YEAST – SIN AND EVIL? OR, THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN

 

YEAST

THE LEAVEN of SIN and EVIL, or THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN?

The Bible mentions leaven, or yeast, in several contexts. In some contexts, the reference to leaven is obviously literal; in other contexts, leaven takes on symbolic connotations.

I.   In the Mosaic Law, leaven represents sin or corruption

II.  Jesus, in the New Testament, compared the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodians to leaven. The Pharisees had come to Jesus to test Him (verse 1), but Jesus perceived their true intent and the state of their hearts. He later warned His disciples against being taken in by their teachings (verse 12), which He compared to leaven. A small portion of the “leaven” of falsehood can permeate a person’s heart and mind. In Luke 12:1 Jesus specifies that the leaven of the Pharisees is “hypocrisy.” Having a show of piety, without true holiness, is like leaven in that it gradually increases and spreads corruption, puffing up a person with vanity. Lies and hypocrisy can poison one’s whole character.

In one of Jesus’ parables of the kingdom of heaven, He uses leaven in a different sense: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33). In this case, leaven is not used as a symbol of evil; rather, leaven is a symbol of the kingdom, which will gradually and secretly permeate society. Just as a woman uses the smallest bit of leaven in the dough, so the gospel starts with small beginnings. Just as the leaven quietly works its way through the whole batch, the gospel will have a profound impact on all sectors of society.

III. So, the bottom line is that yeast or leaven in the Bible, can be literal yeast for making bread or other edible products, or it can be symbolic of an idea, an ideology or a teaching that rises up from small beginnings and spread, affecting or infecting everything near it, whether for good or for evil.

1. The metaphor of yeast can also be seen as representative of the intentions of churches, church leaders, pastors, preachers, Bible teachers and theologians. Some infer, imply or teach that since we live in the ‘here-and-now’ that our focus should be, primarily, on the here-and-now. We should be the ‘best version of who we can be, now’ as they see it in scriptures. Not a bad idea, but that’s just half the ‘story’.

2. Others emphasize continuing the work of Jesus, spreading His teaching, modeling His behavior during our short time on earth, but emphasize the future, an eternity with God in heaven.

3. Then there are those who emphasize and promote a social gospel or an egocentric view of the Bible. They usually believe and teach that religion and most of the Bible is allegorical. It represents truth as seen through the eyes and mind of religious humanists or religious secularists. They postulate that good and evil, right and wrong, are inventions of the imagination of people and is based on their situation at the time. They do not see the Bible as literal nor do they consider it without error; they see truth as it is measured by conditional or situational ethics. So, truth or error is ever-changing and shifting with time. And, they see the Bible containing truth as they define it, but archaic and in need of modernization. Therefore, they consider it their responsibility to correct perceived errors in the Bible and go about correcting them and clarifying them and teaching them. These people may or may not believe in a literal God, in heaven, nor in an afterlife. They live for the moment – some adhere to some kind of religious system, some may be religious pagans, most can be hedonistic. (The Bible often calls these people as false teachers, false prophets, and wolves among the flock, and says to avoid them).

So, where is the truth and the balance? Well, the Bible says very clearly that the Truth is a person and His Name is Jesus. And balance? If you know Jesus, you know that you only find balance in its extreme form. It is Jesus, or nothing. That is His definition of balance.

Everything God has created, He created in a perfect balance. It is humankind’s rebellion toward God that has thrown his world out of balance. This could be why the disciples of Jesus were said to have turned the world upside down – they righted it. Only to have to it leavened by the evil one and thrown it out of balance, at least for now.

The Bible says that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast. And speaking of the kingdom of heaven, it is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe. Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven has come near” announcing His arrival on earth. And furthermore, it is only the “poor in spirit” and only those who do the will of The Father can inherit or enter this kingdom. And finally, the Message of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ is the entryway, for He says, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Therefore, when we, as Christians, mix this yeast of the Gospel Message, through how we live and by our testimonies, into ‘the flour’ or the ingredients of this world’ it will work all through ‘the dough” (of this world) and will gradually and secretly permeate society. Just as a woman uses the smallest bit of leaven in the dough, so the gospel starts with small beginnings. Just as the leaven quietly works its way through the whole batch, the gospel will have a profound impact on all sectors of society.

And, it is not enough to just mix yeast of the kingdom of heaven into our world. We must first ingest and digest this yeast, this Message of the Gospel. It is then that we are transformed into the likeness and image of Christ, which will affect lasting change. It is then that we are considered able to effectively mix this yeast of the kingdom into the flour.

IV.  Now finally, and please consider this carefully: Yes, we must live in-the-moment, in the here-and-now, but with your eyes heavenward, and by girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, and hoping to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; preparing for a future with the Lord.

1. And yes, we must be ‘our best selves now’, but only if that self is dead, and we have been made alive in Christ. By this, people won’t see that old cadaver of self, but Christ Who dwells in us! We are made new in Him. Knowing that those of us who are being sanctified have been made perfect by that One Sacrifice! (Hebrews 10:14).

2. So, if you are a welder, work to be the BEST of all the welders. Not in just fitting joints, but in all things. If you are an accountant, work to be the BEST of all accountants. A homemaker, a salesperson, a teacher, a nurse, a doctor, a truck driver, a cook, an athlete or whatever you do. Work to be the best at who you are and at whatever you do as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

So, in this is perfect balance. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Colossians1:28-29.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young