This is the manuscript of the fourth sermon in the series, “The Master Speaks to the Present through the Parables". It is a series based on Jesus’ parables that describe the nature of the kingdom of God. All the parables deal with the same subject, the kingdom of heaven, but each one approaches it from a different angle.
This parable and the one we examined last week, about the mustard seed, are very brief, with no explanations and both appear to be describing the remarkable spread of the kingdom of heaven but there are some differences, so this parable of the leaven is certainly worthy of careful consideration.
The point of this parable is not whether leaven, or yeast, is good or bad; it is used to illustrate that the most unlikely or weakest things could become the strongest.
Jesus was saying in this parable of the leaven, that the amazing effect of yeast on bread was like the effect of his Gospel on us and the world. Jesus wanted us to open our hearts to his Word, live its message and, in return, enjoy everlasting happiness with Him.
Listen to an audio recording of the sermon by clicking on the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.
You can also watch a video recording of the entire service on the Christ Church YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/EUBJ14tZ6lQ
Matthew 13:33 NIV He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Mark 8:14-21 NIV The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Matthew 13:33-35 NIV He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Introduction
Last week we examined a parable in which the kingdom is depicted as having remarkable growth despite humble beginnings,
Matthew 13:31-32 NIV He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Jesus may have told the disciples that parable to reassure them that their involvement in the kingdom would not be for nothing, especially after hearing the first two parables where we see that not all would receive the Word properly, that is the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9, and Satan’s efforts to hinder growth of the kingdom through sowing evil that in the beginning looks like good. Matthew 13:24-31
Another parable that has the same purpose of reassurance, is the one we are going to look at today “the parable the leaven, or what today we call yeast. That parable is our text today
Matthew 13:33 NIV He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
This parable and the one we examined last week, about the mustard seed, are very brief, with no explanations and both appear to be describing the remarkable spread of the kingdom of heaven but there are some differences, so this parable of the leaven is certainly worthy of careful consideration
In this parable Jesus turned to everyday life in Galilee in order to illustrate the kingdom of God. Smaller towns and villages had no bakeries; women made bread in their homes. Jesus had, no doubt, often seen his mother use leaven—dough that had been kept from a previous baking and had fermented. When the leaven was mixed into the new batch of dough, it changed the characteristics of the dough—that is, the dough rose and made full loaves of bread when baked. Jesus observed that just as leaven changes the dough into which it is mixed, God’s kingdom likewise changes everything with which it comes into contact.
I. The difficulty of interpretation.
This is a controversial parable, because often leaven symbolized
an evil influence for the Jewish people.
In fact, elsewhere in the New Testament leaven is depicted as something evil. For example Jesus advised his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.
Mark 8:15 NIV “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
Paul talked about leaven a couple of times.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 6-8 NIV It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Galatians 5:7-12 NIV You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
You will remember that when God gave Moses instructions about the Passover the Jews were to make sure there was no leaven around during the feast.
Exodus 12:14-15 NIV “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
If a Jewish person returned to their pagan ways, the rabbis spoke of it as a “return to his leaven.”
On the other hand, it is not fair to say that the Jews always used leaven as a synonym for wickedness or bad influence. One rabbi actually said, “Great is peace when that peace is to the earth as the leaven is to the dough.”
The point of this parable is not whether leaven is good or bad; it is used to illustrate that the most unlikely or weakest things could become the strongest.
II. So we need to take the long view and look at things from God’s perspective which is the eternal view not limited by time.
Too many people today want to see their success immediately. They do not want to wait for rewards. They believe that Christianity means all of our problems are immediately solved and prosperity will come by tomorrow afternoon. This is simply not true!
Of course, when we receive Jesus as our Savior, the guilt of our sin is dealt with immediately on the basis of Christ’s death on Calvary and his resurrection from the grave. This should bring immediate peace with God, because we know that we will not come into condemnation and that our sins have been covered and redemption assured under the blood of Christ.
Romans 8:1-4 NIV Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
This doesn’t mean that you will no longer have problems. In fact, Jesus told us that we would have problems.
John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We will still have personal problems that we have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
The glorious truth, however, is that, we have assurance of victory.
Romans 8:37-39 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Knowing that we are going to “win the game” helps us in time of need, strength for battle.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus had John write to the church in Smyrna, which was struggling, at the time
Revelation 2:8-10 NIV “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
In other words, Jesus was saying “Take the long view. Do not set your eyes on short-term goals. Give God time, and he will work out your problems like the yeast works through the dough. In the meantime, while you wait be faithful.
Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
III. History renders strange verdicts.
The last two years have been great, if you are a pessimist, in fact many of us might have agreed that these last two years have been the darkest years in our history. Everything seemed to indicate the world had no future. COVID-19, racial unrest, extremely divided political environment, soaring prices, natural disaster after natural disaster, and on and on. We were on the borderline of complete frustration, ready to give up and call it quits. Everything seemed hopeless.
The truth is, however, that God was at work.
Let me tell you what else has happened in the last two years.
1. Leaders have learned to trust employees.
Many businesses, including churches have found themselves faced with the need to shutter their doors during the pandemic but not necessarily shut down operations. Instead, management, leadership teams and employees have banded together to create virtual work environments that are not only productive and successful but enjoyable too.
2. Businesses have learned how to think differently.
Many businesses and churches have come up with new models. Restaurants that never offered takeout have figured out how to do so. In many towns, restaurants have created “drive-through dinners” that allow families to pick up family meals without ever getting out of their car and with little to no contact with others. Churches had had online and virtual services and becomes of it people who would never have come to church participated in worship and many gave their lives to Christ.
3. Technology has been embraced in new ways.
Companies, and churches, including us, have started using Zoom, Facebook Live, GoogleChats, and other technology to stay connected and reach others they may have not reached any 9thee way.
4. Life has slowed down just a bit.
With fewer places to go and fewer things to do safely, it would seem that this could be viewed as a negative. And sure, we all wish we didn’t have to go through the past couple of years. But think about it, the pandemic has given us the opportunity to slow down a bit and focus on the essentials. Whether it be spending more quality time with our family and friends, taking time to phone a long lost friend or relative, or having a video conference with friends and family over the holidays, of for a birthday. Chances are you have had the opportunity to reconnect with people you haven’t talked to in a long time.
5. We have learned who and what matters to us most.
As we shared in the point above, we have reconnected with people we haven’t talked to in a long time. In addition to that many of us have had a chance to sit back and reflect on what is essential. You may have prayed more or studied the Scriptures more. For many, it might mean that we have taken this extra time at home to get more physically fit. For others, they have tried new recipes and learned how to eat healthier. And yet, for others, they have put new self-care routines into place to help manage their stress and overall health. Whatever it is you discovered about yourself, you may be able to thank these weird times for those epiphanies.
6. We’ve thought about more than just ourselves.
Perhaps you have read a news story or know of a situation where people thought about the bigger picture during the pandemic. In troubled times, it can be easy to go into despair. But many have found a way to do good for others, whether it be by delivering groceries or medicine to somebody Or maybe you donated to a GoFundMe site for a family in need. Stories of people doing good for others have been on a historic rise over the last two years, and that’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
As Christians we can put our faith in the fact that history will vindicate our trust in Christ and His message of service and love.
IV. God is always there.
If one were to ask what is the chief appeal of the gospel to so many people in so many generations and in so many countries, what would you say?
Is it not the influence of Jesus as a person? Jesus loved and proved it by offering Himself for others.Others have come and gone. Military men have conquered large portions of the world but have had to give it up. Merchants have cornered the market on certain products, but they could not hold out forever. Entertainers have become a household word but have perished, some of them tragically. Jesus Christ, however, is stronger today than he was in the first century. His kingdom is greater and more people claim allegiance to him than ever before in the history of the world. Even with the surveys here in the US that says more and more people are becoming, what they call u churches. The That's not what`s happening throughout the world. Napoleon is reported to have once said, “Caesar, Charlemagne, and I built kingdoms on force, and they have crumbled. Jesus Christ built a kingdom on love, and today there are countless thousands who would gladly die for his sake.” That was right when he said it and it is right today.
Conclusion
Do not let the appearances fool you. Forces are at work for God when and where we least expect.
Think about this. What if somebody in the outskirts of Bethlehem might have said one day, “Nothing new ever happens around here. We’re just a hick town. Oh, by the way, some girl from Galilee had a baby out in the stable last night. But nothing new ever happens around here.”
Remember what Nathanael said when Philip told him that they had found the Messiah, and that He was from Nazareth?
John 1:45-46 NIV Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
I said this last week anything ever began in miniature, it was the Christian movement. A baby in a manger! A Roman ruler issuing an edict to kill him! A little boy in a carpenter’s shop in a small village! This was the start of it all. Yet from that small beginning, God’s kingdom, based on love and righteousness, has extended and become worldwide in its scope.
Jesus started by himself. He taught 12 men to follow him, and slowly the Kingdom began to grow. He had but a handful of followers, He was a man of no rank and without natural and material means.
Be careful about believing that the forces making the loudest noise are the most enduring or the most important. It is often the voices that are softest, that are the strongest and have the greatest impact.
Those still small voices that speak like Christ spoke. It says in.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 NIV The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Philippians 4:8 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Jesus said that if you just abide in Him, you will produce fruit and that fruit is love
Galatians 5:22-26 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The God kind of love, Jesus, indeed of love, when poured out will result in growth of the kingdom of heaven.
John 15:5 NIV “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Yeast is a single-celled microorganism which when added to flour with water, ferments giving off a gas. The small gas bubbles transform the bread making it lighter, softer and much bigger i.e. the bread is said to be leavened.
Jesus was saying in this parable of the leaven, that the amazing effect of yeast on bread was like the effect of his Gospel on us and the world. Jesus wanted us to open our hearts to his Word, live its message and, in return, enjoy everlasting happiness with Him.
Matthew 13:33 NIV He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Lord, help us to be honest and see what sort of leaven we sow each and every day. Help us to get rid of the bad and be filled with the good. Inspire us to be that good leaven in all the many daily interactions we have. Jesus, we trust in You. Amen
Sermon Audio
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