Matthew 13:33, commentary and pictures

The kingdom of heaven works like leaven hidden in meal until the whole is leavened, a quiet inward power that is felt though not seen and spreads through all it enters until its work is done. The leaven comes from outside the meal and is not anything sinners possess or can create in themselves, being God's grace, divine truth and the principles of the kingdom working by the Holy Spirit, which is Christ's life, religion and love cultivated in the heart. Truth must first be deliberately planted, hidden and given first place in the heart and absorbed by faith working through love with repentance, obedience and submission of the will, for outward profession, mere knowledge and human effort cannot change the character. When received and cherished it works secretly, steadily and progressively from within outward until the whole person is transformed into conformity with Christ, restoring God's image in mind, affections and capacities and shining outward in holy character, loving service and witness that leavens family, church and community. Believers so converted are themselves to remain in the mass and diffuse the truth by personal labor and godly influence in new places and homes, while the same image warns that hypocrisy, false teaching, selfishness and unbelief also spread quietly from mind to mind until the whole is corrupted and must be put out of heart, home and church.

Parable Picture Given

Christ taught unseen and immortal spiritual truth through the familiar daily process of leavening bread, drawing a lesson from a fact of common experience known to the hearers in order to interest every mind and appeal to every heart. The illustration was especially vivid to women who made bread, for the action of leaven hidden in meal made the working of grace upon the heart particularly clear to them. By this use the ordinary daily task is brightened and uplifted, becoming a constant reminder of the spiritual and the unseen.

The kingdom of heaven is compared to leaven hidden in meal until the whole is leavened, showing a development like leaven working through a measure of meal. It works inwardly as a quiet, gradual, vital energy that can be felt though not seen, penetrating and transforming what it enters and spreading throughout until its work is done. When practiced, that inward change begins in the heart and works outwardly, and its slow unfolding means understanding of duty should not be forced or hurried.

The leaven must come from outside the meal and is not a natural product of the meal itself nor anything humans can create, but is altogether a heavenly production brought in and hidden there. The woman supplies what the meal lacks, showing that sinners do not possess salvation in themselves and cannot transform themselves by willpower, culture, or education. Grace therefore must be received from outside before a person can be changed and fitted for the kingdom, and this power can renew anyone who submits to it, restoring the lost image of God regardless of social standing or how far that person has fallen.

What Leaven Represents

The leaven is God's grace, divine truth, the Word of God, the bread of life, and the principles of the kingdom, working by the Holy Spirit. It is the good leaven of God's Word and truth hidden and working inwardly and invisibly until the change is complete. It comes from outside the meal and is not a natural product of the meal nor anything humans can create, but is altogether a heavenly production that must be received before a person can be changed and fitted for the kingdom. It is an active, living, working element to be absorbed, gathering to itself in a life contest, purifying and vivifying the whole mass by faith working through love in patience of hope. It convinces sin-sick souls of need of a Saviour and brings repentance into pardon and hope, softening and subduing natural inclinations, implanting new thoughts, feelings, motives and purposes, awakening conscience and dead faculties, rousing existing faculties in new directions without giving new faculties or destroying personal identity, and setting Christ's life as the standard of character to fit for service to God. Its operation is gradual and renewed day by day from strength to greater strength until going forth is prepared as the morning, and its sanctifying influence disperses through the whole man in family, church and all business relations, upon physical, mental and moral powers, so that whether eating or drinking all is done to God's glory and the entire man is perfected in soul, body and spirit. Like leaven its influence is all-pervading and powerful upon individuals and communities, working secretly, silently and steadily from one spot to bring the surrounding mass under its influence, pervading the soul's faculties to bring affections into harmony with God's mind and will in goodness, righteousness and peace, and extending even through the kingdoms of the world.

The leaven is also Christ's religion, life and love cultivated in the heart, with a transforming and spreading influence that is not selfish or narrow. The Spirit of Christ illuminating the soul works secretly within to transform character, and the saving and sanctifying truth found in Jesus cannot be shut up in the heart but spreads outward to others in the knowledge of truth. Christ's life worked amid society like leaven, sharing burdens among the thoughtless, rude, unjust and despised, bringing a purer influence by presence and kind sympathetic words that taught God's love, kindness and goodness and inspired hope and godly character. Cultivated in the heart, His love works through all lines of work until a person represents Christ's character in continual kindness, love and tenderness, while believers carry truth far and wide and labor for the church's strength and unity.

