7 Signs the Leaven of Herod Has Taken Root in Your Life by JOSEPH MATTERA for Charisma News
In Mark 8:15, Jesus warned the disciples about the leaven of Herod. He explained that the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy but did not elaborate on the leaven of Herod. Since Herod was a political leader, I believe it is likely that the leaven Jesus was warning against was political entanglements. I believe that such entanglements often pollute a person’s pure devotion to the kingdom of God.
By leaven, Jesus refers to a substance, like yeast, that causes dough to rise. In this article, I use it as a pervasive influence that modifies something or transforms it negatively. Since political maneuvers take place in every realm of life, including the sphere of religion, I will focus on political entanglements regarding the civic realm, the church and Christians.
This kind of leaven is rarely spoken about in the church. What occurred in the evangelical church the past few years related to national politics justifies the need for the focus of this article. In my opinion, many in the evangelical church have unwittingly succumbed to the leaven of Herod during this season by mixing their brand of politics with Christianity. As a result, their faith was polluted.
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The following are seven signs the leaven of Herod has taken root in your life:
1. You believe a political leader is the key to restoring your nation. Too many Christians have acted as though the destiny of both the nation and the body of Christ depends upon who gets elected to the presidential office or other high levels of government. While voting for godly, capable leaders is an important matter of biblical stewardship, to equate a political leader with the fate of a nation is borderline idolatry. This violates the teaching of Scripture, which portrays Jesus as the only one who has the government on His shoulders and is the anointed One who inherits the nations (Isa. 9:6-7; Ps. 2:8-9). If you act as though anyone other than Jesus is the savior of your nation or church, then the leaven of Herod has taken root in you.
2. You believe your political party represents the kingdom of God. Many Christians on both the Left and the Right act as if their particular political party represents God’s kingdom. However, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). If you believe your party perfectly represents His kingdom, the leaven of Herod has infected you.
3. You’re more committed to political change than practicing and promoting the spiritual disciplines. Many Christians seem to be more passionate about changing laws and promoting public policy than pouring over the Word and seeking the face of God. God has called us to bring systemic societal change commensurate to the extent we seek first His kingdom (Matt. 6:33). When your passion for political change eclipses your pure devotion to Christ, then the leaven of Herod has infected you (2 Cor. 11:1-3).
