A Little Leaven

³³ Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33)

This parable is the fourth in a series of open-hidden teachings about the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11, 24, 31, 33). The Son of Man leverages His learning and spiritual insight to unveil-conceal the truth about His invisible kingdom. To what is the kingdom of heaven paralleled in this lesson? Jesus says that it is like leaven. In what way is the kingdom of heaven like leaven, Jesus? Leaven (yeast) changes the meal. It does not matter that the amount added to the three measures (25-30 pounds of flour) is small. The actual leaven was a piece of fermented dough stored in fermenting juices until mixed in with the fresh batch of dough. (Nolland, 2005, p. 553). The effect on the meal, even if a seemingly insignificant amount of leaven was used, will be the same; the whole of the dough or lump will be leavened. This was common knowledge for the people of the time. Paul uses this fact in two letters to warn against the compromise of complying with a little false teaching:

• 1 Corinthians 5:6 – Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
• Galatians 5:9 – A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

When the kingdom has entered a community, although the beginnings are modest and unnoticed at first, the outcome is that whole will be changed.

These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. (Acts 17:6)

Paul and Silas had arrived in Thessalonica preaching that Jesus is the Christ and King. Their message spread quietly from city to city, but its effects disrupted established religious, social, and political loyalties. The kingdom did not arrive through armies, political spectacle, or outward observation. It entered through the proclamation of Christ, worked within people, and then transformed communities.

What is the leaven? It is teaching or doctrine (Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:14-21). The teaching or doctrine, once it has been admitted into the hearts and minds of of men and women, overcomes and overturns and overruns the original nature (John 8:32). The kingdom of heaven leaven (teaching) among men is transforming – even when the initial changes seem insignificant (1 Corinthians 1:26). Those changed people are leaven in the lump of society. The kingdom does not initially arrive with outward spectacle. It enters people, changes them, and then works through them until families, communities, and societies feel its effects.

• Matthew 16:5-12 – ⁵ Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” ⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” ⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
• Mark 8:14-21 ¹⁴ Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” ¹⁶ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.” ¹⁷ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” ²⁰ “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” ²¹ So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

In Jesus’ parable leaven most naturally represents the kingdom’s quiet, penetrating, and transforming influence. The kingdom does not come in a way that draws attention… at first. It begins almost imperceptibly but eventually affects the whole. Leaven is the powerful influence of the kingdom and its teachings.

The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20–21)

References

Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 553). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.