Woman Working Leaven into a Bowl of DoughBible World
13:21Luke 13:21
It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
The kingdom is like leaven hidden in flour that works quietly and gradually until it spreads through the whole batch. Though leaven elsewhere stands for sin to be put away, here it stands for a holy transforming power wholly from outside that must be put into the heart by God. That grace is the quickening, assimilating power of God that implants a new principle of life, restores the lost image of God, and works from within outward to renew the heart, since no mere outward correction of habits can bring a person into harmony with God. Received into the heart, truth acts as that leaven, working invisibly, secretly, silently and steadily to soften natural inclinations, purify thoughts, sweeten the disposition, awaken the conscience, and set up the life of Christ as the new standard until the whole character is transformed and no one, however vile or fallen, is beyond its reach. The same hidden working spreads outward to others, for truth must first be planted where it has not been heard and then it leavens all around it through the community, with one soundly converted person acting as leaven among others, while others teach that the same concealed permeating power can work for evil when hypocrisy, false teaching, or fanatical views of holiness are admitted.
Setting and Symbol Explained
It was spoken while teaching by the sea before a great throng of every class crowding to hear, poor and rich, high and low, illiterate and cultured, beggars and merchants and outcasts and people of leisure. Educated and influential men were present looking with curious interest on the strange assembly, and wondering inwardly whether the kingdom of God could be composed of such material as this multitude. In answer to that inward question the parable of the kingdom was given.
It compares the kingdom of God to leaven hidden in flour until it spreads through the whole batch, whose work is to be carried on after Christ's example, with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the parable of the leaven hidden in meal, the same teaching as Matthew 13:33. It uses leaven as a picture of a hidden influence that works gradually through the whole mass until the whole is leavened. Though leaven is elsewhere an emblem of sin to be put away, here it represents a holy transforming agency wholly from without that must be put into the heart from God.
Grace Transforms the Heart
The kingdom of heaven is the quickening, assimilating power of the grace of God, implanting in all who submit to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life, restoring the lost image of God, and working by the Holy Spirit alone the change that fits the sinner for the kingdom of glory, whether high or low, rich or poor. No one is so vile or fallen as to be beyond its working, and no culture or education can make a child of sin a child of heaven. Truth transforms the soul as leaven transforms dough, working invisibly, secretly, silently and steadily until the whole is brought under its influence, with natural inclinations softened and subdued while new thoughts, new feelings and new motives are implanted. A new standard of character is set up, the life of Christ, the mind is changed, and the faculties are roused to action in new lines; no new faculties are given, but the faculties a person already has are sanctified, the conscience is awakened, and traits of character are given that enable service for God.
Truth received into the heart works as leaven, regulating the desires, purifying the thoughts, and sweetening the disposition, quickening the faculties of the mind and the energies of the soul and enlarging the capacity for feeling and for loving. The grace of God works in the life like leaven hidden in meal, working from within outward to transform the whole life by renewing the heart; no mere outward change is enough to bring a person into harmony with God, and trying to become a Christian by correcting this or that bad habit begins in the wrong place, for the first work is with the heart. It is the progressive work of divine grace in the human heart, with God's truth placed within bringing a radical inward change that influences the whole life, so that though outward appearance remains the same, natural feelings are transformed, affections are consecrated, and the mind is elevated by heavenly principles. Professing Christ's religion is not enough: the truth must have first place in life, sin must be put away, and God's law obeyed, continuing until it transforms the whole character.
The truth is leaven to be hidden in the heart, where by the grace of Christ and His power to transform the character, with natural and cultivated tendencies to evil submitted to its transforming power, it produces conversion and reformation in words, in spirit, and in character. When the leaven is not hidden in the heart, there is no conversion and no reformation, and the life still shows love of self, selfish indulgence, inability to bear opposition, unholy temper, harsh overbearing passionate words, hasty speech, sensitive pride, yielding to natural inclination, and perversity of character just like the worldling, as if the truth were wholly unknown, revealing the absence of the grace of Christ and unbelief in His power to transform the character. Truth works silently in the heart like leaven in meal, gradually exerting a transforming power in those who are honest in heart. God's truth and spirit work within a person like leaven in dough until the whole being is transformed and brought into harmony with its principles, opening a heart closed and hardened by greed and a hand closed to human suffering, producing kindness, charity, and visible fruits.
