“Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.” - Matthew 13:33
“The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like Leaven.” - Jesus
Wait!! Isn’t Leaven Evil?
That’s the flinch.
That moment your brain hits the brakes.
Because leaven has a reputation.
It sneaks in.
It spreads.
It changes things quietly.
And most of the time in Scripture, it’s a warning label.
So why would Jesus reach for that metaphor?
Because leaven isn’t evil.
It’s effective.
Leaven doesn’t announce itself.
It doesn’t ask permission.
It doesn’t build a platform or start a movement.
It just works.
A little disappears into the dough,
and then—inevitably—
the whole loaf is different.
That’s why leaven is dangerous when sin is involved.
Not because it’s loud,
but because it’s subtle.
And that’s exactly why Jesus uses it for the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Heaven doesn’t crash the gates.
It doesn’t dominate the skyline.
It doesn’t shout for attention.
It infiltrates.
It embeds.
It changes the system from the inside.
Leaven doesn’t replace the dough.
It transforms it.
Same mechanism.
Different master.
Which raises an uncomfortable question for the Church:
If the Kingdom really works like leaven,
why are we so obsessed with being seen instead of being felt?
Why do we keep building mountains
when Jesus described yeast?
The Kingdom doesn’t win by isolation.
It wins by influence.
Quietly.
Relentlessly.
Until everything rises.
Sometimes the Kingdom of God is big, bold, and unmistakably visible—
Jesus shows us this.
But other times, the Kingdom is nearly invisible.
Subtle.
Hidden.
And just as powerful.
Just as effective.