Matthew 13:33 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Fermented Whole

Matthew 13:33 – Parable of the Fermented Whole

|| Luke 13:20, 21

MT13:33 Jesus related to them another parable: “The Realm of Heaven may be compared to[1] leaven,[2]

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[1] May be compared to: There is something about the development of Christ’s Church (the realm of profession) which is like leaven.

[2] Leaven: The Greek is ZUME. Or, TCNT: yeast. What do we know of “leaven” in the Christian Bible? The word occurs 8 times in the Gospels. Leaven is used of the three sects or groups and their doctrine or ideas: Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians (Matthew 16:6, 11, 12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1). Note it is “three measures” the woman mixes and perhaps these may be: conservative, liberal, and political. Paul uses leaven as a metaphor for wickedness and badness (1Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9). This agrees with Plutarch, the Greek historian, who wrote: “(Leaven) itself also the product of corruption, and produces corruption in the dough with which it is mixed.” (Moralia, IV, “The Roman Questions,” 109) In view of the above it does not seem twisting matters to view this parable as a prediction about the fermentation of the Christian Church. It began in the purity of the Nazarene’s teachings and example and within three centuries was bastardized and mongrelized until it was virtually unrecognizable from the original. Virtually every inspired Christian writer foretells an apostasy or falling away (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:3, 4; 2 Peter 2:1ff; 1 John 2:18, 19). Interestingly, nowhere in these parables does Jesus foretell some kind of restoration of “true religion.” There are, of course, a variety of opinions on this parable. Barclay prefers the theme of the transformation of the individual by Christ.

Pparable of the leaven – etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 13:30-34 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England

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Preceding

Matthew 13 – Parables on Kingdom mysteries

Matthew 13:1-9 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable: the Soil and the Seed

Matthew 13:10-15 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Why Speak in Parables?

Matthew 13:16-17 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Happy Eyes and Ears

Matthew 13:18-23 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Seed and Soil

Matthew 13:24-30 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Field and the Harvest

Matthew 13:31-32 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Mustard Seed

False teachers and false prophets still around

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Additional reading

1. What Jesus did: First things first
2. Leaven 
3. Act of Faith held on February 6, 1481 – Religious fanaticism and fundamentalism of all times
4. Marriage of Jesus 7 Impaled

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Related

1. The Jesus god of Christendom
2. Will God’s people be stumbled by the name of Jehoshua
3. The Prostitute and Christ
4. Parables of Hunger: The Parable of Leaven
5. Warning! Get Out of Her – My People!

Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith

Most of the time of the year people have an excuse that they have no time because they have to do this or that for work. Work often gets the first place and next comes the time to do the shopping for the household-duties and cooking. After a full day of work, cooking and eating there is ample good family time and most of it is used to relax. Not so much time is made free to read and study the Bible.

In the Summertime (Mungo Jerry song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

July and August are the moths lots of people do have some time for themselves. It is that free time which is also ideal to pick up your Bible and do some reading in it. The Summertime is ideal to take some time off and to think about more important matters than money and work to get the money in the till.

These Summer-months are also the good time to cultivate your personal devotional time. Throughout the year we spend enough time for making sure enough money shall come in to be able to live relaxed or in a good way. For some people the relaxing bit does not seem to come any more because work has taken them up so much that it burns them up. Today we see many people with a burn out, not happy any more, but so frustrated it seems to eat them up. They do not seem to find a source to renew their energy any more. Though they should know there is A Source available for all people to recharge and also to come out stronger. Lots of people do not want to know about that Source, but it is ‘set apart’ or ‘holy’ source. It is a Living Water provided by an unending Source of Life. It comes from the Divine Creator Who is the eternal Spirit God. He is the source of all spiritual development, Which cannot be neglected by man. Without that Source man cannot grow and can not become mature. Transformation begins with time in His Word and prayer. And now is an ideal time to take time for it.

Man’s goal is to become more independent and self-sufficient as we age. But in the spiritual realm, the opposite is true. Those who are mature in Christ and in his heavenly Father recognize their own inadequacy and rely on the Holy Spirit within them. They know Jesus could not do much without That Only One God. Jesus was very well aware that all he did was only possible because God allowed him to do so and because God wanted him to give the Power to do so. We too need power in our life. We, like Jesus, do need the Strong Hand of the heavenly Father to guide us and to pull us over our difficulties, the many gorges and ravines. In Him we should trust and feel secure.

Now the Sun-rays heats the earth around us, we can feel her warmth also as a source of energy. Forgetting all about work we can stroll in the God given nature and see all the beauties of it, where when at work we do not have much time for.

