But to answer your question, let me ask you something first. What do you know about the Sadducees?” Hanan stopped eating, placed the chunk of bread on the baker’s bench, and thought carefully. “Let me think. . . .” he replied. He thought through the stories he had heard from the scrolls of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but particularly those from Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles. “I know the Sadducees aren’t mentioned nearly as often as the Pharisees,” he began as Emet gave an encouraging nod, “but the one thing that stands out is that the Sadducees didn’t believe in an afterlife—they didn’t believe in a resurrection—which has always puzzled me.” “Oh? How so?” “Well,” Hanan continued, “how can someone claim to be spiritual, but not believe in angels, spirits, or the afterlife?” “Beats me,” Emet said, sitting down on the stool near the workbench. “But you’re definitely on to something. Apostle Paul thought about this, too, and do you know what he taught concerning this matter?” Hanan shook his head as Emet continued. “He said if there’s no resurrection, then we may as well just ‘eat and drink for tomorrow we die.’” “He said that?” “Yep, and do you know why he said that?” Emet asked. “I have no idea,” Hanan admitted. “Well, if there’s no afterlife,” Emet began, “then there’s no one to hold us accountable for how we lived this life.” “In other words, what’s the point of being good and following the Truth if there’s no reward later on?” “Correct. Or what’s wrong with being bad—what’s wrong with exploring the extreme limits of Grace—if Someone isn’t going to discipline you for it?” Emet paused as Hanan sat down next to him on the other stool. “This is what the Yeast of the Sadducees gives rise to, Hanan—a serious lack of accountability.” Tearing off a piece of bread for himself, Emet added, “Now, it didn’t necessarily start out that way.” Emet motioned to the large round loaves. “But, as you can see, Yeast tends to spread and grow.” “What do you mean?” Hanan asked. “Let’s put it this way,” Emet said, picking up the loaf from the lower right-hand corner. “Initially, the Sadducees had a high regard for the Truth—so much so that they rejected anything else.” Holding the bread reverently as he might hold a sacred scroll, he added, “If it wasn’t in the Scriptures, they wanted nothing to do with it.” Gently placing the loaf back on the workbench, he noted, “This made them quite different from the Pharisees.” “How so?” “Well, the Pharisees, in their worship of the Truth. . . .” Emet reached over and hefted the loaf from the upper left-hand corner, pretending it was as heavy as a rock. “They created a whole system of secondary laws that they”—Emet pressed the loaf into Hanan’s chest, giving an extra push with each of his next words—“Expected. People. To obey.” Hanan laughed and held on to the workbench to keep from falling. “Easy, Grandpa!” Emet continued, “Jesus once said to them, ‘You honor God with your lips, but your hearts are far from Him. You worship Him in vain, since your teachings are merely human rules.’” Pausing as he set the loaf in his lap, he concluded, “But in their minds, the Pharisees just wanted to protect everyone from breaking even one of God’s commands.” “I see,” Hanan said slowly. “So, their lists of man-made laws were an attempt to keep people from breaking God’s Laws.” “Yes. However, their system of rules became their Yeast—the Yeast of the Pharisees.” Placing the loaf back in the upper left quadrant he added, “Their Yeast gave rise to this Bread of Legalism that almost knocked you off your chair.” “And that’s what Yosef eats, right, Grandpa?” “Sadly, I believe so.” Emet pursed his lips. “So, the Sadducees wanted nothing to do with this man-made legalism. They wanted the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth.” “Sounds good to me,” Hanan commented. “I agree; it does sound good,” Emet confessed as he continued to collect his thoughts on the matter, “until this blind allegiance to ‘nothing but the Truth’ leads you to reject the less obvious parts of it.” “The less obvious parts?” Hanan repeated. “Like angels, spirits, and an afterlife?” “Precisely,” Emet replied. “Those things may be mostly invisible, but it doesn’t make them less true. Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world—” “—but, at the same time, it’s right here among us,” Hanan added. “Indeed. So, once these invisible aspects of the Truth are rejected, the Yeast of the Sadducees is allowed to slip in"—Emet tapped Hanan on the forehead—"and influence and transform this dough between our ears." Hanan pondered the thought, then suggested, “So, is the Bread of License what the Corinthians were eating?” Emet’s eyes widened in both approval and pride. “You’re more familiar with Apostle Paul’s letters than I thought. Well done, son.” “If I remember correctly,” Hanan offered, “the Corinthians let everyone do whatever they wanted. Even things—well—things we shouldn’t even talk about, right?” Emet stood, wiped his hands on his apron, and said, “That’s right, Hanan. The Yeast of the