Matthew 16:1–16

THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES

16The Pharisees and Sadducees approached,^b and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven.^{c 2}He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ ³And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You^A know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times. ⁴An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of^D Jonah.”^d Then he left them and went away.

⁵The disciples reached the other shore,^D and they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^e

⁷They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith,^f why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? ⁹Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected?^{g 11}Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”^{h 12}Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.ⁱ

PETER’S CONFESSION OF THE MESSIAH

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,^Gj he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”^G

¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^k

¹⁵“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^l