Today’s scripture: Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Matthew 13:33
What might God be saying to me in this passage?
My thoughts (Julie Benson):
I love bread! Any and all kinds of bread: wheat, rye, Italian, pumpernickel, sourdough… No Atkins, South Beach, low-carb, grapefruit diet for me, thank you very much!
And I love sharing good recipes with my friends. That is why today’s Be Still is devoted to a good recipe for Christ’s Yeast Bread.
Combine in a Mixing Bowl:
A very small lump of yeast with a huge quantity of flour — nearly 50 pounds — until all of it is leavened.
Baking Note:
Yeast in biblical times was often a piece of the leavened dough from an unbaked loaf that was put among the new dough to cause fermentation.
Substitute:
- Christ as the Yeast
- People as the Flour
Look After Dough so that Yeast Will:
- Permeate
- Transform
- Expand
Yield:
- The Lord permeates every part of the world with an active presence in His people. In turn, we should take that yeast — Christ — and influence the world.
- Good yeast will transform the dough and everything it touches. Likewise, Jesus does not want us to underestimate His transformational power. What is fermenting in us is then lived out in our own spheres of influence. We should be transforming everything we touch.
- The kingdom of heaven will expand gradually, but effectively, and the Gospel is the leavening influence of the world. We live to see the kingdom rise up and fill our world.
Thought for the day: Am I being transformed by the presence of Christ? Am I being an agent of Christ’s transformation in whatever “dough” I’m in?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.