The Parable of the Leaven
John D. Rockefeller, Sr., was strong and husky when he was a youth. He early determined to earn money and drove himself to the limit. At age 33, he earned his first million dollars. At age 43, he controlled the biggest company in the world. At age 53, he was the richest man on earth and the world’s only billionaire.
Then he developed a sickness called "alopecia," where the hair of his head dropped off, his eyelashes and eyebrows disappeared, and he was shrunken like a mummy. His weekly income was one million dollars, but he digested only milk and crackers. He was so hated in Pennsylvania that he had to have bodyguards’ day and night. He could not sleep, stopped smiling long since, and enjoyed nothing in life.
The doctors predicted he would not live past another year. The newspaper had gleefully written his obituary in advance—for convenience in sudden use. Those sleepless nights set him thinking. He realized with a new light that he "could not take one dime into the next world." Money was not everything. God was displeased with his sinful life. Then and there he surrendered His life to Christ, repenting of his sins, pleading for God to change his heart.
The next morning, he awoke a new man. He began to help churches with his amassed wealth; the poor and needy were not overlooked. He established the Rockefeller Foundation whose funding of medical researchers led to the discovery of penicillin and other wonder drugs. John D. began to sleep well, eat, and enjoy life. You could say he began to live life to the fullest!
The doctors had predicted he would not live over age 54. He lived to be 98 years old. [1]
When Jesus spoke to the crowd, he had this in mind when he said. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Matt. 13:33 NKJV
When Jesus spoke about the leaven it reminded the Jews of sin. At the time of the Passover the people were instructed to remove all the leaven from their houses as they were to put away all sin from their hearts. But in Jesus’ parable, He uses leaven in a different way. Here he uses it to illustrate the quickening, permeating power of God’s grace in our lives.
No one is so vile, or have fallen so low, as to be beyond the working of the Holy Spirit. God will implant a new attitude of spiritual life in everyone who will simply surrender to the Holy Spirit.
So how does this work? As the leaven is worked into the flour, it works from within to outward. So, it is with God’s grace, it works within the life, transforming it from the inside out. A mere surface change is not enough to bring us into complete harmony with God. Having mere knowledge of truth is not enough. The heart must be converted and sanctified. Many people try to reform their lives by correcting their bad habits. They think they can change their lives this way, but they are starting in the wrong place. The real place to start is in the heart.
In the book Christ Object lessons we read, “The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass under its leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, to transform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up—the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines. Man is not endowed with new faculties, but the faculties he has are sanctified. The conscience is awakened. We are endowed with traits of character that enable us to do service for God.” [2]
The question is asked? “How can a young person stay pure?” (Ps. 119:9) What is the answer? Obey God’s word. You see the Scriptures are the wonderful avenue that brings about transformation of the character. Paul tells us that, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV. Even Christ prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17 NKJV. If the Scriptures are studied and obeyed, the word of God will work in the heart and will subdue every sinful trait.
What will happen to us as we study and obey God’s word? David tells us, “As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!” Ps. 119:7 NLT
Isn’t that incredible, as we learn how to live according to God’s will, we will thank Him, and live surrendered to Him. There is no better place to be than to be living in God’s will. This is what John Rockefeller realized and so can you.
So, what is our lesson? Like leaven, the grace of God will work in us to permeate every aspect of our lives and transform us as we study and obey His word.
[1] (Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations. From a sermon by Scott Walker, The Good and Beautiful God: God Is Holy, 9/12/2011)
[2] Ellen Gould White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 98–99.