Luke 13:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."

NIV: It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."

NASB: It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.'

CSB: It’s like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened."

NLT: It 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.'

KJV: It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

NKJV: It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Jesus is telling two short parables about the inevitability of the coming kingdom of God. First, He compared it to a mustard seed: the smallest seed sown in a Jewish garden. The seed is planted and a tough tree slowly grows, providing shade and a place to roost for birds. Birds nested in trees often refer to people of many nations finding rest under the protection of a powerful kingdom and/or leader (Ezekiel 31:6; Daniel 4:20–22). Jesus' presence inaugurated the kingdom of God, and it will inevitably grow and welcome people of all nations (Luke 13:29).

Next, Jesus compares the kingdom to leavening stirred into an enormous batch of flour. Leavening is anything that causes a chemical reaction that makes dough rise. This can include baking soda, baking powder, or yeast. Once it is added to the flour, the flour and leaven cannot be separated again. As the woman continues to stir, the leavening spreads throughout the flour until every bit is affected.

Although leaven is often a metaphor for something negative (Luke 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:7–9), here it is positive. The kingdom of God will permeate the entire world. Just as a little leaven works its way through the entire batch, once the kingdom of God is introduced its eventual completion is inevitable. The very nature of the world has been changed with Jesus' arrival and will continue to be through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Some Bible scholars translate the "three" measures as a metaphor to represent the fullness of the human experience: body/soul/spirit, earth/church/state, Jews/Samaritans/Greeks. There's no indication this is what Jesus means. He's simply referring to a huge quantity of flour to represent the large world.

Luke 13:18–21 records two short similes that describe the kingdom of God. The first compares the kingdom to a mustard seed that grows into a tree that the birds can rest in. The second compares the kingdom to leaven that is worked through an entire batch of dough. In both cases, growth is slow at first. But once growth starts, it's unstoppable. Similar stories appear in Matthew 13:31–33 and Mark 4:30–32. Next, Luke records Jesus explaining that the door to the kingdom is narrow and lamenting that so many Jews will reject that path (Luke 13:22–35).

Jesus uses real-world examples to show that tragedy and death can come to anyone, even the righteous. No one should delay in reconciling to God; time is running out. Jesus heals a woman in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, triggering an angry response. Jesus scolds the synagogue leader, then preaches about the inevitable spread of the gospel around the entire world. However, He also notes that most people will reject this message, including the people of Israel.

Luke 9:51—19:27 is sometimes called "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem." The segment describes how Jesus prepared the disciples for their future as He approached His own death and resurrection. Interspersed are a few altercations with religious leaders. There are calls for the crowd to repent of their sins and reconcile with God before it's too late. In Luke 13, two stories in particular reveal Jesus' heart. In one, He heals a long-suffering woman on the Sabbath; healing is a type of rest. In the last, He mourns the fact that, for now, the Jews as a nation will reject their Messiah.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.