So let yourself go, take time of, and enjoy the beauties of nature. But do not forget Who is the Source of it and give also some spare time to Him. Now when off from work it is time to make time for God and to read His Words, the Bible. Now it is time to take on our other life job, giving ourself to God so that He can do His job to transform our character and empower us to accomplish everything He calls us to do.

Getting older doesn’t mean maturity in God’s eyes. By digging into Scripture and developing righteous habits, we can use our years to grow stronger in the Lord instead of wasting time with passivity. No one accidentally becomes mature. Spiritual growth requires a diligent pursuit of God.

Do not waste your time, give some precious time to your Creator and allow yourself being modelled by Him.

Photograph taken from Unwind & De Stress

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Additional reading

1. Allow yourself a chill-out day
2. Time to Unwind
3. Holiday making and dreaming
4. Give your worries to God
5. Witnesses of Christ and of his gospel
6. Shabbat Mevarchim opening to the Summer-holiday period
7. 2016 Summer holiday
8. Home-stayers and their to do list
9. Holiday time reading time
10. Summerholiday season time to read the Bible
11. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
12. Summer holiday time to knock and ask, and time to share
13. Counting sands and stars
14. Happy August!
15. An uncovering book to explore
16. Psst! Spread The Good Word!
17. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships
18. Christ entered our world to transform our lives

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Further reading

1. Humans choose to live in a world full of hate, war, and disharmony
2. Feel like you’ve been through the wringer?
3. Feeling Down…
4. Burn-out
5. Know the signs to combat workplace stres
6. Can You Choose Well-being over Burn-out
7. Setting Boundaries
8. Prayers for Burn Out
9. The Best Of The Season – haiku by Dennis Allen Lange
10. The Good Summer Vibes You Need Today
11. My summer of changes
12. Don’t Work
13. Priority
14. Everyone takes leaps of faith
15. A stargazer’s thought
16. Of everything celestial and a tiny speck; You. 
17. The Perfect Plan
18. Summertime
19. Summertime by Kelly F. Barr
20. July Family Vacation and More
21. July 2017’s 6 Grateful Things List
22. The Fleeting Days of Summer..
23. Early August
24. Happy August!
25. Life Lately: The Best Things About Summer
26. A Lot of “Lately”
27. Summer Memories Relived at Santa’s Village 
28. Hope and Faith
29. Lord’s True Love
30. Today, I Will Trust God To . . . .
31. Do What You Can do First? Wrong!
32. You Must be in the Dark to See the Light
33. You Can Overcome Your Fears and Challenges. Yes, You Can!
34. Knowing Your Purpose
35. God Doesn’t Ask Us To Try
36. You are Invited
37. God’s Pruning Instrument
38. His Word always produces fruit
39. Pour Out Your Hearts
40. “Live Redeemed”
41. Trust God!
42. Trust God (by the pup studio)
    Forever O Lord..

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Related articles

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• “May the Road Rise Up to Meet You” the story behind the traditional Irish blessing
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• A Particular Type of Heartsickness
• Holy Spirit Church
• Get ready for God’s restoration
• Lord Carey’s son attacks Church over lack of ‘sadness and sympathy’ for his father over abuse inquiry
• See Striking Portraits of Summer Nostalgia
• The Christian president of Hobby Lobby is building a $500 million ‘Museum of the Bible’ – here’s everything we know

Glory of God appearing in our character

The Face of Moses and Law on Tablets of stone

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Law on stone tablets, his face shone. (Exodus 34)  The apostle refers to that in his letter to the Corinthians.

“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,” (2 Corinthians 3:7 NIV)

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20) and we had condemnation but Jesus spread the Good News and brought the ministry of righteousness and therefore exceeds in glory. [Galatians 3:10] Believing in the death of Christ accepting that this dead man was taken out of the gave by his Father, we have the epistle of Christ, ministered by the apostles, not having been written with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, the Father of Christ Jesus [2 Corinthians 3:3 ] but also our Father to whom we can come up thanks to Jesus his offering and his will to communicate in our name with his Father. Jehovah God allowed Jesus to mediate on our behalf.

With the death of Christ Jehovah accepted Jeshua’s offering and that old system of law etched in stone was led to death. Today we should not have our ‘law of God‘ on tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of our heart. Like Moses his face shone with the glory of God so also did Jesus his face shone with even more glory.

