Luk 13:21 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord once again asks the question to what He will compare the kingdom of God. He wants to add another parable to the previous one and thus highlight the kingdom of God from a different perspective. By asking the question again, He holds the attention of the hearers and makes them think about it. In the previous parable, that of the mustard seed, He shows the external growth of the kingdom, as the people look at it and deal with it. By adding the parable of the leaven, the Lord emphasizes its inner aspect. Leaven in Scripture is invariably a picture of sin, of what is wrong. If the kingdom of God is compared to leaven, it means that the kingdom of God assumes from within a characteristic that is sinful. There are not only evil influences, as is suggested in the birds in the previous parable, but there is an ongoing and ever-increasing effect of evil which finally permeates the whole of professing Christianity with sin. In practice, we see this in the roman-catholic church, which as a religious system exercises its pernicious influence in professing Christianity and which, at the end, permeates the entire Christianity with it. Ecumenism will give it its full effect. So we see not only the rise of a small beginning and tremendous growing power on earth, but also a dogmatic system, spreading over a certain area (professing Christianity) and influencing people’s thoughts and feelings. “A woman” brings in the leaven. The woman is a picture of the corrupt church. The three pecks of flour speak of the Lord Jesus, reminiscent of the grain offering in Leviticus ( ). The destruction that the woman brings in has to do with the Person of Christ. His Person is affected. Demonic, disgusting teachings about Him have entered professing Christianity.

‏ Luke 13:21

Parable of the Leaven

The Lord once again asks the question to what He will compare the kingdom of God. He wants to add another parable to the previous one and thus highlight the kingdom of God from a different perspective. By asking the question again, He holds the attention of the hearers and makes them think about it.

In the previous parable, that of the mustard seed, He shows the external growth of the kingdom, as the people look at it and deal with it. By adding the parable of the leaven, the Lord emphasizes its inner aspect. Leaven in Scripture is invariably a picture of sin, of what is wrong. If the kingdom of God is compared to leaven, it means that the kingdom of God assumes from within a characteristic that is sinful. There are not only evil influences, as is suggested in the birds in the previous parable, but there is an ongoing and ever-increasing effect of evil which finally permeates the whole of professing Christianity with sin.

In practice, we see this in the roman-catholic church, which as a religious system exercises its pernicious influence in professing Christianity and which, at the end, permeates the entire Christianity with it. Ecumenism will give it its full effect. So we see not only the rise of a small beginning and tremendous growing power on earth, but also a dogmatic system, spreading over a certain area (professing Christianity) and influencing people’s thoughts and feelings.

“A woman” brings in the leaven. The woman is a picture of the corrupt church. The three pecks of flour speak of the Lord Jesus, reminiscent of the grain offering in Leviticus (Lev 2:1-16). The destruction that the woman brings in has to do with the Person of Christ. His Person is affected. Demonic, disgusting teachings about Him have entered professing Christianity.