Title: Philosophy of leaven (Matthew 13:33)
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“He also told them in parables, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and put it all into flour and made it all swell.”
The word “leaven” is commonly used in the Bible to refer to sin, false teachings, heresies, and corruption. But in the text, in a good sense, the Lord spoke by comparing the kingdom of God.
Yeast has three characteristics.
1. Has the ability to change a lot with a small amount.
2. It begins to change silently from within.
3. It allows you to see the changed appearance of the whole from the outside.
If we apply these three characteristics to our religious life,
First, Jesus Christ changes our character.
It's like going into three powders and changing everything. God said that man must be changed. He said that human nature is not pleasing to God and has the nature of a stubborn beast that cannot submit to God's law. In Romans 12:2, it says that unless we receive a fundamental change of heart, we cannot understand God's will. That is why Philippians 2:5 tells us to have the mind of Christ Jesus in you. This means to throw away the corrupt human nature and have a new heart.
A utilitarian named James Mill said that if a man learns to write and reads noble classics, he can become good and happy. However, for modern people who live in the age of knowledge and information, there is nothing worse than anguish and suffering (Ecclesiastes 1:18, 12:12). Knowledge cannot transform human beings.
Only Jesus Christ can change man. Jesus does not change humans with externally shocking environmental factors. He quietly enters our hearts, encounters us personally, and gradually transforms us. When we listen to God's Word and understand it deeply, the life of Jesus Christ begins to work. In an invisible place like leaven, it quietly but clearly brings about a change from the inner world deep in the heart.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, but have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. When any sinner meets Jesus, a fundamental change occurs in their heart, turning away from all the sins they have committed in the past and becoming a person who obeys God's will. It is gradually changed and becomes known to the people around you, just as yeast enters the powder and slowly swells. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ.
Second, in the church, a small number of changed people can play the role of leaven.
The person who is changed first becomes a factor that changes others. After the Reformation in the 16th century, the church revived rapidly, but began to decay after the first century. At this time, a small number of devout people gathered at home, learned the Bible, and shared the fellowship of love. This is the pietism movement.
The few in the church matter. In this way, we must be prepared to change others, so that, like the leaven, the few have the ability to handle the many.
Third, the church must fulfill the role of leaven in society.
There are many churches in Korea today, but there are still a small number of believers. God has accomplished the history of the church through a few. Even in the midst of persecution in Rome, the church seemed to disappear, but God worked through a few people.
In a society that is becoming increasingly evil and full of boredom and dissatisfaction, the work of the believer is important. We are leaven. When we do our best in each field of society and set the example of a beautiful saint, there is a reason for the existence of a believer. To do this, we must pray and equip ourselves with the Word to demonstrate God's power.
We need to be invisible to ourselves so that Jesus Christ can be seen before all people through us. We need to be completely open in front of everyone so they can see us and be transformed.