"Another parable spake He unto them; 'The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.'" In a previous article, James Hicks wrote on the parable of the mustard seed from Matthew 13:31-32. In these two parables--the mustard seed and the leaven--the kingdom is depicted as having remarkable growth, despite very humble beginnings. In both parables, the Bible records no explanation offered by Jesus, but the lessons are similar and remarkable.
What is leaven? Today, we usually use the term yeast instead of leaven. Leaven is defined as:
- "The remnant of dough from the preceding baking which had fermented and become acid" (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
- "Leaven is used metaphorically in the Bible of an influence that can permeate whatever it touches. Leaven is used as a symbol of either good or bad influence" (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary).
- "Once inserted into a batch, it continues its process of fermentation until the whole batch has risen" (Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary).
In the New Testament, leaven is often symbolic of corrupting influence. Jesus warned of "the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees," which included their teaching and hypocrisy (cf. Matthew 16:5-12; Luke 12:1). As Paul addressed the need to withdraw from the fornicating brother in Corinth, he wrote, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (1 Corinthians 5:1-13). This has led some to conclude that leaven in the parable represents something bad, but this is not the case. In context, the parable of leaven immediately follows the parable of the mustard seed, suggesting similarities in meaning. Obviously, Jesus is illustrating the growth of the "kingdom of heaven," not something evil.
The Parable's Meaning. Though there is no recorded explanation of the parable, we learn several lessons from it.
First consider that the leaven was not a natural part of the meal; someone had to put it there. Christ brought a new influence into the world. The preaching of His kingdom was not a human invention. It was a Divine remedy provided to overcome the evil consequence of sin. Forgiveness of sins was not something we could provide for ourselves.
Second, a little leaven is effective for bringing about change. Likewise, the introduction of Christ and His kingdom into the world was powerful enough to bring about changes. Even in the wicked city of Corinth, the preaching of "Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2), brought about changed lives. Paul wrote, "Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Certainly, wherever the gospel is prayerfully and diligently taught, it is successful as "the power of God" (Romans 1:16) to "open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God." (Acts 26:18)
Third, a little leaven works slowly, particle by particle; yet, the change is wrought throughout. So the kingdom of God grows through gradual, constant pervasiveness. Paul said to Timothy, "And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2) This parable illustrates the kingdom's invisible growth. As leaven does its work slowly, with less than noticeable effect, so the kingdom's spreading influence is often unnoticeable, but nonetheless real.
The fourth and last thought expressed in the parable is that the kingdom's influence will be complete. The leaven continued to operate on the meal "till it was all leavened." Isaiah had prophesied concerning the Lord's kingdom, "And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." (Isaiah 2:2)
Daniel also said, "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:44) No part of the loaf (world) will be untouched by the kingdom's influence. That the gospel did indeed spread in this way was expressed by Paul. "Yea, verily, their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (Romans 10:18; cr. 16:25-26; Colossians 1:6, 23) Of course, not all have obeyed the gospel; but we still see the leavening influence of the "word of the kingdom." Therefore, don't be discouraged. Don't measure growth solely by visible standards.
As Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, 'Lo, here! or, there!' For lo, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21) The spread of the kingdom (God's rule) takes place wherever the "word of the kingdom" is sown; and fruit will be borne as it falls on "honest and good hearts."
Do your part. Allow the "leaven of the kingdom" to permeate your own heart and life. Study God's word. Meditate upon it, and then seek to apply it! By word and deed, share the gospel of the kingdom with others, for we know that our work for Christ's kingdom will not be in vain.
What a wonderful sentiment that all of God's children need to remember-"don't measure growth solely by visible standards." Many Christians see real spiritual growth in numbers only, instead of spiritual maturity and growing strong in the faith. When a person obeys the gospel, the devil does not just give up on him? He becomes more determined to steal that person's heart and crown away from the Lord. One way the devil seeks to accomplish his goals is by causing the saved person to feel discouraged and apathetic. Christians must remain on guard against our adversary's relentless attacks. We need to remember it is our duty to mature and grow strong in the faith. We are the ones on whom God is counting to lead others into His fold.
We are spiritual farmers who should be planting the seed of the gospel message in men's hearts. God will take care of the numbers. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
A harvest will not be forthcoming if we do not plant the seed. First, we must plant that seed deep into our own hearts and then into other people's hearts as we seek and find opportunities to share the story of Christ's love and His death on the cross. Sadly, many in the religious world have lost confidence in God's seed. To compensate, they have replaced the good seed with gimmicks, fun, recreation, secular education, and a host of other fleshly pursuits. Is this the type of seed God instructed us to plant? It may produce numbers, but is that really growth for Christ's cause, or are they merely filling seats in the church buildings? (KMG)