How do you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread: be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
Jesus again emphasizes that his earlier words were not about literal bread, but about the false and misleading teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He is astonished that his disciples, who had witnessed miracles and enjoyed closeness with him, still cannot distinguish between the material and the spiritual. This rebuke expresses not only displeasure, but also instruction aimed at opening and maturing their mind and soul. He wants them to be able to grasp on their own the deep meaning of God’s Word and not be mistaken by relying merely on the words as they are expressed.