Stephen spoke this morning at Cherry Tree Court on the parable of the yeast (Matt 13:33). Jesus often told stories to people using everyday objects as an example, talking about things people could relate to. In Biblical times, bread was often made without yeast (especially when commemorating the Passover, since the Israelites had had to flee Egypt in a hurry without time to make bread with yeast). Yeast is not much to look at, but the chemical reaction which occurs when it is mixed with flour and baked makes something small rise into a loaf much bigger than its constituent parts!
God likens the kingdom of heaven to yeast. The yeast works through the dough and spreads its influence everywhere. In the same way, the life of Christ within us is meant to spread out. We are meant to be the ‘cooker’, so to speak, letting Christ’s light shine so that His kingdom spreads. In the parable, the yeast was worked into sixty pounds of flour – that’s one big loaf or doughball! God’s kingdom is great and we need to realise that our influence, however small it may seem, can have a powerful effect on our communities.
God is at work in us and through us and wants to develop us and grow His life in us so that we spread out into our communities and see His kingdom come on earth as well as in heaven.