The leaven is the power of a new life brought to a discordant and corrupting humanity, the restored knowledge of God that Christ brought. The human race was a mass of discordant and corrupting elements whose only hope was that a new leaven might be cast into it. Christ came to bring this leaven by setting aside the false teaching that had misrepresented God, by manifesting the nature of His law, and by revealing in His own character the beauty of holiness.

The leaven is a Christlike principle introduced into the heart, the golden oil of the Spirit of God, which revives God's Spirit in the heart and brings entire conformity to God's will and character. This inward leavening is the only remedy for individuals, families, churches and institutions, keeping them safe from Satan's machinations to deprave human nature and assimilate it to his corrupt principles, and through inspiration of the Spirit overcoming satanic agencies till the whole is leavened. The leaven is likewise the new divine element of life, energy and the quickening, vitalizing power of the Holy Spirit that gospel workers must bring into their labor. It means receiving orders from God and obeying them, following Christ as the great Exemplar, and making everything according to the heavenly pattern, with a power that surprises and startles out of sleepy lethargy and speeds the work forward in rapid movements; without this leaven-like element missionary labor is fruitless and may as well be abandoned.

Hidden Inward Working

The leaven works from within outward, hidden in one spot yet secretly, silently, steadily, gradually and progressively bringing all around it under its influence until the whole is changed. It does not work from the outside by mere correction of bad habits, for outward reform cannot bring thoughts into harmony with God unless the heart itself is renewed. Its operation is renewed day by day, going on from strength to greater strength in following on to know the Lord until the going forth is prepared as the morning.

Truth must first be deliberately introduced, planted and hidden in the heart and given first place there before it can spread and transform the life. Merely professing faith, knowing truth outwardly, or agreeing with it does not change thoughts, purify the soul, or bring harmony with God. Unless it is received inwardly and allowed to work through the whole character, putting away sin and bringing obedience to God's law, religion remains profession without conversion and reveals absence of trust in Christ's power to transform.

The leaven is absorbed as grace and truth in the heart work by faith working through love in the patience of hope, purifying and vivifying the whole, convincing of need of a Saviour and bringing repentance into pardon and hope. It is taken in through willing obedience to God's law and commands, earnest prayerful searching of Scripture, and submission of the whole person to be operated upon by the Holy Spirit, who takes hold of the powers and sets the faculties to work. No one can effect this change by human will, culture, education, religious advantages, or personal effort, for grace must come from outside the sinner and be received, yet all who submit to it, however fallen, can be renewed and restored to the image of God.

It does not destroy the substance it works upon nor give new faculties, but changes its quality by communication, transforming character so that the same person physically becomes a new person through its holy heavenly nature. It softens and subdues natural inclinations, awakens a conscience that was dead, rouses existing faculties in new directions and sanctifies them, and cleanses the heart from impurity. It implants new thoughts, new feelings, new motives and new purposes, regenerating every faculty without destroying personal identity, and sets the life of Christ as the standard of character for service to God.

Whole Life Transformed

Received and cherished truth works in the heart as a vital, life-giving, converting power until the whole person is transformed and brought into conformity with Christ. Hidden within like leaven in meal, it does not destroy the substance it enters but changes its quality by communication, converting mind, affections, motives, and every capacity until soul, body, and spirit are perfected. Natural feelings are transformed, affections consecrated, and the mind elevated, so that the same person physically becomes inwardly renewed by heavenly principles and a new man in Christ Jesus. This restores God's image and makes human nature a partaker of divinity, with mind, soul, and strength brought into harmony with the divine life. The work is progressive and gradual, renewed day by day from strength to greater strength until going forth is prepared as the morning.

Within, it regulates desires, purifies thoughts, sweetens the disposition, quickens mind and soul, and enlarges the capacity to feel and love. It refines coarse character, makes the rough gentle and the selfish generous, cleanses the impure, and brings goodness, righteousness, and peace by pervading the faculties of the soul and bringing the affections into harmony with God's mind and will. It cultivates humility, meekness, contrition, patience, kindness, tenderness, courtesy, neatness, and order, while removing earthliness, coarseness, harsh speech, selfishness, and discourtesy. Received in love, its fruits include a heart opened by kindness and willingness to help those who suffer, with love, sympathy, and tenderness naturally expressed toward others. Its effect is heaven-born, unselfish, steady love that does not depend on praise or appreciation, does not take offense when misunderstood, and acts with humility, hope, and trust in God's mercy.

