15. The Kingdom Parables – The Fourth – The Leaven – Part 2 Series

15. THE KINGDOM PARABLES – THE FOURTH – THE LEAVEN – Part 2

We are doing a series on the Kingdom Parables of Matthew 13 and this message continues the fourth one, the LEAVEN.

In the last study, we looked at the biblical mentions of leaven to see that it always stood for evil without exception, when applied to spiritual matters. We saw also how meticulous the Jews were in cleansing their houses of leaven, and we looked at the Roman Catholic teaching on this parable because, in the main, Protestant churches just followed the Catholic teaching on this.

THE WRONG TEACHING ON THIS PARABLE

Again I do not want to come over as pompous about this but the word of God is so clear about the meaning of leaven – we saw it last time; always evil. How can people get it so wrong?

Here is a quotation from Gill, a recognised Commentator and these words are generally in line with the accepted teaching that considers the leaven as good, though he is more accepting of the bad uses of leaven: (Like much of the writing of his time, writers loved long sentences and one here has 238 words in it!)

[[The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven. The word "leaven" is every where else used in a bad sense; and either designs immorality, as malice and wickedness, or false doctrine, such as that of the Pharisees and Sadducees: but here it seems to be taken in a good sense, and the Gospel to be compared unto it; nor for its disagreeable qualities, but on account of its small quantity; it is a little leaven that leavens the whole lump, and may express, as the grain of mustard seed does, the small beginnings of the Gospel, and its meanness in the eyes of men; and on account of its piercing, penetrating, and spreading nature: so the Gospel reaches the conscience, pierces the heart, enlightens the understanding, informs the judgment, raises and sets the affections on right objects, subdues the will, and brings down all towering thoughts, to the obedience of Christ, in particular persons; and has penetrated and made its way, under divine influence, through towns, cities, kingdoms, and nations: also on account of its heating, swelling, and assimilating nature; so the Gospel, where it takes place, warms the affections, causes the heart to burn within, inspires with zeal for God, and Christ, and the Gospel; it swells and fills churches with such as shall be saved, and assimilates the several persons it operates in, makes them like one another, one bread, one body, having like precious faith, knowledge, and experience, though in a different degree,”]] END OF QUOTE.

Gill makes the statement that in all other places leaven means evil but here it means good. I am sorry for those who believe that but biblical types MUST be consistent. You must maintain uniformity and that is a biblical principle of interpretation.

THE CORRECT TEACHING ON THIS PARABLE

In line with all the applications of leaven it must mean evil. You can not make an exception. Therefore, using that acceptance, what does the parable mean?

{{Matthew 13:33 He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like LEAVEN which a WOMAN took and hid in THREE pecks of meal until it was ALL LEAVENED.”}}

As in the Mustard Seed, this parable is about spread in the kingdom of God. The “kingdom of heaven” is under the control of the Son of God and includes the good and the bad under His watchful control. We know the Almighty God rules in His heaven and earth even though we do not see that in visual actuality, but it is true.

English poet Robert Browning, wrote a long poem called Pippa's Passes and this is a song from it -

[[The year's at the spring,

And day's at the morn;

Morning's at seven;

The hill-side's dew-pearled;

The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn;

GOD'S IN HIS HEAVEN --

ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD!]]

That poem points out that all things continue as programmed by God because God’s in His heaven and all is right with the world. We see the world in chaos today but the truth is still there - Almighty God is in full control!

When Jesus, the Messiah, returns at the Second Coming, then His visible presence will be very obvious as this verse is fulfilled – {{Zechariah 14:9 “And THE LORD WILL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.”}}

While we are in Zechariah 14 there is a verse that is interesting because of the way things are panning out right now in the Middle East (The setting is in Messiah’s rule in the Millennium) – {{Zechariah 14:21 “And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. AND THERE WILL NO LONGER BE A CANAANITE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IN THAT DAY.”}}