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1 The Pharisees and the Sadducees came to test him. They asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “At evening, you say, ‘The weather will be fair’ if the sky is red. In the morning, you say, ‘There will be a storm today’ if the sky is red and overcast. You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you cannot read the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the Sign of Jonah.” Then he turned away from them and left.

5 As they were crossing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They spoke among themselves, saying, “He said this because we forgot the bread.” 8 When Jesus realized this, he said, “You people of little faith, what are you talking about? Do you think I said that because you do not have bread? 9 Do you not yet understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? 10 Do you not remember the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you collected after that? 11 How could you think that when I said, ‘Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,’ I was talking about bread?” 12 Then they understand that he was not talking about bread leaven, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Comments

For the Pharisees and the Sadducees, see the comment on 3.7-12. This passage is a repeat of 12.38-42. Once again, religious leaders come Jesus asking him to perform a sign. Once again, Jesus, who has just twice miraculously healed and fed thousands of people, is disinclined to grant their request. Instead, he turns their words against them. They had asked him for a “sign from heaven,” and he points out that they already know how to predict the weather by the appearance of the sky (heaven and sky are the same word in Greek - ouranos). What they cannot do is read the signs of the times. They are blind to the work that God is doing in the world through Jesus. Once again, no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah (cf. 12.39). However, it is not just the religious leaders who fail to understand Jesus. When he tells his own disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they think he is talking about literal bread. This is particularly dense, because in Jewish culture leaven is a common metaphor for corruption, and because after the feeding of the five thousand and four thousand, bread was probably the last thing in the world Jesus was concerned about.