The Kingdom of God is like Leaven that a woman takes and hides in three measures of flour. Though she only put a little, it permeated every part of the dough. This is the shortest parable in Matthew 13 and quite possibly the entire Gospel. Two lines; it paints a familiar picture to those who were listening and yet is carries a powerful message. The leaven is the Kingdom of God. It is a small piece, and it is placed into the dough (the world), and it permeates the entire thing.

The first thing to take note of is the fact that the woman hid the dough. Hid/Hide come from the Greek word Enkrypto which means “to hide; to mix in.†Enkrypto is where we get the English word encryption. Encryption means to transform data into a cypher that cannot be easily understood by those who do not have the authority to understand it. Jesus spoke in parables so that those who had been given the authority to understand by God (the disciples) would understand and those who had not would not. The Kingdom does not make sense to those who are not a part of it. It does not make sense to people why we Christians smile, serve others, give away our money, or do not indulge in the pleasures of the world. They do not get why our relationships are strong or our businesses are thriving or our families love each other. None of it makes sense, and it is not supposed to. It is encrypted.

Enkrypto also emphasizes the point that the Kingdom is a mystery. It is hidden inside of us; it is unseen. It will not be something we can point out, as Jesus says in John 18. It is “mixed in†to our hearts. We are the bearers of the Kingdom. We take it wherever we go. We are what Jesus embeds into the world. We are the leaven. The Kingdom in us ferments as we spend time in God’s presence. When it activates and comes alive in us, Jesus embeds us into the world. It can seem hard and near impossible to influence the world around us. Everyone seems so evil, but do not give up! Do not judge the people around you; love them, serve them, and be there. Jesus will do the rest. He is the one who will influence the world around you. You are the vessel that carries Him in; you bear the Kingdom.

The leaven permeates the entire dough. Jesus wins. If all else, remember that. Jesus wins. His Kingdom will come; it is already here. We win. No matter how evil the world becomes, Jesus’ grace and mercy and salvation will extend even further. He hides His kingdom in us; He embeds us into the world; and He influences it through us. That is how the Kingdom is like leaven.