“Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.'” (Matthew 13:33)
The Bible often associates leaven with sin. (See Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8.) So I was surprised to find Jesus using it differently here. In this parable, the leaven is the Word of God, the message of the kingdom of heaven, hidden in the heart and spreading from the inside out. As we discovered yesterday, a few verses earlier, Jesus described the sower, the seed, and four kinds of soil. The seed is the Word of God, and the soil is the human heart. This parable is a picture of the miracles the Word works in the good soil of someone who has received the gift of salvation.
Read what the woman does with the leaven. She hides it inside the dough, much like the psalmist described how God’s Word should take up residence in our hearts:
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
Leaven does its work out of sight. For a while, nothing may seem to be happening. But steadily and thoroughly, it works its way through every part of the dough until the whole lump is changed.
And get this: Jesus doesn’t mention just a small lump of dough. Three measures of meal were a large batch, enough to make bread for an entire crowd. Yet a small amount of leaven was enough to transform all of it. This demonstrates the incredible power of God’s Word to transform us and everyone around us!
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
When I assess the soil of my heart, I am FIRST looking inward at my thoughts, my words, and my actions in every area of my life. Remember, being busy isn’t the same as being changed. The deeper proof that the Word has been received in me is that it is progressively changing my thoughts, my attitudes, my priorities, my relationships, my words, and ultimately my actions. Paul describes this ongoing work:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
It begins with my thoughts. The mind of the flesh has well-worn patterns of worry, fear, pride, and self-focus. When the Word is hidden in my heart, it begins to confront those patterns and replace them with God’s truth. I begin to see that working when a verse surfaces in the middle of an anxious moment and redirects me before worry takes root. From my thoughts, it moves to my attitudes and shapes my priorities. What God values begins to rise to the top of my calendar and my budget, reflecting the command of Jesus:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
The Word affects my relationships and words. The Word does not let me hold onto bitterness. It presses me toward patience, kindness, and forgiveness, even with people who are hard to love. It reminds me to obey this command: “let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32)
And finally, the Word shapes my actions because changed thinking produces changed living. This is where our outward fruit should be evident! The Bible reminds us that “faith without works is dead,” which means, in essence, if we say we are Christians, then our lives should look like Christ’s life—in the trenches with people, loving them, bringing them to salvation, and discipling them.
This is a process, not a finished product. Leaven works gradually, and so does God’s Word. There are areas of my life where I can see the rise and others where it is still working its way through. But I take great comfort in this promise of God:
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
When our thoughts, attitudes, priorities, relationships, words, and actions are constantly being reshaped by God’s Word, then our lives will make an eternal difference for both us and for those around us!
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for hiding Your Word in my heart. Let it work its way through every part of me until nothing is left untouched. Renew my thoughts, reshape my attitudes, reorder my priorities, heal my relationships, guard my words, and direct my actions. Keep the soil of my heart receptive, and complete the good work You have begun in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