The love of Jesus, when presented to people who do not know the truth, works like leaven, transforming character.
Truth Spreading to Others
Like leaven hidden in meal, the truth must first be planted and brought where people have not heard it, and then it spreads. When the seed of truth is sown in new cities, the Lord waters it and brings increase and progress. The truth of the gospel must first be brought to people before it can spread its influence through them, and when fully preached and accompanied by the Holy Spirit, people of every class will embrace the truth and its influence will extend through the whole community.
As leaven spreads through the whole mass of meal, the truth is to be carried beyond one center and introduced into many places until its influence extends throughout the whole field. The truth is leaven that works itself outward, so that when the last message of warning is carried where people have never heard it and introduced in a new field, it spreads by itself to leaven all around it. In that spreading it brings souls to the knowledge of the truth in surrounding suburbs and regions beyond and adds new territories to the Lord's kingdom. Truth is leaven hidden in meal to absorb and transform the whole mass, and leaven introduced into cities through soul-saving plants set up and doing their work in every city would have done a decided, visible work of absorbing the meal. That work would have brought strength into the general cause, shone stronger beams of light through surrounding darkness afar off, kindled other lights in many places, and worked by the Holy Spirit upon human minds.
As leaven spreads through a whole mass, one soundly converted person is like a particle of leaven introduced among others and should remain there as a correcting influence. The consistent example of such a person has immeasurable moral power from God, so that even someone of low standing, if properly instructed, can become an instrument of righteousness. The verse pictures influence spreading through the whole, to be met by using personal influence and association to introduce that leaven, while personal work and consecration to God bring results. The same kind of concealed influence can work for evil: hypocrisy and deceptive principles, once admitted, permeate and transform a person's character and life, false teaching can spread through people and make them resist Christ's words, and the principles of God's law can be undermined by explaining it away.
The image also shows how the doctrine of a remarkable experience of holiness and sanctification taught in Battle Creek and elsewhere spreads like leaven in the meal and may produce fanaticism, shame, and harm. Extreme views of sanctification received by some are like leaven put into meal spreading through people's minds, beginning a train of deception that misleads and ruins those who accept them.
The kingdom is like leaven hidden in flour that works quietly and gradually until it spreads through the whole batch. Though leaven elsewhere stands for sin to be put away, here it stands for a holy transforming power wholly from outside that must be put into the heart by God. That grace is the quickening, assimilating power of God that implants a new principle of life, restores the lost image of God, and works from within outward to renew the heart, since no mere outward correction of habits can bring a person into harmony with God. Received into the heart, truth acts as that leaven, working invisibly, secretly, silently and steadily to soften natural inclinations, purify thoughts, sweeten the disposition, awaken the conscience, and set up the life of Christ as the new standard until the whole character is transformed and no one, however vile or fallen, is beyond its reach. The same hidden working spreads outward to others, for truth must first be planted where it has not been heard and then it leavens all around it through the community, with one soundly converted person acting as leaven among others, while others teach that the same concealed permeating power can work for evil when hypocrisy, false teaching, or fanatical views of holiness are admitted.
Setting and Symbol Explained
It was spoken while teaching by the sea before a great throng of every class crowding to hear, poor and rich, high and low, illiterate and cultured, beggars and merchants and outcasts and people of leisure. Educated and influential men were present looking with curious interest on the strange assembly, and wondering inwardly whether the kingdom of God could be composed of such material as this multitude. In answer to that inward question the parable of the kingdom was given.
It compares the kingdom of God to leaven hidden in flour until it spreads through the whole batch, whose work is to be carried on after Christ's example, with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the parable of the leaven hidden in meal, the same teaching as Matthew 13:33. It uses leaven as a picture of a hidden influence that works gradually through the whole mass until the whole is leavened. Though leaven is elsewhere an emblem of sin to be put away, here it represents a holy transforming agency wholly from without that must be put into the heart from God.
