Beware of the Leaven!

Friday, October 17, 2025

Rom 4:1-8; Lk 12:1-7

Today’s Gospel highlights that it is fear of God that helps us walk in the way of truth. 

Jesus invites his disciples to conduct their lives in truth, unlike the Pharisees, whose ‘leaven’ represents falsehood, pretension, and hypocrisy. Jesus cautions his disciples regarding the hypocrisy of the Pharisees because it follows the invisible working pattern of the leaven. They are good at maintaining an outward show of righteousness while leading a double life in reality. Jesus warns his disciples not to follow the Pharisaic attitude because everything hidden will be revealed one day. In other words, since God can access our inner forum, Jesus wants our fear of God to help us walk in the light of truth.

When Jesus talks of fear of God, he does not refer to an unhealthy fear that is anxious or worried about punishment or judgement. We need to fear God not because He can punish us with death but because He can examine the depths of our hearts. Hence, fear of God is more reverential in that it arouses in us awe, wonder, and profound respect. It is not the fear that drives us away from God but draws us closer to Him with the assurance that He cares for us just as He cares even for the sparrows. It is such loyal and faithful love of God that inspires holy fear in us so that we always carry the weight of responding to such selfless and thoughtful love in truthfulness and generosity. It is this love that calls us to integrity and truth.

Let us pray that we may always please God with our truthfulness and sincerity. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar