One of my favorite things to eat (and there are so many!) is a nice piece of baked bread. And, of course, one of the key ingredients in good bread is the yeast. The yeast works to make the dough rise up and become fluffy. It gives the bread a softer texture and adds flavor. A small bit of yeast can really make things better.
Jesus continued in his teachings with another parable – a simple example of something familiar. To what does he compare the kingdom of heaven? What does the woman do with the yeast?
I find it interesting that this simple parable appears almost incomplete. Living a life obedient to God and a life which shares God’s love with others is like yeast. A woman takes yeast and mixes it in with flour until it is thoroughly blended. The end.
What about it? What happened to the dough? Jesus doesn’t give any more detail than that. But we can imagine what will happen to the dough. Since the dough has had yeast added to it, the dough will be much improved.
And the kingdom of heaven isn’t compared to a nice loaf of bread. It is compared to the yeast, something which will affect the outcome. The kingdom of heaven – that is, our ability to live as Godly and holy people – is not an end result, but an influence of change for the better. Just as yeast improve bread, our ability to live as children of God and people who imitate Christ can improve life.
So too are the teachings of Christ. The lessons Jesus present can serve as an additive to us so that our lives are much improved. We need to let the yeast of Christ’s teachings work its way all through our lives so that what we do and say, how we respond to life’s situations, and how we respond to God’s directing is aligned with the teachings of Jesus.
We can also serve as yeast to the situations in life. Bearing the wisdom and teachings of Jesus, we can be a positive influence with other people. We can share our learning with others who may be in a difficult situation.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you let the yeast of the kingdom of heaven mix thoroughly in your life?
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