The same working purges pride, selfishness, covetousness, and love of the world. The third angel's message must still do this leavening work in the hearts and minds of those who profess to believe it, working gradually until those evils are removed. The Spirit of God enters like leaven in dough to reach within and root out pride.

This sanctifying influence disperses through family, church, and all business relations, so that whether eating or drinking or whatever is done is done to the glory of God upon the physical, mental, and moral powers. It sanctifies speech, actions, and relationships at home, in the church, and with strangers, appearing outwardly in holy character and consistent obedience to God's word, even in small matters such as control of temper and voice. A converted person shines among moral darkness and, through contact with others and desire for their salvation, draws others to Christ, declaring Christ's yoke in conversation full of grace and serving to the full extent of ability in saving souls. Believers thus lived out as truth and correct principles in perfected Christian character become sanctifying leaven in the world, bearing constant testimony of righteousness so that even the world's trust becomes testimony in favor of truth. In this way new and older believers are united on eternal truth as the life witnesses outwardly in loving service.

Where the life is unchanged, the inward work has not been allowed, revealing absence of conversion and of trust in Christ's power to transform. When truth is allowed to transform natural and cultivated tendencies to evil, it reforms words, spirit, temper, and character, softening and subduing natural inclinations, awakening conscience, implanting new thoughts, feelings, motives, and purposes, and setting Christ's life as the standard. Where harsh, overbearing, passionate words and an unholy temper under opposition remain, the Word has not been allowed to do its penetrating work, proving the professed believer is not converted and needs to be born again. Resistance to correction, clinging to opinions and established ways, and harsh or self-willed conduct show the transforming work has not taken place and faith working through love is lacking. Where the leaven is not hidden, the same love of self, selfish indulgence, hasty speech, sensitive pride, yielding to natural inclination, and perversity remain as in the worldling and bring truth into disrepute, for truth and error cannot remain together in the heart.

Leavening Others Widely

A single soundly converted soul is a particle of leaven placed in the mass of people around him, and the leaven must remain in the mass and not be withdrawn or the mass is left without its correcting influence. Believers are brought into connection with the world in everyday life in order to leaven the world with truth as God's agencies, not to seclude themselves and not to be leavened themselves by the world's falsehood and evil. A faithful consistent life where truth has been received makes the transforming power of truth visible, so that one who remains at a difficult post of duty may have a work there for the saving of others and should not leave without good reason. That consistent example carries a moral power from God whose effect none can measure, by which even the lowest person if properly instructed becomes an instrument of righteousness, as godliness passes into the multitude through the gospel lived out and made part of character in living witnesses. This leavening is done by introducing truth into the world, living under God's discipline in obedience and commandment-keeping, bearing constant testimony of perfected Christian character and righteousness, so that even the world's trust becomes testimony in favor of truth. The same working applies within a wider effort where cooperation on temperance may influence that work as leaven through meal, without taking on a broader social burden that diverts resources from the special work of sharing Bible truth.

The leaven cannot work unless put in connection with the meal, so God's work shows enlargement and advances only by growth through connection and diffusion until it leavens the whole lump. Truth cannot leaven while believers stay passive and noncommittal, separated at home waiting to be carried to a field of labor, or occupied with a sideshow that draws men to themselves and not to Jesus Christ. To be leaven is to go forth and venture labor as God's workmen, to speak to those without the light, to preach the truth and not personal ideas, criticism of ministers, or side issues and little items of disagreement, and like the light of the third angel's message to seek constantly to diffuse itself. Each person is to use influence gained through personal relationships to introduce that leaven and affect others, doing personal work within his own measure, with personal consecration and sanctification rather than outward display producing the work. Christ's religion is not selfish or narrow but spreads and transforms, moving believers to carry the knowledge of truth far and wide with zeal and devotion while also laboring for the church's strength and unity and guarding against division. Years lost from this advancing growing work bear the record of an unfaithful servant, for God has left His work in the hands of His church with the great duty and mission of saving sinners to be preached in all nations.

