16:5–12 Leaving behind the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and his disciples go across the lake. Jews traveling in predominantly gentile territory would take their own bread in order to avoid eating food that was not ceremonially clean. On this occasion the disciples had forgotten to take bread. Jesus warns them to be on their guard against the yeast (leaven) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Discussing this remark among themselves, they conclude that Jesus must be talking about their failure to bring an adequate supply of bread.

Jesus knows what they are thinking and rebukes them for their lack of faith (v. 8). He reminds them of the abundance of bread that they collected after the feeding of the five thousand and again following the feeding of the f…