Parable of Leaven

Matthew 13:33-35; Luke 13:20, 21

Our Scripture reading is Luke 13:20-21

[20] Again He asked, “To what can I compare the kingdom of God? [21] It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.” 

In the this, the parable of leaven, Jesus shares a simple yet profound parable, likening the kingdom of God to yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour. This parable holds a deep lesson on patience, especially in the context of growth—both spiritual and personal.

Patience in growth is a theme that resonates deeply with our faith journey. Like yeast, which takes time to leaven the whole batch of dough, our spiritual growth and the manifestation of God’s kingdom within us require patience and time. It’s a beautiful reminder that the most significant changes often happen slowly and beneath the surface, where we can’t immediately see them.

Consider the natural world around us; everything grows at its own pace. 

A family with a new baby doesn’t expect or even want the baby to grow overnight but rather enjoys each step of the journey as the child grows. A seed planted in the ground doesn’t sprout overnight. It needs time to germinate, break through the soil, and grow towards the sun. We, too, need time to grow. All important things, from a little yeast in a bowl of flour to the deepening of our faith, happen slowly and require patience.

The process of kneading dough and waiting for it to rise is a perfect metaphor for spiritual development. Initially, the dough doesn’t seem to change much. It requires the right conditions—warmth, time, and the yeast itself—to transform. Similarly, our spiritual lives require the right conditions for growth. These conditions include prayer, reading the Word, fellowship, and acts of kindness and love. Yet, just as the dough doesn’t rise instantly, our spiritual maturity doesn’t happen overnight. It unfolds day by day, often in ways we cannot see or understand in the moment.

This parable is a call to trust in God’s timing, knowing that He is at work even when we can’t see the immediate results. James 1:4 puts it perfectly, “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (KJV).

Lonnie Davis