Matthew 13:33
33 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.”
doesnt leaven have something to do with yeast??
how is heaven like that, and what does this parable mean?
Comments
1. An agent, such as yeast, that causes batter or dough to rise, especially by fermentation.
2. An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole.
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.
"hid," The Kingdom of Heaven is hidden (for it is hard to seek it and enter it).
"the whole was leavened"
The whole is the whole meal. For bread to be leavened is a good thing. Heaven leavens the whole. Heaven enlightens the whole. Heaven is perfect and fulfilling. Those in heaven are always satisfied (never in need of anything --> in perfect condition).
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a leaven because it enlightens those in it (and those ho seek it) and make them satisfied.
I will give you a more thorough answer in a few days once I have time to type one up.
Leaven is a substance which is capable of expanding and raising the substance which it is fermenting. For example, yeast is the leaven that causes dough to be raised for the making of bread. It is not only put into the flour to make the dough, but it is in a sense "hidden", for it is dissolved in water before being added, and its quantity is hidden in the vast amount of flour; yet despite its apparently being hidden, it is nonetheless effective and works to raise and expand the dough.
According to St John Chrysostom, in his Homilies on the Gospel of St Matthew, this leaven is the message of the Gospel that was preached throughout the world by the 12 Apostles. This message was hidden in the sense that a) it was possessed and entrusted to a mere 12 men to preach to the entire world, and b) the enemeis and persecuters of the Church attempted to suppress it such that it would not be known or preached in the world. However, as with the leaven, despite its being hidden amongst the world in the aforementioned sense, the Church expanded very rapidly, and message of the Gospel was exalted; it prevailed victoriously and was raised over her enemies.
This is indeed a historical fact. Christianity grew quite rapidly and extensively in the early few centuries, even though all the odds were against this. Finally within just a few hundred years, it even became the state religion of the empire - when St Constantine came into rule.