A. Texts:

1. Matthew 13:33 “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.“
2. Luke 13:20-21 “And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

B. Brief Explanation of the Text:

1. The kingdom is likened to leaven which is placed in dough to cause it to rise or grow:

a. It does not take much leaven to leaven a whole lump (I Corinthians 5:6 and Galatians 5:9).
b. Leaven is usually depicted in the New Testament as something bad (Matthew 16:6; 11, Mark 8:15, I Corinthians 5:6, etc.), but here it is likened unto the kingdom of Heaven which could not be considered to be bad.

2. This leaven was hid [placed within / mixed in] until the whole loaf was leavened.  The kingdom of God began and grows even now as the obedient are added in.
3. Notice God’s plan of the kingdom in likeness to a leavening agent:

a. God developed a plan and began to mix in the ingredients (leaven does not grow in dough, it must be put there).
b. Like leaven, the kingdom is part of the whole, but is not the whole.

C. The context surrounding this Parable in Matthew’s account:

1. Multitudes were gathered at the sea shore (Matthew 13:1-2), until the point where Jesus sends them away and begins to explain the “Parable of the Wheat and Tares” (Matthew 13:36).
2. The “Parable of the Sower” teaching the power of the word of God, the three types of unreceptive hearts, and the true heart on needs for the word of God to take root and bear fruit (Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23).
3. The reason Jesus taught by using Parables (Matthew 13:10-17).
4. The “Parable of the Wheat and Tares” illustrating that the world has both God’s people and people of the world therein, and the sorting of the two will be done in the Judgment Day (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43).
5. The “Parable of the Mustard Seed” teaching the beginning of the kingdom being small but then growing to be the greatest among all kingdoms (Matthew 13:31-32 / cf. Daniel 2:31-45).
6. Following the “Parable of the Leaven” and the explanation of the “Parable of the Wheat and Tares”, Jesus taught the “Parable of the Hidden Treasure” and the “Parable of the Pearl of Great Price” illustrating the value of the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44-46).
7. Then Jesus taught the “Parable of the Net” showing how some may find their way into the kingdom that become apostate and will be sorted out (Matthew 13:47-50).
8. Finally, Jesus closes the context of Parables by showing that things old and new are brought about when learning of the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:51-52).

A. There was a beginning promise to Abraham that would be fulfilled in Christ:

1. Genesis 12:3
2. Genesis 22:18
3. Matthew 1:1
4. Galatians 3:29

B. What does Abraham and the promise of Christ have to do with the kingdom?  Salvation, Christ, and the kingdom are all tied together and make up the whole plan:

1. God promised a kingdom (Isaiah 2:2-3).
2. In Christ is salvation:

a. John 14:6
b. Acts 4:10-12
c. I Timothy 1:15

3. The kingdom is Christ’s and the saved are added to it (Colossians 1:12-13).

a. Daniel 7:13-14
b. John 18:36

4. The kingdom and Christ come together because without the one, the other would not be relevant to us.

A. Many desired to know about the kingdom, but did not know (Matthew 13:11; 17).
B. Many misunderstood about the kingdom:

1. Matthew 20:20-28
2. Mark 9:31-32

a. They did not understand Christ had to die.
b. They then of course would not have understood where this King would be (Hebrews 12:2).

3. John 12:15-16
4. Acts 1:6-7

C. A lack of information resulting in a lack of knowledge about the kingdom was solved:

1. In talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus promised prior to this event in AD 70 that the Gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all nations (Matthew 24:14).
2. The preaching of the kingdom was necessary for people to be saved (Acts 8:12).
3. What was once a mystery was revealed through the existence of the church (Ephesians 3:1-11).

a. Ephesians 1:9-12
b. Colossians 1:25-26

A. The kingdom came into existence on the Day of Pentecost (AS ALL OF GOD’S PLAN BEGAN TO BE UNVEILED):

1. The kingdom would come in the last days (Micah 4:1-2).
2. It was the last days (Acts 2:16-17).
3. It was in that generation (Mark 9:1; cf. Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).
4. As illustrated above, the saved where added to the kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

B. The preaching of the kingdom IS paramount for the growth of the kingdom (Matthew 13:19):

1. Acts 2:41
2. Acts 2:47
3. Acts 4:4
4. Acts 5:14
5. Acts 6:1
6. Acts 6:7
7. Acts 16:5
8. Acts 28:30-31

C. The kingdom is everlasting:

1. Hebrews 12:28
2. II Peter 1:10-11
3. Daniel 2:44

A. Some conclude that this parable teaches the kingdom would be the leavening agent of the world.

1. We learned the kingdom is everlasting.
2. The world is not (II Peter 3:10).
3. Therefore, since a leavening agent cannot be taken from the midst of it’s dough after it has spread, the world cannot be what the kingdom was placed into.

B. The completion of the kingdom’s leavening influence on this temporary world is certainly plausible.

1. The kingdom will be delivered into the hands of the Father (I Corinthians 15:24-28).
2. This occurs when all of the saved are taken into Heaven at the Resurrection.
3. This will be the fulfillment of God’s plan, as all things will have come to an end in this life to begin a life eternal in Heaven.
4. The leavening agent (kingdom) has completed it’s process of growth, for no more will be added and no more time is given for the kingdom to permeate.

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2003 by Brian A. Yeager may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.