Grace Transforms the Heart
The kingdom of heaven is the quickening, assimilating power of the grace of God, implanting in all who submit to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life, restoring the lost image of God, and working by the Holy Spirit alone the change that fits the sinner for the kingdom of glory, whether high or low, rich or poor. No one is so vile or fallen as to be beyond its working, and no culture or education can make a child of sin a child of heaven. Truth transforms the soul as leaven transforms dough, working invisibly, secretly, silently and steadily until the whole is brought under its influence, with natural inclinations softened and subdued while new thoughts, new feelings and new motives are implanted. A new standard of character is set up, the life of Christ, the mind is changed, and the faculties are roused to action in new lines; no new faculties are given, but the faculties a person already has are sanctified, the conscience is awakened, and traits of character are given that enable service for God.
Truth received into the heart works as leaven, regulating the desires, purifying the thoughts, and sweetening the disposition, quickening the faculties of the mind and the energies of the soul and enlarging the capacity for feeling and for loving. The grace of God works in the life like leaven hidden in meal, working from within outward to transform the whole life by renewing the heart; no mere outward change is enough to bring a person into harmony with God, and trying to become a Christian by correcting this or that bad habit begins in the wrong place, for the first work is with the heart. It is the progressive work of divine grace in the human heart, with God's truth placed within bringing a radical inward change that influences the whole life, so that though outward appearance remains the same, natural feelings are transformed, affections are consecrated, and the mind is elevated by heavenly principles. Professing Christ's religion is not enough: the truth must have first place in life, sin must be put away, and God's law obeyed, continuing until it transforms the whole character.
The truth is leaven to be hidden in the heart, where by the grace of Christ and His power to transform the character, with natural and cultivated tendencies to evil submitted to its transforming power, it produces conversion and reformation in words, in spirit, and in character. When the leaven is not hidden in the heart, there is no conversion and no reformation, and the life still shows love of self, selfish indulgence, inability to bear opposition, unholy temper, harsh overbearing passionate words, hasty speech, sensitive pride, yielding to natural inclination, and perversity of character just like the worldling, as if the truth were wholly unknown, revealing the absence of the grace of Christ and unbelief in His power to transform the character. Truth works silently in the heart like leaven in meal, gradually exerting a transforming power in those who are honest in heart. God's truth and spirit work within a person like leaven in dough until the whole being is transformed and brought into harmony with its principles, opening a heart closed and hardened by greed and a hand closed to human suffering, producing kindness, charity, and visible fruits.
The love of Jesus, when presented to people who do not know the truth, works like leaven, transforming character.
Truth Spreading to Others
Like leaven hidden in meal, the truth must first be planted and brought where people have not heard it, and then it spreads. When the seed of truth is sown in new cities, the Lord waters it and brings increase and progress. The truth of the gospel must first be brought to people before it can spread its influence through them, and when fully preached and accompanied by the Holy Spirit, people of every class will embrace the truth and its influence will extend through the whole community.
As leaven spreads through the whole mass of meal, the truth is to be carried beyond one center and introduced into many places until its influence extends throughout the whole field. The truth is leaven that works itself outward, so that when the last message of warning is carried where people have never heard it and introduced in a new field, it spreads by itself to leaven all around it. In that spreading it brings souls to the knowledge of the truth in surrounding suburbs and regions beyond and adds new territories to the Lord's kingdom. Truth is leaven hidden in meal to absorb and transform the whole mass, and leaven introduced into cities through soul-saving plants set up and doing their work in every city would have done a decided, visible work of absorbing the meal. That work would have brought strength into the general cause, shone stronger beams of light through surrounding darkness afar off, kindled other lights in many places, and worked by the Holy Spirit upon human minds.
As leaven spreads through a whole mass, one soundly converted person is like a particle of leaven introduced among others and should remain there as a correcting influence. The consistent example of such a person has immeasurable moral power from God, so that even someone of low standing, if properly instructed, can become an instrument of righteousness. The verse pictures influence spreading through the whole, to be met by using personal influence and association to introduce that leaven, while personal work and consecration to God bring results. The same kind of concealed influence can work for evil: hypocrisy and deceptive principles, once admitted, permeate and transform a person's character and life, false teaching can spread through people and make them resist Christ's words, and the principles of God's law can be undermined by explaining it away.
The image also shows how the doctrine of a remarkable experience of holiness and sanctification taught in Battle Creek and elsewhere spreads like leaven in the meal and may produce fanaticism, shame, and harm. Extreme views of sanctification received by some are like leaven put into meal spreading through people's minds, beginning a train of deception that misleads and ruins those who accept them.