Matthew 13:33 The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Leaven, or yeast is likened to sin in this parable. The natural properties of yeast are well known but we only refer to its ability to spread itself throughout the loaf. What I have come to realize this week is that this property of yeast is only one aspect of its nature. If we look to all those properties, perhaps we can discover more about the nature of sin.

I will endeavor to look at only one aspect at a time and try and find correlations to sin using the scriptures. Today I would like to look at what yeast is and its base nature. It is a single cell, harmless but like any living organism seeks to live which means it needs to feed and multiply. Yeast is found in the most common form upon the human body. You are not aware of it and ignore it until it finds a breeding ground.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Here is our first comparative scripture. Denying we have yeast on our body does not remove the potential for infection. Denying we have sin does not remove the potential for sin to spread. Yeast is airborne, will spread by contact, and does not die to cold or heat. Sin isn’t all that much different if you think about it. Cleanliness is your best weapon against infection.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That is preventative, like taking a shower every day to remove dead skin cells that yeast will feed on if left unchecked. Shower yourselves with the Word of God daily.

Leviticus 4:13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;

Perhaps one of the reasons many Christians do not read the Old Testament is because much of it is about the law and we are now under grace. Fine but does the nature of man and community change altogether just because we try and live under grace? Some of those OT lessons still apply from a standpoint of human tendencies.

Just because everyone agrees does not mean that we are right. I’ve seen whole conventions of religions choose to use their influence to isolate a segment of sinners and drive them further away from grace. Love the sinner but hate the sin wasn’t even mentioned. Condemnation of a sin and all who practice the sin does not touch the heart of a sinner and draw them out and away unto God.

The OT prophets often stood alone against overwhelming odds, but God prevailed. While the office of prophet no longer exists, if you see your fellow Christians agreeing and in your heart something isn’t quite right, speak up. You can say “I’m not convinced.” Open a dialogue.

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Living under grace does not mean you stop reasoning.