Sadducees had slipped in and turned perfectly good, unleavened dough into the Bread of License.” Patting the loaf in the lower right-hand corner, he added, “They believed in extending Grace, but were afraid to lovingly confront one another with the Truth.” “Kind of like you not letting me run after Miss Anna?” Hanan asked. “I suppose you’re right, Hanan!” Emet confessed with a faint blush. “It’s all right, Grandpa,” Hanan said, laughing. “But why did the Corinthians allow it? Why did they let the Yeast of the Sadducees slip into their faith community?” “Well, I guess they thought it was the most loving thing to do: give people the Grace to do as they please, even if it meant ignoring the Truth.” Leaning back against the workbench, Emet continued. “The Bread of License likes to validate and affirm others in a spirit of Grace, but sadly, no one is ever set free by life-transforming Truth.” “Then you will know the Truth,” Hanan said, “and the Truth will set you free.” “Exactly.” Putting his hand over his heart, Emet added, “Not only did Jesus give His life on the cross so we could receive forgiveness by His Grace”—Emet shifted his hand to his head—“He also transforms us into a new creation by His Truth.” Resting his hand on Hanan’s shoulder, Emet looked him in the eye. “Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, you’re completely free to live in the way God wants you to live, and you’re empowered to live that way by His Grace—the same Grace that forgives you when you fall.” Hanan looked down thoughtfully, then looked back up at Emet, saying, “So, Grandpa, do you have some of Paul’s letter in that dough of yours?” Emet grinned at Hanan. “Did I memorize his letter to the Corinthians, you mean?” Hanan nodded; he loved hearing his grandfather quote Scriptures from memory. “You bet I did—at least parts of it. Here’s the place where he confronted them about their dough.” Emet began to pace the floor between the workbench and the brick oven, quoting the words of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?” Hanan stood too, and interrupted, “Wait, Grandpa—they were proud?” “Amazing, isn’t it?” Emet said as he looked at his grandson. “Although I get the feeling they were prouder of their acceptance than they were of the sin itself. Does that make sense?” “Yeah, I think so,” Hanan began. “It’s almost like they thought they had arrived—like they were better Christians—since they were so good at dispensing Grace.” “Precisely,” Emet agreed. “They were proud of their Bread of License—smothered with lavish Grace—to the point that they were shocked that everyone else wasn’t eating it.” “Got it. Sorry for interrupting, Grandpa Emet. Keep going.” “No need to apologize. Quite frankly, I’m amazed by your observations.” Emet gave Hanan an affirming smile as he continued pacing. “Okay, let's see. The next thing Paul wrote is this, ‘For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.’” “Wait a minute,” Hanan interrupted. “Paul said he had passed judgment?” “He sure did, which would be hard to accept when you have the Yeast of the Sadducees in your dough. You’d be convinced there wouldn’t be a judgment.” Emet folded his arms across his chest as he continued. “Now, listen to what Paul wrote next. ‘So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good.’” “Wow,” Hanan said, surprised. “It sounds like Paul used words like spirit and judgment to remind the Corinthians that there really is going to be an afterlife where we’ll be judged.” Emet gave Hanan a solemn look. “I believe that’s exactly what Paul was doing. Now listen to how Paul concludes this passage.” Hanan sat and grabbed a chunk of the bread. “Go for it, Grandpa.” Emet no longer paced but sat. He pointed directly at the piece of bread in Hanan’s hands and said quietly, “Don’t you know that a little Yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old Yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the Unleavened Bread of sincerity and Truth.” Rather than taking another bite of the bread, Hanan just looked at it closely. “I think I need Jesus to steal my bread, Grandpa.” Emet sat back down, held out his hands, and said with a chuckle, “Remember, Jesus doesn’t steal. But He does give us the opportunity to surrender our bread to Him.” Hanan took another long look at the chunk of bread he was holding. “Then you can have this, Grandpa,” he said, handing it to Emet with a smile. “I don’t need this Bread of License any more than I need the Bread of Legalism.” Emet took the bread from Hanan, placed it on the lower right quadrant, removed the Unleavened Bread from its packaging, and handed it to Hanan. Then he asked, “Then how about some of this?” Hanan smiled as he received the bread. “That's more like it.” Emet crossed his arms over his chest. “You know what the best thing about being a baker is?” Tearing off a piece of the Unleavened Bread and lifting it to his mouth, Hanan joked, “All the free bread?” “Nope,” Emet said, standing and taking off his apron. “We get to head home before anyone else!”
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