The Object Lesson
The first command God gave regarding leaven is found during the exodus of Israel out of Egypt. God instructed his people to eat bread without leaven in the Passover feast as a memorial of the first Passover, which was eaten quickly in preparation for them leaving Egypt.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
Exodus 12:15
This would be a constant reminder to God’s people of how he saved them from their enslavement, but also about how they were required to leave quickly without the normal behaviors of everyday life.
You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 16:3
Just as the Passover lamb would serve as a lesson to prepare the people of Israel for understanding Christ’s sacrifice to save them from God’s judgement, the unleavened bread would come to represent the power of influences to spread throughout our whole lives.
Bad Influence
Sin has abounded since the fall. With it has come no end to vain philosophies that can be a harmful influence for those who believe them. The symbolism of leaven is given to explain the danger of influence in multiple cases.
And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
Mark 8:15
This is one of several cases where Jesus would warn his disciples against the influence of the Pharisees and Herod with this image. In Luke 12:1 we find another instance, this time with an explanation that their leaven is hypocrisy.
In the early Corinthian church, a man was committed to sexual immorality with his step-mother. Instead of the church rebuking him, they celebrated with him! Therefore, they received an epistle warning them about the effect such a thing would have upon the church.
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Paul uses this imagery to explain how the old ways of life can creep back into the lives of believers if we are not careful to remove it. This is not to say that the first time a person commits a sin, they should be cast out of fellowship. Instead, it is to say the church should in no way entertain sin as if it were acceptable. Such acceptance of flagrantly unrepentant sin can’t help but seep into the church and spread all sorts of malice and evil!
Good Influence
However, not all leaven analogies are bad!
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Matthew 13:33
Jesus told this parable along with the parable of the mustard seed. He was explaining to his disciples how the Kingdom of God would have a huge, positive impact upon the world. This influence is not only expected but he made it clear that it was encouraged in other parables. The parable about not keeping a lamp under a basket, how we would be a city on a hill, and how we were to be the salt of the world all speak of the impact the “leaven” of the Kingdom will have even into the unbelieving world.
What Are You Spreading?
Seeing how ideas can spread and affect far beyond the initial thought, what type of leaven are you mixing in? Even seemingly small things quickly spread and affect the whole lump! Therefore, it is important to be responsible even in the seemingly “small” things in life.
A little sin here and there can become major temptations that create serious, lifelong struggles. A bit of entertaining of the world and a believer can find themselves tossed, unable to tell which way is up.
On the other hand, a bit more time studying scripture, some extra hours in prayer, and some godly fellowship can be the little seed that grows into a life that will be a positive influence even on those who may despise you for following Christ.
Don’t neglect the little things! A small start can turn into something much bigger.
