Email me at BrianLKyle@msn.com

The Parable of the Yeast

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Matthew 13:33

What do you think of the parables of Jesus?  Do they make sense to you?  Do they help you understand kingdom principles for living?  What about this parable of Jesus – the Parable of the Yeast.  It comes right after the Parable of the Mustard Seed which most of us know.  When you read this verse above, what image comes to mind?  Maybe you see your mother or grandmother wearing an apron as she gently kneads a ball of dough on a floured surface.  Part of making bread from scratch is mixing in the ingredient “yeast” or the bread will not rise.

 The topic of this parable is the same as the parable of the Mustard Seed.  It focuses on the quiet but powerful effect of the Gospel.  It gives us a visual image for how just a small amount of truth can have a big impact.  It is true that in the Bible yeast can represent something that was evil or unclean.  An example of this is when Jesus warns his disciples saying, “Be careful, watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees.”  Evil can be worked into life and impact it in big ways also.  But the yeast is positive in this parable.  The dough receives the yeast – just a small amount – and reacts to the presence of the yeast in an amazing way – it rises – it changes – it becomes something different then it would have been.

 We need the yeast of the Gospel to be kneading into our lives.  Life is pretty flat and disappointing without God’s truth, God’s hope, God’s promises.  And we find those critical components to life in the Gospel message.  People around us need to hear and understand the Gospel truth.  It will have a big impact on their life – it will change them.

 John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”  Only the Word of God can bring real change to our hearts and lives.  It may come gradually.  It may come quietly.  But in the end, you won’t be able to deny its presence.  What are you doing to knead the truth of the Gospel into your own life?  What are you doing to knead the truth of the Gospel into the lives of others?  That is a core call from God – to embrace the truth – His truth – given in His Son.  May this be a summer of growing in the truth!

 Pastor Brian