Title: Matthew 13:33 Parable of the Leaven
Contents
1. Invisible leaven
1.1. visible and invisible
There are visible and invisible things in the world. It is easy for us to live usually attached to what we see and what we see. However, it is impossible to ignore the invisible things, and there are many things that have greater power.
We do not see God. But you are clearly in control of this world. God provides and presides over the direction and history of all human life. Therefore, we must become Christians who live a more faithful life before God with fear of the inner things that are invisible to us living in the world.
1.2. Diffusion power of yeast
In order for human beings to become righteous, certain abilities must be input and spread from the outside. The yeast is put into the dough. So it spreads until the whole mass is fermented. This is the essence and vitality of leaven.
This symbolically expresses the spread of the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel spreads secretly, gradually but surely like leaven. Just as the cell division of leaven is exponential, our gospel must imitate the spreading power of leaven, which spreads from one to two, from two to four.
1.3. the meaning of leaven
We add a little yeast to the dough. There seems to be no apparent difference between the yeasted dough and the unleavened dough. But after some time has passed, the appearance is very impressive.
This swelling process is a symbol of the expansion of the church and of the gospel, and a symbol of the kingdom of God.
Leaven is a word that clearly shows the omnipotence of God who is carrying out powerful and strong vitality and work in the transformative form of the kingdom of heaven that the Lord intended to accomplish in this world.
The process in which the yeast, which is small and insignificant at first, spreads so vigorously by the power of God, shows the law of the growth of the kingdom of God.
2. Transforming leaven
2.1. The need for transformation
In the flow of a certain amount of time, yeast undergoes cell division in an amazing way. It becomes the principle of destruction and creation, decay and growth, death and life. By repenting, corrupt human beings can come before God and give glory to God.
A person cannot be sanctified in an instant, and it is becoming sacred and changing in a step by step change. This is the principle of change. As the leaven is transformed in the dough, the process of our corrupt body being transformed by faith can be compared to heaven, and change is necessary in this sense.
2.2. changed appearances
The saints must always have a changed appearance.
He who is not merciful has unaltered hands, he who is not humble has unaltered knees, and he who speaks blasphemy has an unaltered tongue.
A person who is comfortable even after sinning is a person with an unchanging heart.
These outward actions speak to the extent of our internal change. Just as we put yeast into dough, we must put the Word of God into our hearts and build the kingdom of God through a life of spiritual change.
This is because that is the only image of a child of God, and only through the changed image can we live as the people of the true kingdom of God.
2.3. living yeast
Chemists refer to the fermentation process of yeast as the decomposition of sugar in the dough and liberation of carbonic acid. This is because of the subtle cell population that can be called the life of yeast.
This cell population spreads by innumerable cell proliferation. The Lord likened this living and spreading to heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, so it lives and works with the gospel for the salvation of mankind. Just as the leaven has a meaning as leaven when it is alive and works, when the gospel is alive and spreading, the kingdom of heaven comes to us with its true meaning.
3. Active yeast
3.1. yeast activity
I said that leaven has the characteristic of spreading. It is a gradual and non-stop characteristic, so it engages in activities that assimilate the whole. Just as leaven is active in this way, so does the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
In our lives, the Word of God must be deeply contained as a word of love and understanding.
The Word is not to be locked up in an intellectual system or literature.
Also, yeast acts as a softening agent. Even in hardened dough, the yeast penetrates deeply to make soft bread. The Word of God also works to soften our hardened hearts.
3.2. The inner maturity of the kingdom of God
If the parable of the mustard seed is a reference to the outward maturation of the kingdom of God and the spread of the gospel, the parable of the leaven is speaking of the inward maturity of the kingdom of God. Yeast works in an invisible, secret place, yet shows a definite change.
In this way, the work and action of God's word also makes a secret but firm change and continuously promotes the inner maturity of the kingdom of God.
The most difficult thing in the world is to do good things in secret without revealing yourself. Even though God is invisible to us on the surface, he is always doing wonderful things and exerting a sure force like leaven for the inner maturity of the kingdom of God.
Although external maturity according to God's will is important for us, we also need silent efforts for internal maturity.
It will become the firm foundation of the kingdom of God and our eternal resting place, just as many birds of the air can nest.
Even if we emphasize or neglect either of the outward and inward growth of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God will not grow in the right way.
These two must grow in balance and harmony.
When we look at our lives, we often go unbalanced and biased paths.
Rather than saying that our lives are the realm of the kingdom of God, there should be a more meticulous effort for the kingdom of God.