In just two short verses, Jesus offers a powerful image of the Kin-dom of God:
“Again he asked, ‘What shall I compare the kin-dom 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.’”
Yeast is a leavening agent. Sometimes the story is called the Parable of the Leven. Whether yeast or leven it is small and almost invisible once stirred in, yet it transforms the entire batch. This simple, domestic scene carries profound spiritual truth. God’s reign often begins quietly, in ways that seem insignificant. Like yeast hidden in flour, the Spirit works in unseen places—within hearts, relationships, and communities—bringing change from the inside out.
All of Jesus’ parables lift up the ordinary as a vehicle for transformation. This is an important lesson for our own spiritual lives. The kin-dom advances not only through public preaching and dramatic miracles but also through faithful, everyday acts of love, prayer, forgiveness, and service. What seems hidden or humble may, in God’s time, rise into something abundant and life giving for all.
This week we have been in Vermont, a serene and beautiful place of wide open spaces, mountains, and rivers. Since 1994, we have had the privilege of visiting nearly every year, staying in the summer residence of a beloved former seminary professor. I do a little hiking—nothing strenuous, since I suffer from acrophobia—so I mostly walk the quiet country stone roads. Years ago, while walking those roads, I discovered wild apple trees. I stopped and picked a few, enjoying the fresh snack. It reminded me of Johnny Appleseed—John Chapman from Massachusetts, born in 1774 or 1775—who traveled similar paths in the Midwest. If you’re a history buff, you might enjoy Vermont Public Radio’s article The Strangely True Tale of Johnny Appleseed?
Appleseed began his work in Ohio, first mentioned there in 1801. His influence stretched from Pennsylvania to Illinois. Like the parable in Luke, his work began with something small and seemingly insignificant, yet it took root and produced something great, with far reaching blessings for all.
The sixty pounds of flour in Jesus’ parable—enough to feed many—suggest the kin-dom’s vast, generous scope for each of us. What begins as a quiet work in one heart can grow to bless countless others. This is God’s way: the small becomes great, the hidden is revealed, and the ordinary becomes holy.
Pastor Todd