This chapter, Chapter 13 of Luke begins with the theme of
repentance. And Luke picked up an incident in a synagogue that Jesus released a
woman who was bound in infirmity for 18 years which showed the seriousness of
unrepentance. Until her life was healed and liberated by the power of God to freedom
and usefulness she was bound in infirmity and uselessness. Then Luke picked up two
parables of our Lord Jesus who taught about the kingdom of heaven—the parable
of a mustard seed and of yeast. These parables were used to be interpreted the
kingdom of God starts in invisibly smallness but later will grow in enormity unimaginably.
Yes, the kingdom of God is growing larger and larger in numbers and size. But that’s
not the intention of the parables. It’s far away from the truth. Rather, it
means that although the church of Christ is almost invisibly small and humble to
the eyes of the world its influence and power shall be unforgettably pungent and
strong, leaving a fragrance of death and life.
“Again he asked, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God
to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of
flour until it worked all through the dough.’” (Luke 13:20-21)
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in
Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge
of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those
who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma
that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to
such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
Again our Lord Jesus asked “What shall I compare the kingdom
of God to?” It is the same question before he spoke the parable of a mustard
seed. The kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about
sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough. There are three
symbols to explain the kingdom of God—yeast, woman, and sixty pounds of flour.
First, sixty pounds of flour was used to serve three
visitors for Abraham all of sudden (Genesis 18:6). Sixty pounds of flour is the
same as three measures of flour. It is a beautiful symbol of loving and open fellowship
with the Lord. The fine flour is used to offer a meal offering. It’s the symbol
of the redeemed humanity because it has no rough and uneven spots. It’s
perfectly balanced and even. After the fall of race, it has been prohibited for
the race to come to Holy God without the sacrifice of blood, a symbol of Christ’s
death. The fine flour is acceptable to God which says that only the redeemed humanity
can access to the throne of grace freely and confidently. Anyone who has been
made righteous by the blood of Christ is given a full access to the holy
presence of God for the Lord Jesus Christ defends before the Father of
Holiness.
“So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he
said, ‘get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.’”
(Genesis 18:6)
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we# boast in the
hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be
blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called
you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
Yeast is the symbol of false teachings and doctrines and
hypocrisy. Apostle Paul rebuked the saints in the church of Corinth for they
allowed a person who was sexually immoral, having slept with his step mother. It’s
the symbol of the old self in Adam which is subjected to death. It’s
dangerously contagious that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. That’s
why Apostle Paul seriously charged the person who involved in adultery and
commanded the church to hand him over to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).
“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little
yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you
may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb,
has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread
leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)
Jesus warns of the yeast of the Pharisees and religious
leaders. It means their hypocrisy. They pretended to be religious and pious
outwardly but were corrupt and rotten inwardly. They are not serving God but
themselves. They do not submit to the Lord God but just use of his name for
their sake. So, yeast is the symbol of bad influence and force in the midst of
the kingdom of heaven.
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of
the Pharisees and that of Herod.” (Mark 8:15)
Woman is used here as the symbol of false prophets who took
and mixed yeast with three measures of fine flour. In the Book of Revelation
our Lord Jesus spoke to the seven churches which are the representatives of all
churches on earth throughout generations. Jesus rebuked the church in Thyatira because
they allowed Jezebel to teach the false teachings which misled the saints into sexual
immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. This is what is going on
even in the evangelical churches in the 21st century, allowing the homosexual
ministers to teach in the pulpit that homosexual lifestyle is acceptable and
okay.
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that
woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my
servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I
have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I
will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery
with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her
children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts
and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” (Revelation
2:20-23)
That’s the kingdom of God like. The kingdom of heaven is not
a remote some spot in space but our inner mind and heart where our struggles and
pressures occur and cause frustration, bitterness, anger, sorrow, and all kinds
of wicked things. The kingdom of God is also an invisible realm where our God
is in control. No matter how the devil attempts hard to tempt the genuine
saints it is no avail as seen in the story of Job in the Old Testament. But as
our Lord tells the parables of a mustard seed and yeast we shall be alarmed and
warned that we may not be ignorantly or stubbornly unrepentant. That’s the
riches of God’s loving and longsuffering kindness which leads us to repentance.
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness,
forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead
you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
Listen to Apostle Peter what he said in the 1st century.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the
Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The
Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead
he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth
and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:8-10)
Prayer: Thank you Father for the revelations of the truth
and reality of the kingdom of God. May our hearts be repentant and humble and
be obedient to the truth faithfully. In Christ’s name. Amen.
October 15, 2015
© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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