THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN HIDDEN IN THE MEAL
“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.” (Matt 13:33)
The fourth parable, that of a woman who hid leaven in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened, shows the result of this rank, worldly prosperity of the Church. It becomes completely corrupted in life and doctrine.
The interpretation of this fourth parable depends, of course, on the meaning to be given to leaven. We are aware that it is quite generally taught throughout Christendom (orthodoxy) that leaven signifies the gradual penetration and influence of the Gospel message, which shall eventuate in the complete transformation of the whole world of mankind.
“However, a detailed study of this parable does not support such an idea. Leaven is never used in the scriptures to represent good things, or things to be desired, but in every biblical example it represents something undesirable, imperfect, evil, or marred by sin.” ‘
If we were to adopt this suggestion, it would give a meaning to the word "leaven" directly opposite to the meaning invariably assigned to it elsewhere in the Scriptures.
Comparing scripture with scripture, which is the only proper method of interpreting difficult texts, it seems clear that this parable of the leaven, symbolizes the apostate church, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication's (Rev. 19:2), and does not symbolize true Christianity transforming the whole earth by the Gospel.
And if this is so, if the fourth parable signifies the corruption of the whole nominal church by the leaven of Paganized Christianity, then history has provided a perfect confirmation of the prophetic forecast of our Lord; for as with the fourth message to the Church in Revelation, that to Thyatira, so here, in the fourth parable, the rise of Romanism and of the Anti-Christ comes plainly into view.
As in the one, a woman is seen, hiding leaven in the meal, so in the other, is pictured that woman Jezebel teaching and seducing Christ's followers to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols or, in plain English, the Papacy, disseminating: false doctrine in the Church, adulterated its worship with pagan: rites and ceremonies.
Another look at this parable as explained in R2635
“Here again we have a word-picture of the Lord's Church during this Gospel age of her development and preparation for the Kingdom glory to follow.
In this parable we have brought to our attention the Lord's provision for the necessities of his people during this Gospel age--he did not leave them without a proper supply of food. The three measures of meal, equivalent to one ephah, constituted a good, liberal household supply. Like all of the Lord's provisions, it was good and pure, but as in the other parables the Adversary introduced impurity, falsity, etc., so in this one leaven is introduced into the meal.
Leaven represents corruption throughout the Scriptures: in every other instance of its Scriptural use, it is represented as an evil, an impurity, something that is defiling. For instance, the Israelite's were to put away all leaven, all impurity, at the time of the Passover, that they might come the nearer to the Lord in holiness, etc. Again, our Lord Jesus refers to leaven as a corruption, bidding his disciples "Beware of the leaven of the scribes and Pharisees"--beware of the false doctrines, the corrupt influence, proceeding from the scribes and Pharisees. Again, the Apostle Paul represents the leaven as an evil thing, saying, "Purge out the old leaven."--Exod. 13:7; Luke 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:7.
It would not seem reasonable that our Lord should in this parable use the word leaven here as many Christians generally suppose, in a good sense, as implying some grace of the holy spirit. On the contrary, we recognize consistency in all of his teachings, and we may be as sure that he would never have use leaven as a symbol of righteousness no more than he would have use leprosy as a symbol of holiness.
How then shall we apply this parable?
We answer, that the grace of God given to his people in the beginning of this age, (1) the faith once delivered to the saints, (2) the hope set before us in the Gospel, (3) love, the bond of perfectness, summed up the three measures of the Lord's provision for his people, --in partaking of which they were to become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
But gradually a woman arose, a false woman, represented in Revelation as a harlot, and as "that woman Jezebel." This Roman Catholic system obtained great power over the three measures of meal provided for God's household, and proceeded to mix therewith the leaven of her own impurity. The result was that all the family food, all the holy doctrines were contaminated with her false doctrines--nothing was left pure and clean, as handed to us originally by the apostles.
The faith once delivered to the saints was distorted out of all semblance to its original simplicity; the hope set before us in the Gospel was changed to another hope entirely, unlike the original; the spirit of the Lord, Love, was perverted to a selfish love of creeds of men and human institutions. Alas! no wonder all Christendom is spiritually sick, because of this adulteration in its food supply.
From this standpoint we readily see the force and meaning of the Master's declaration, that at his return he would gird himself, and come forth and serve his people (the pure food for which they have been deprived), and that he would send this food forth at the hands of his servant’s things both new and old from the storehouse of his grace, "meat in due season." (Rev 3:20; Matt 24:45)
In our next post we take one more look at this parable.
