Title: Good Leaven and Evil Leaven
Contents
February 28, 2010 Sermon
Text: Matthew 13:31-33, Mark 8:15-17 (Matthew, Mark)
Matthew 13:31-33
31. He gave another parable, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, and the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
33. He also spoke in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and put it all into flour and made it all swell.
Mark 8:15-17
15. Jesus warned and said, Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
16. The disciples said to one another, “Because we have no bread.”
17. And Jesus, knowing it, said to him, "Why do you reason with no bread? Do you still not understand and do not understand? Are your hearts heavy?
Title: Good Leaven and Evil Leaven
1. The leaven permeates invisibly.
Jesus spoke and revealed the kingdom of God in parables. (Matthew 13) preached to the disciples and wrote them down with seven parables about the kingdom of heaven. In the end, the kingdom of heaven is explained in an easy-to-understand way (13:11), but only those who receive the revelation of God understand it, and the rest of us do not understand it. (Mt 13:14)
The parable of the mustard seed and the yeast is that the mustard seed is so small that it is hard to see, but when the seed sprouts and grows, it becomes a large tree and grows large enough for birds to come and nest, providing shade and space for rest. Koji is also said to be fermented as a whole if small lumps enter the ingredients. In the end, the kingdom of heaven started with one person, Jesus Christ, but it is the gist of the message that teaches that the whole universe will receive the Gospel in the end, starting with a small group of 12 disciples. God planted Jesus as low and lowly as the smallest seed in Bethlehem in Judea, but later the seed grows and fulfills Jesus' plan of salvation so that there are few countries in the world that do not hear the Messiah.
2. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees!
Greater than all herbs and the birds of the air will come and make their nests, which means that people from all parts of the air world will nest under the shade of this tree, rejoicing to take flight for protection, rest, peace and salvation. This means that the mustard tree itself symbolizes the kingdom of heaven, so that in the air, or in the world, ‘those who seek God’ will come to Jesus and make their nests in the tree for everlasting life. Only those who fly in will receive the blessings to dwell in.
The work of the church is not small and many, but in a world that is frustrated and suffering in an adulterous and evil world, it must not be taken away by the devil, and must nurture the saints with the perfect word and take on the task of being sent to Heavenly Father. So, beware of distorting the forms and words of the wicked leaven Pharisees, exercising their authority as a religious leader, and tricking the people into Satan. Absolutely beware of their corrupted leaven that they exercise and show signs and trickle into secularism Keep only pure words and faith on the way to heaven from within. Heaven is a haven prepared only for 'originalists'.