“He told them another parable: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’” (Matthew 13:33)
I can remember my mother and grandmother making bread. Consequently, this little parable touches my experience! I can remember the warmth of the kitchen, the kneading of the dough, and the smell. Does anything smell better than bread dough rising and baking?
Jesus, of course, was not about nostalgia. He was teaching about the Kingdom and how the Kingdom works. And, it does not work the way 21st century, hurrying Christians want it to work.
We want to live in the world of the “instant.” There is almost nothing left in life that is not touched by our demand for instant gratification. Computers, once hailed as being a great producer of leisure time, in reality have increased the speed of our lives. We expect instant communication, instant response. Entire meals can be cooked in just minutes in microwaves ovens. Our eyes can be tested and lenses made in just one hour.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a product of the times and culture – certainly not ready to give up microwaves or abandon my friends on Face Book. Many of the conveniences of our modern technology are welcome.
But, don’t let the “instantaneous” nature of the current age fool you. There are things that cannot be produced without spending the time. No matter how talented a musician, the time spent in practice cannot be denied without the quality of the performance going wanting. Some things require the investment of time.
In this light, Jesus’ little parable is instructive:
There are a multitude of books on techniques for the spiritual life. The spiritual life, however, may be less about technique and more about time.
Soren Kierkegaard spoke of the “immediate man.” When the “immediate man” prays, he says, he chooses his words to make God aware of his needs and to assure his success. The real person of prayer, Kierkegaard says, just waits and listens.
The Kingdom is like trusting the dough to rise.
I can remember my mother and grandmother making bread. Consequently, this little parable touches my experience! I can remember the warmth of the kitchen, the kneading of the dough, and the smell. Does anything smell better than bread dough rising and baking?
Jesus, of course, was not about nostalgia. He was teaching about the Kingdom and how the Kingdom works. And, it does not work the way 21st century, hurrying Christians want it to work.
We want to live in the world of the “instant.” There is almost nothing left in life that is not touched by our demand for instant gratification. Computers, once hailed as being a great producer of leisure time, in reality have increased the speed of our lives. We expect instant communication, instant response. Entire meals can be cooked in just minutes in microwaves ovens. Our eyes can be tested and lenses made in just one hour.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a product of the times and culture – certainly not ready to give up microwaves or abandon my friends on Face Book. Many of the conveniences of our modern technology are welcome.
But, don’t let the “instantaneous” nature of the current age fool you. There are things that cannot be produced without spending the time. No matter how talented a musician, the time spent in practice cannot be denied without the quality of the performance going wanting. Some things require the investment of time.
In this light, Jesus’ little parable is instructive:
- It is the leavening that makes the difference in the loaf.
- It takes time for dough to rise.
- The leavening, like the Kingdom, works within, changing what is outward. Hidden in the dough, the yeast is the transforming agent
- The leavening works because of its nature. It requires certain conditions. But, yeast can be trusted to work when the conditions are met.
- You can’t make it work. How would one force yeast to be yeast?
- When conditions are right and the yeast works, it makes all the difference in the world.
There are a multitude of books on techniques for the spiritual life. The spiritual life, however, may be less about technique and more about time.
Soren Kierkegaard spoke of the “immediate man.” When the “immediate man” prays, he says, he chooses his words to make God aware of his needs and to assure his success. The real person of prayer, Kierkegaard says, just waits and listens.
The Kingdom is like trusting the dough to rise.
Comments