Like Yeast

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” Matthew 13:33

Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of heaven. I guess He wanted us to ponder what heaven was really like. Jesus proposed that the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field but an enemy sowed weeds in it when everyone was sleeping. When the man’s helpers asked if they should pull up the weeds, he said no because the wheat would get uprooted as well. He advised them to wait till harvest, and then the weeds would be separated and thrown into the fire to be destroyed. Doesn’t this show that God is very patient? In this world, the enemy has sown bad seeds but one day, we will see God’s justice. When the day of judgement comes, those who have chosen to oppose God will be separated and punishment will be meted out to them. 

Then Jesus compared the kingdom to a tiny mustard seed that would grow into the largest of plants. Faith is that tiny mustard seed. When we nurture our seed of faith all things are possible! 

Then we have the third parable where the kingdom of heaven is likened to yeast. The sizes of this single cell microorganism vary greatly, depending on species and environment, typically measuring 3–4 µm or micrometer in diameter. So small! Sometimes my husband makes bread, but he doesn’t do it often enough for my liking. So one time he used yeast that was dead already because it was in our shelf for too long. After waiting for some time, the dough did not rise. Yeast is the ingredient that produces gas that makes the bread rise. It feeds on the sugars in flour, and expels carbon dioxide in the process. How can the kingdom of heaven be like yeast? 

Like the mustard seed, yeast is tiny as well. God apparently likes to work slowly, using small things, sometimes these are too small to be noticed at first. But just like a mustard seed grows into a large plant, and the bread that grows because of the yeast, the kingdom of heaven cannot fail to spread far and wide. Christianity started with just a ragged taggle bunch of inexperienced preachers but armed with zeal, faith, and the might of the Holy Spirit, they travelled and reached the far corners of the known world. 

The enemy has always tried to plant bad seed within and without the church, but as we are assured in Jesus’ parable, He is the one allowing all these evil and wickedness to remain until one day they will be uprooted and incinerated. We know the Kingdom of heaven will prevail, no matter how bad things seem. As Jesus promised, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18)