The Leaven

“...The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened...”

— Matthew 13:33 —

As with the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the leaven tells much the same story: the kingdom of heaven, though its beginning appears small, will ultimately fill the earth, as a tiny bit of leaven ultimately fills the whole loaf of bread.

It is often the lament of God’s people that all the world is consumed with sin, deceived by Satan, and disobedient to God’s Word. We often cry out to God and ask in complaint to one another, “When will it all end? Why is it so? Why does God allow such evil in the world?”

I reckon these are pretty good questions.

But having said that, we, as God’s people, must also realize, recognize, and understand that God is continually at work and His kingdom is moving forward without fail. His plans are being accomplished even as I compose this bulletin. And here is the kicker: Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is going to stop God from accomplishing His sovereign decree. The Scriptures tell us in no uncertain terms that God’s kingdom is securely intact, and regardless of how things may appear on any given day, “...unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom” (Heb. 1:6).

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

— Ps. 2:1-4 —