Parable of the Leaven, what does it mean?

[kristina411]

In Matthew 13:33 of the NKJV The Parable of the Leaven and it says:
Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."
In the NIV it says:
He told them still another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."
I looked up the NIV and KJV 2000 edition to hopefully have better clarofication but now I'm even more confused.
Any ideas on what Matthew 13:33 means?

 

[Steeno7]

Like leaven in the dough, God is working out the kingdom by the risen life of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

[dragongunner]

Well some believe that leaven represents sin, and there is scripture to back that. But I'm not convinced that in all areas that is true. Leaven is something that expands, and grows…..so if its used like.."beware of the leaven of the Pharisees….." the leaven was false teachings that grow. In the Matt. scripture some believe that the leaven is also sin that will grow and destroy the teachings of the church…..however, I am not sure I agree with that. Jesus used many things to describe the Kingdom of God, and it all seemed to be positive. So I think it represents good leaven that grows and expands Gods Kingdom.

Leaven - Definition and Meaning, Bible Dictionary

 

[BryanW92]

I agree with Steeno and dragongunner. The key phrase in this is "until it worked all through the dough". The Jews expected the Messiah to come on a great horse as a leader who would crush Israel's enemies and set up God's Kingdom on earth.

But, instead he came as a bit of yeast. He multiplied through his disciples and through the early church and then through the Catholic church and today through all the various churches that proclaim his name in a multitude of ways.

 

[chapmic]

Its about faith, faith starts off small but it can and will grow. Your faith in Jesus will increase and your thoughts and actions will be like Jesus .

 

[miamited]

In Matthew 13:33 of the NKJV The Parable of the Leaven and it says:
Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."
In the NIV it says:
He told them still another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."
I looked up the NIV and KJV 2000 edition to hopefully have better clarofication but now I'm even more confused.
Any ideas on what Matthew 13:33 means?

Hi kristina,

As a parable, we know that it is a story meant to allude to some real life application. I have always considered that it well described God's work in bringing the lost to know the truth. God has been adding and mixing 'yeast' into the world since the day He called Abram. Eventually the 'yeast', the truth of the kingdom of heaven, will have been mixed throughout the world's people.

This is being accomplished through God's Spirit; the testimony of God's Son; and the Scriptures.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Job8]

In Matthew 13:33 of the NKJV The Parable of the Leaven and it says: Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

In all the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord was contrasting genuine faith and genuine conversion with false faith and false conversion. He was contrasting the possessors (good fish, wheat etc.) with the professors (bad fish, tares etc).

What the Lord was teaching is that while outwardly Christianity (the Kingdom of Heaven) and Christendom would grow and many people would call themselves Christians, there would be only a few genuine Christians, and among those only a few faithful disciples.

Throughout Scripture leaven (yeast) is symbolic of sin. Thus we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread coupled with the Passover, when all yeast was required to be cleaned out of the houses and only unleavened bread was to be eaten. That bread symbolized the pure and holy character of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as the Passover lamb (without spot or blemish) represented the sinless Lamb of God.

Thus when the Lord speaks of a "woman" He is referring to "Mystery Babylon", the "woman" who corrupts religion (including Christianity). The leaven is the corruption of sin and apostasy in Christendom, and the fact that "all the meal was leavened" indicates that before the coming of Christ, the majority of Christendom will be apostate.

Is that true today? Absolutely. The mainline denominations have rejected true Bible doctrine (e.g. N.T.Wright, the Jesus Seminar, etc), the world has entered the churches, and sin and evil is condoned (pedophiles in the Catholic Church). The ordination of homosexuals as priests and bishops is just the tip of the iceberg. A One World Church is in the making, which has the outward trappings of Christianity, but is actually an apostate Church.

 

[jsimms615]

In this passage, leaven is not sin, but is the kingdom of God. Jesus is saying that when it becomes a part of a person that it leaves no part of the person the same. It works through the whole person and changes us.

 

[Job8]

In this passage, leaven is not sin, but is the kingdom of God. Jesus is saying that when it becomes a part of a person that it leaves no part of the person the same. It works through the whole person and changes us.

God is not the God of confusion. If He uses leaven as symbolic of sin and hypocrisy throughout Scripture, He does not suddenly turn around and make it the opposite. Please get hold of a concordance and go through every reference to "leaven".

 

[BryanW92]

God is not the God of confusion. If He uses leaven as symbolic of sin and hypocrisy throughout Scripture, He does not suddenly turn around and make it the opposite. Please get hold of a concordance and go through every reference to "leaven".

In most cases, you would be right. But in the case of Matthew 13:33, leaven does mean the opposite of what it means in most other places in the bible.

It simply makes no sense for the Kingdom of Heaven to be contaminated by sin. This isn't confusing if you read the whole verse instead of just searching your concordance for one word.

 

[dragongunner]

God is not the God of confusion. If He uses leaven as symbolic of sin and hypocrisy throughout Scripture, He does not suddenly turn around and make it the opposite. Please get hold of a concordance and go through every reference to "leaven".

So the Kingdom of God is sin….? Or like sin? Thats not what Jesus was saying….If I say God is "mad"….am I saying God is angry, or am I saying God is insane and has rabies? The Kingdom of God is not the Apostate church as you have concluded, or else Jesus would of said…"The Kingdom of the Apostate church is like a woman who takes leaven…."

Leaven is something that rises, and grows…..sin can grow, and Gods Kingdom in us can grow. Gods Kingdom that Jesus is talking about is peace, love, and joy in the Holy Ghost…..it is not about reprobation, they are not in the Kingdom of God.


Leviticus 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

 

[jsimms615]

God is not the God of confusion. If He uses leaven as symbolic of sin and hypocrisy throughout Scripture, He does not suddenly turn around and make it the opposite. Please get hold of a concordance and go through every reference to "leaven".

Thank you. I am aware that it is often used to symbolize sin. In this case, Jesus used it to refer to the kingdom of God though. That is not confusing, since he was clear about how he used this example.

 

[Job8]

It simply makes no sense for the Kingdom of Heaven to be contaminated by sin.

Humanistically it makes no sense. But Divinely it does. So let's look for support in the seven parables of the Kingdom (Mt 13:1-50).

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Not real disciples
Seed by the wayside = Satan "catcheth away that which was sown"
Stony places = no root = offended by tribulation and persecution
Thorns = cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches

THE PARABLE OF TARES AND WHEAT
His enemy came and sowed tares = Satan's work in the churches
Tares to to burnt = children of the Wicked One = Eternal Hell
Wheat to be gathered = children of the Kingdom = Saints in Heaven

THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN
Sin, hypocrisy and apostasy in Christendom

THE PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET
Good fish into vessels = the just = genuine Christians
Bad fish = the wicked = Eternal Hell

Out of seven parables, there are four which show sin and sinners in "the Kingdom of Heaven". So why are we having an issue with the leaven, which is clearly a symbol for sin and hypocrisy?

 

[BryanW92]

Out of seven parables, there are four which show sin and sinners in "the Kingdom of Heaven". So why are we having an issue with the leaven, which is clearly a symbol for sin and hypocrisy?

Because not all parables are rehashing the issue of sin. This one is about the kingdom and the effect of the gospel on the world.