Truth must first be planted and hidden in new places like leaven hidden in meal before it spreads through the whole, and people must give it opportunity to be sown while the Lord waters the seed and brings the increase. Heavenly truth is to be introduced among people and allowed to influence the whole community rather than concentrated in one place, for once introduced the message works outward and spreads through the surrounding region. Keeping it out or concentrating it prevents this work. The leaven of truth is put into hearts and into a city and works silently until the whole is leavened, introduced through personal labor and close social meetings rather than great excitement, ripening the work and bringing hearts close to hearts until people profess the truth, lift the cross, become witnesses, lift the standard, and embrace and observe the Sabbath. Even gospel seed sown in a few well-chosen words with small beginning can work thus, spreading its influence and bearing abundant fruit, since human ability is insufficient but God gives effectiveness to those who use entrusted talents.

This hiding is done when the Word is discreetly and humbly explained in homes, where its influence can spread through whole families till they are converted, and women as well as men are to do this work. Discreet humble women imbued with duty and laboring under the Spirit have a needed place at this crisis, doing in families a work men cannot do by reaching the inner life and coming close to hearts men cannot reach, with Christ reflecting upon them the light of His countenance and giving self-possession and a power exceeding that of men. A small Sabbath school carried on in a neighborhood in the face of opposition puts that leaven into the meal, and it keeps working until some accept the truth with influence already felt throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Earnest missionary work and close-by work waiting to be done can spread from church to church and region to region, as earnest work in Battle Creek and Michigan's churches illustrates an influence gradually permeating everything through churches across all the conferences, and as grace working in church after church brings spiritual resurrection imparting physical and spiritual health and vigor like a heavenly current of vital air till God's name is a praise because of His wonderful works. That extension comes through the Holy Spirit blessing the means employed when not hindered, in answer to prayer.

The same quiet gradual working shows that understanding and acceptance of duties such as rebaptism may develop slowly and will do its work in time, and therefore those newly come to the truth are not to be pressured nor ministers to interfere with God's purpose by forcing or hurrying it. The Spirit is already at work like leaven hidden in meal within the hearts of many honest souls not yet of the faith, moving upon them to draw them to truth.

Evil Leaven Warned

The same figure that shows the kingdom working inwardly also shows how evil works when once admitted, spreading quietly through the whole mass until all is leavened to its own nature. Hypocrisy and deceptive teaching permeate heart and mind and transform character and life, making it harder to receive the words of Christ. Pharisaic teaching hid its real tendency, as when devotion to the temple by Corban was used to cover neglect of duty to parents, and the same pattern is seen whenever God's law is explained in ways that seem acceptable yet undermine its principles and weaken its force. Evil surmising and malice can likewise spread and corrupt thought, action, and character, while false principles and human methods that control people and weaken faith corrupt churches and institutions.

False sentiments about holiness and sanctification, philosophy and false science and spiritualism, skepticism, criticism and sarcasm against ministers, suspicion and accusations, selfish suggestions about money, false imaginings, irreligion and unbelief, selfishness and covetousness, and closeness of spirit all work from mind to mind until character, churches, institutions, and communities are leavened. In particular, the doctrine of a wonderful experience of holiness and sanctification set forth in overdrawn terms works like leaven hidden in meal, spreading quietly until the whole is leavened. Received by many, it becomes fanaticism with fearful, harmful, and shameful results, the alpha of a train of deception that ruins souls. Once taken in it permeates from mind to mind until many minds hold it, leading men to criticize and condemn their brethren, and it is to be feared and shunned, met with wide-awake vigilance and counteracted by words that oppose its influence.

The leaven of evil, working in disobedience and denial of truth, must be removed from heart, home, and church, with watching and prayer and guarding against selfishness and idolatry. Unconsecrated workers bring this hidden influence into places like the sanitarium by their work and spirit, causing trouble and heartache and intangible yet strong difficulties for evil, so unless all stand firm for truth and righteousness there is no purpose in maintaining such an institution. A congregation that criticizes and obstructs God's work leavens all who enter its influence, and the church must come under the Holy Spirit to become an agent for saving souls. Precious truth as the leaven of the kingdom is to be advanced in clear straight lines by receiving light and giving light, with a constant living flow going out to impress minds, without discussions and controversy that cause sides to be taken from which those on the wrong side seldom return. Satan inserts an opposite evil leaven of unbelief to stop the work of reformation.