The Upper Room Daily Devotion – Sunday, 26 January 2014 - “Like Yeast” Read Matthew 13

The Upper Room Daily Devotion – Sunday, 26 January 2014 - “Like Yeast” Read Matthew 13: The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets[a] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13 The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

‘You will indeed listen, but never understand,

    and you will indeed look, but never perceive.

15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,

    and their ears are hard of hearing,

        and they have shut their eyes;                

        so that they might not look with their eyes,

    and listen with their ears,

and understand with their heart and turn—

    and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

Footnotes:

a. Matthew 13:11 Or mysteries

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with[a] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The Use of Parables

34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:[b]

“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;

    I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”[c]

Footnotes:

a. Matthew 13:33 Gk hid in

b. Matthew 13:35 Other ancient authorities read the prophet Isaiah

c. Matthew 13:35 Other ancient authorities lack of the world

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.”--Matthew 13:33 (CEB)

A young man I know well gave his life to Christ and became a diligent reader of the Bible. Like many Christians, he had difficulties with some of the parables Jesus told. The parable about the yeast in the dough was hard for him to accept. In his opinion the word yeast sounded negative because yeast cannot be eaten. “I don’t understand this,” he said, “because the Bible also says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Ps. 34:8, NIV) — and yeast is not good!” I was able to help him with this by explaining that yeast is necessary to make bread airy and good to eat. Also, I told him about World War II when Norway was occupied, and it was impossible to buy yeast in the grocery stores. I told him that my mother used to make her own yeast to bake into the dough by taking grained rye and mixing it with lukewarm water and a little sugar. After several days this started fermenting and became like a type of yeast. Then she took a lump of this homemade yeast and put it into the dough. The result was tasty loaves that remained soft for a long time. Jesus meant that we should be like that, like yeast among our neighbors so that we can spread our faith in Christ.--The Author-Laila Geitz (Akershus, Norway)

Thought for the Day: To be a witness for Christ requires perseverance.

Prayer: O Lord, help us every day to seek you for strength and love so that we can lead other people to you. Amen.

Prayer focus: New Christians

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