Matthew 13:33–A Little Leaven

Norma Jean and I are currently in Welland, Ontario, Canada, where I have been preaching and teaching. Today’s passage reminds me of a true story I learned last year on our trip.

A number of years ago a man named John was preaching in the little town of Timmins in Northern Ontario. He met a man, Richard, who was a laborer who expressed interest in the gospel. After a series of studies he was converted.

Later Richard’s daughter, Shelly, who became a Christian, started dating a young man named William. His religious beliefs were totally different than hers. But with time, patience, and study William obeyed the gospel. William and Shelly eventually married.

While William pursued his profession, he began doing some part-time preaching. Long story, short, he decided one day to devote his life to preaching the gospel full time. About 3-4 years ago, William and Shelly’s daughter, Lynda, chanced to meet a girl while ice skating. William and the girl’s father, Blake, began talking and the conversation turned to religion. A study was set up. Soon Blake and his wife, Sara, obeyed the gospel.  Through the influence of this newly converted couple several friends and family members have obeyed the gospel.

Let the record show the preacher from Timmins was John Hains, who has since gone out to his reward. William and Shelly are the Lord’s ministers at the Limestone Church in Kingston, Ontario. Last year I was privileged to be with them and meet Richard, Blake, Sara, and some of the recent converts in that congregation.

In Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13, He offers this simple, succinct, yet profound observation. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.”

Norma Jean used to bake sour-dough bread. Occasionally, she makes what we affectionately call “Mattie rolls.” The yeast (leaven) comes in small packages. It doesn’t take much. She works it into the flour. It takes a while for the rolls to rise. You don’t sit there and watch. That would be as exciting as watching paint dry. But later on they’re ready to bake. And the result is wonderful and delicious.

The Kingdom is like that. An unknown convert in an obscure, nondescript little town. Then a daughter. A teen age boy. A married couple. An entire family. A person here. A person there. And soon you have congregation of Christians meeting. Leaven. Slowly working. Making a difference.

The church here at Wellandport where I’ve been preaching was originally composed of first-generation Christians. With the exception of Mike and Sherry Stephens none of the members had a background in the church. Today there are second and third generation Christians in that congregation. Since we’ve been coming in the past 7 years, we’ve seen more new converts. Yes, the leaven is still working.

Several years ago I preached a meeting for a congregation that originally began when 3 couples went into that town to plant a church. Some 10 years later when I was there the attendance was 140 that Sunday morning. Leaven. Little by little giving rise to new Kingdom citizens.

Just like the leaven transforms the nature of the bread, Jesus is saying that there is transforming power when the Kingdom is preached. When people commit to be its citizens. Hearts are touched. Lives are changed. Priorities are rearranged. Focus is shifted. Purpose takes on a new meaning. Families are transformed. Mere carnal, earthly goals now give birth to greater, spiritual and heavenly goals.

The leavening power of the Kingdom turned the Roman world upside down. It gave rise to the worth of women, the dignity of the slave, and concern for the weak, weary, downtrodden and disenfranchised of society. It broke down social, political, racial, and economic barriers. Jew, Gentile, bond, free, male, and female were now one–united in Christ.

William Barclay offers this insight on the leavening influence of Christ, the gospel and the Kingdom. “Anyone who asks the question: “What has Christianity done for the world?” has delivered himself into a Christian debater’s hands. There is nothing in history so unanswerably demonstrable as the transforming power of Christianity and of Christ on the individual life and on the life of society.”

Don’t discount what a little leaven can do in your life. Your family. Your community. And your congregation.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman