The Leaven
Jesus likens the kingdom of God to leaven that a woman takes and hides in three measures of meal until the whole is leavened. This hidden yet powerful agent reveals how the kingdom permeates and transforms all it touches, working from within to bring about complete change rather than through visible might. Presented to the crowds, the parable underscores its role in the redemptive story as the subtle but unstoppable advance of God's reign that will ultimately renew everything.
Category: Kingdom of God
Meaning: The kingdom permeates and transforms everything it touches, like yeast in dough.
Audience: Crowds
Key Passages
The Parable
Matthew 13:33
33nother parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Did You Know?
A small amount of leaven spreads through the whole batch of dough.
The kingdom starts small but permeates and transforms everything it touches.
Jesus used leaven both positively (here) and negatively (as hypocrisy) depending on context.