Book of Luke - Chapter 13 - Verse 21

In this verse from the book of Luke, Jesus uses a parable involving leaven to illustrate a spiritual truth. Leaven was typically seen as a symbol of corruption or evil in Jewish culture, as it was often associated with decay or impurity. However, in this context, Jesus flips the meaning of leaven on its head. He compares the Kingdom of God to leaven that a woman hides in three measures of meal until the whole batch is leavened. This signifies that the influence of the Kingdom of God may start small but will eventually permeate and transform everything it comes into contact with. Just as leaven spreads throughout dough, the presence of God's Kingdom will gradually spread and impact every aspect of our lives. This parable teaches us about the transformative power of the Kingdom of God and how it can bring about change and renewal in our lives and the world around us.

When exploring the theological interpretation of the parable where Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven hidden in three measures of meal until it leavens the whole batch, it is essential to understand the symbolic significance of leaven in biblical context. Throughout the Bible, leaven is often used to represent something that spreads and affects a large area gradually. In this case, the woman hiding leaven in the meal symbolizes the gradual but transformative work of the kingdom of God. Just like how leaven permeates every part of the dough and causes it to rise, the influence of God's kingdom spreads and transforms every aspect of our lives. The mention of three measures of meal also holds significance, as three was considered a perfect and complete number in biblical numerology. Thus, this parable emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of God's kingdom, which has the power to fully change and permeate our lives when embraced.