“The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Matt. 13:33
Lord Jesus, personally, I’m glad you didn’t say, “Heaven’s Kingdom is like gluten-free bread.” But whether we are pre, mid, post, or a-gluten, this parable is SO encouraging … and timely. A little yeast (sourdough-starter) is mixed into enough wheat to yield 40-60 pounds of dough. That translates into 60 loaves of bread. This story is awesome on many levels. It’s a parable of trust and hope. This woman’s confidence was in the permeating, transforming power of “the starter.”
Jesus, as Bread from Heaven and the Bread of Life (John 6:22-29), your grace is the starter, middler, finisher of God’s grand story of redemption, restoration, and new creation. And unlike those little yellow packets of yeast we keep in our refrigerators, there’s no expiration date on the “grace-yeast” of your kingdom. We don’t always see it, but you are presently making all things new and beautiful.
On a cosmic level—we wait on tip-toes with joy for the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven to come to our broken world—the Day when you return to usher in the new heaven and new earth. But on a personal level, would you please “knead “some grace-yeast into our most needy relational stories? Our summer vacations don’t always turn out very “vacationy.”
Our marriages, parenting, grand-parenting, and “friending” need the permeating, transforming presence of your grace, Jesus. We can’t make anyone—(including ourselves) happy, holy, whole, different, or delightful. But we can surrender afresh to your work of grace in our own heart. Jesus, as our “Potter,” “Baker,” and Savior, we yield to your heart, hands, and grace. So Very Amen.