Three Years in 30 Days: Jesus' Life and MissionSample

The parable of the leaven

“He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.’” (Matthew 13:33 ESV)

Just an image from everyday life. Here we see a woman performing a common household task. She is making leaven to bake bread. This leavened bread has been enjoyed in the Middle East for centuries. Recently, interest in leavened bread has also been growing in Europe because of its distinctive taste and healthy properties.

The sourdough is made by fermenting a small amount of flour and water. This creates a natural type of yeast. This is added to the dough, causing it to rise slowly.

The amount of flour this woman is using is enough to bake several large loaves of bread. She is stocking up, because sourdough bread can be stored for longer.

Jesus takes the people through the process of making sourdough. Everyone has seen it before. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven can be compared to this.

• What do you think of this comparison?
• And do you see the parallels?

Tomorrow we want to think about this further.