Flames in heart and soul

After Jesus had gone away from this earth, taken up in the sky by his Father, God gave the disciples of Jesus His Power, the Holy Spirit, who came down on them in the room where they had hid themselves, afraid for the persecutors of the followers of Jesus. By receiving the Holy Spirit those men got the glory from God to speak in Jesus his name but also to speak in God His name. Before the Holy Spirit came over them they where like buried in that room. They had died in the fear for men who were against Jesus Christ.

Are you afraid for those who do not like it that you speak with admiration for Jesus? Are you afraid to show your reverence for the son of God, daring to tell the world that it was a man of flesh and blood who was willing to give his life because he believed in the Creator of heaven and earth in which you believe too? In admiration for Christ Jesus we should go out into the world and spread the Gospel of liberation brought by a man who proofed he could be faithful to the One and Only God.

The apostles got the Holy Spirit over them, but we when we became baptised also got the Power of God in us. We should feel that force, and it should give us also the power it gave those first Christians to tell others the Truth. Shouldn’t we expect also far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life to us? If the old or first covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! We believe in that sanctification by the blood of Christ. God is a Spirit who has no flesh and no blood and can not be seen by man, but Jesus was a real human being who shared lots of his time with the underdogs of the community who could see and touch him. He was not afraid to be considered part of the mad ones or the ones to be avoided. The oppressed and poor listened to his voice which brought a message of love and peace, telling them about a better world where we can be part of it.

Showing divine character

In everything Jesus did he showed a divine character. He showed the love of his Father. He showed others how his father was prepared to take them all up in His Kingdom when they where willing to follow the words of Christ and changing their character as well. We too have to work at our character and blend it in with the Law of Christ and with the Law of God.

We know now that that first glory by Moses was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant. So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory.

“7 If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face–a glory even then fading– 8 how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, far more is the ministry of righteousness radiant in glory. 10 Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it. 11 For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-11 MONTNT)

It’s because in the presentation of Jesus as an ransom offering for all, the wisdom, love, justice, mercy, goodness, and the faithfulness of God are displayed in all that God has done. He displays His glory in the ‘Cross’.

Becoming part of the Forgiven much

When we accept the death of Christ as a peace offering we also may be part of the people called ‘the forgiven much’.  In that understanding we should also be willing to take on the armour of Christ and be willing to become like him. It shall demand of us to work on our attitude and to rebuild our character. We shall to be prepared to learn from the Word of God and intensify our Bible Study. When we understand that, we will love much and will serve much, and worship much, and adore Him, out of a heart of devotion and not just do it because we’re Christians’ and we’re meant to do that kind of thing.

In the resurrection  of Christ Jesus we can see the acceptance of God and we can find that kind of hope to excite us. When we listen carefully to all those prophesies in the Old Testament and compare them with the writings of the New Testament, we can come to the understanding that those books complement each other and can give us all reason for nothing to hold us back.  In the glory of the dead Christ taken up into the realm of God we are giving the hope of the resurrection and should  have nothing to hide any more. Everything can come out in the open with us.

“12  Therefore, cherishing such a hope, I use great freedom of speech. 13 I do not do as Moses did, who used to cover his face with a veil to keep the children of Israel from beholding the passing of a fading glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:12-13 MONTNT)

Being transformed

The apostles were “being transformed” into the likeness “with ever-increasing glory.”  Even more than that, back in the days of Moses it was an outward and a physical reflection, whereas this glory the Holy Spirit creates in us is an inward spiritual transformation. At the time of of Jesus’ Transfiguration the disciples looked on with utter amazement at what was happening to Jesus. Peter really didn’t know what to say other than to want to stay there. The glory of God was shining right through him. It defied description. God has a transfiguration to accomplish in us so that we are changed into the same image. All creatures are made in the image of God, but they have to shine by becoming part of God His World and not by being part of the unbelieving world.

Even today when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, humans can’t see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there.  Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are — face to face! It is up to us to recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiselled stone.  All those illustrations, crosses with a Jesus on it, sculptures presenting holy figures or even presenting God, are an abomination to the Most High and going in against His Commandments not to make any statue to worship in front.

Radiant with the very glory of God

We should not need any figures or images to bring us an idea of a Godhead or to show us the Glory of God. The Glory of God should shine in our heart. It is that glory which should get our heart beating even faster, bringing it ‘on fire’.  Our character should be made by the feeling of the presence of God. Yes He is personally present, a living Spirit. This Eternal God should bring new life in us bringing awareness in us that, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it!  All of us! By the blood of Christ everything became whitewashed and all the borders and fences between us and God were taken away. This liberation should make our faces shining with the brightness of Jesus his face. And so we should also become transfigured much like the Messiah.

From our baptism onwards, we should enter into a new word of grace and glory in which our lives gradually will becoming brighter and more beautiful as Jesus enters our lives and we become like him.

