The Parable of the Yeast
Ancient Stories for Modern Life IV
A. Background & Comments:
• through this summer season we have been considering the parables of Jesus Christ as they are presented in Matthew Ch. 13:1-52. In these times together we have seen:
The Parable of the Sower (vs. 3-9; 18-23)
- we receive the Word of God in different ways!
The Parable of the Weeds (vs. 24-30; 36-43)
- a day of judgment awaits imposters of the faith.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (vs. 31,32)
- we have potential to possess greater faith & hope.
• I suggest to you that these teachings are especially valuable because Jesus Christ is teaching “Kingdom” principles. Each parable starts with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”, indicating that there is an entity & behavior for the individual Christian to strive toward.
• as you think through these passages & concepts be sure to understand that we are not talking primarily about the organized church as the Kingdom of God. While the church is part of the Kingdom of God, we are broken sinners whose values & behaviors follow suit. The Kingdom of God is perfect & holy - unlike the church – as much as we might try.
• Jesus focuses their thoughts on a Kingdom of values & behavior that frequently contradicts the normal understanding of any earthly kingdom, ie: power vs. service, hate vs. love, wealth vs. poverty, etc.
B. Main Thought:
The passage we consider today speaks to the effect that the Kingdom of God has in our lives: it reaches into every part of our lives, creating a marked & defined change.
If we will understand the significance of this teaching, we must take some time to define & discern…
I. (vs. 33) Parable of the Yeast: Marks & Defining Characteristics of Yeast
“ The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast… ”
A. Before moving on to the spiritual meaning that Jesus Christ was driving at, lets consider what defines & marks yeast:
it is typically small, ground into a powder like substance;
it makes a radical difference to the dough;
it remakes the dough from the consistency of a rock into a soft, edible complex;
it is integrated into other substances, such as flour, oil & salt, thus working its magic from within;
it often brings overflowing substance!
B. How does yeast work & what actually occurs within the dough to make the bread rise?
the yeast begins to metabolize the sugars in the dough;
forms carbon dioxide that puffs into tiny gas pockets all through the dough;
gas can’t escape because of the elastic gluten in the flour, so these pockets of gas stay in the loaf;
when the loaf goes into the oven, the gas expands even more as the temperature rises, until the dough finally bakes, holding the shape of those tiny gas pockets, now filled with air.
Now that baking class is over…
II. (vs. 33) Parable of the Yeast: Real- Time, Meaningful Lessons
“… that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
A. Primary Concepts:
a little bit of yeast (Kingdom of God) is enough to change your life, primarily your behaviors & values. Renewal, hope, a future perspective can be made real when you give priority to the priorities of God.
a little bit of yeast (Kingdom of God) impacts a greater, larger entity than most can imagine. Small things, like quiet thoughts or private acts of charity, can have more impact upon our self & others, than they might first seem.
B. Practical Applications:
There are situations in our lives that seem overwhelming & deemed to make you miserable or dysfunctional. I know what it is to be discouraged, miserable, thinking there is no hope for change in situations. Most often in these times I amguilty of underrating God’s desire for my good.
There is a degree to which we must be welcoming “the yeast of the Kingdom” to work in our lives. If you are serious about change in your life & being a servant of God, then you will need to welcome the process & agent of change. (Matt. 11:28ff)
Notice that the process of change comes from the act of someone else molding, kneading the loaf! God uses the most unlikely sources to make us into what we – naturally – are not! God, through other human sources, does the necessary work!
Implications
Perhaps this news clip can best illustrate the reality that God wants to do great things in our lives & rescue us from the situations we find ourselves in…