 “15 Yes, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts; 16 but when their heart turns to our Lord the veil is stripped away. 17 (The Lord means the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord abides there is freedom.) 18 And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves continually being transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:15-18 MONTNT)

It’s the sole prerogative of God the Holy Spirit to transform our characters that they might be radiant with the very glory of God. The Holy Spirit shall work from the inside out to change us into the image of the Lord Jesus, so that he may be glorified through us.  The Spirit of the living God has all the power to renew us and to make us ‘anew’.  We do a real injustice to God’s greatness and majesty when we limit His power, and the possibilities of His power, in our own minds. One of the great things about being in Christian ministry is seeing God’s power by the Holy Spirit taking broken and spoiled people and making them into new people. It’s fantastic to see how God etches into their lives something of the glory and beauty of Jesus. This is what gives us the strength to go on.

When the glory of God begins to appear through a person, it shall make that person more human, not less human. There’s a fire in the glory of God that not only burns but also warms and draws people into God’s love. And it’s this way that people are set free to be truly human and truly natural. We can never be all that we’re meant to be until God’s spirit begins his work in us.

It is by sharing the glory of Christ, wanting to have a shining face, expressing the love for God, love for the Word of God and the love for the whole creation that we can build up a community of people wanting to follow the master teacher Jesus, and as such becoming true Christians.

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Preceding article: In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification

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Read also:

1. Greatest single cause of atheism
   The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is
   christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips
   and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.
   That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
   
2. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
3. How do trinitarians equate divine nature
4. Creator and Blogger God 2 Image and likeness
5. The Law of Christ: Law of Love
6. Ransom for all
7. Golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters obedience
8. A learning process for each of us
9. Faith a commitment to the promises of Christ and to to the demands of Christ
10. A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
11. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
12. How we think shows through in how we act
13. Followers with deepening
14. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
15. Raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair
16. Abhor evil. Adhere to goodness
17. Our attitude at a difficult task
18. Spread love everywhere you go
19. Ask Grace to go forward
20. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
21. We all are changed into the same image from glory to glory
22. Life in gratitude opens glory of God
23. Invitation to all who believe

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Related articles

• Easter 6 – “The Church” (Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27) (revtucher.com)
  You and I have been made a part of the Church through the work of the Holy Spirit. We are brought in through faith and made clean by the blood of the Lamb. We share in the life of Christ and His glory. Notice what John says here: it is the glory of God. He doesn’t say that it is the glory of the people. There is a reason for that: the people of the Church are sinful. It is by Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that the Church reflects the glory of God because we have been clothed with Christ’s righteousness. In other words, it’s not by our doing but by Christ’s doing. That is the way it should be and the way that it has to be.
• Past, Present and Future of Salvation, Today’s Study of Romans 5 (whatshotn.wordpress.com)
  we boast in the hope of the glory of God. We enter grace, or forgiveness, by faith in what Christ did. And when Paul says that we stand in grace, he implies that this is a state in which we can remain. Because of God’s grace, based on what Christ did in the past, we rejoice in the hope that this gives us for the future the hope of sharing in the glory of God. This hope is not just a “wishful thought”.. it is confidence based on what God has done for us…
• May 1: Does Your Life Bring Glory to God? (evcthoughtoftheday.com)
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• Father’s Glory (wrob77.wordpress.com)
  The Greek word for glory is Doxa, where we get our word doxology, and it has all the meaning of Kabod but includes a greater sense of perfection and display of power.
• God’s Passion for His Glory (pjcockrell.wordpress.com)
  Isaiah 43:6-7: God says, “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
• Rite of Confirmation – “Public Confession” (John 16:12-22) (revtucher.com)
  The Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus by introducing Him to people as the crucified and risen Christ. That is what He comes to do for the disciples and that is what He comes to do for us. The Holy Spirit comes to introduce us to what the truth is about: Jesus. The disciples weren’t prepared for all Jesus has to say, as He tells them, for they were too worked up over Jesus’ impending departure. But He wasn’t going to leave them empty-handed. He leaves them the Holy Spirit who will testify of Him and what He has done.
• Love. Chapter One. (rebellredarts.com)
  Everything is for the glorification of God. Everthing that  we do here on this earth has a purpose. The purpose is the glorification of God. Our work is his work.  Eternal life is knowing God , says Jesus Christ. Jesus tells his Dad that he gave glory to him by finishing the work that he gave him to do. God gives us all work while we are to accomplish, to finish. one day we will all  get to experience this awesome day.