Another parable spake he unto them
To the disciples and the multitude, and which was of the same
kind, to the same purpose, and relating to the same subject as
the former; the spread of the Gospel, and the increase of it in
the world.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven.
The word "leaven" is every where else used in a bad sense; and
either designs immorality, as malice and wickedness, or false
doctrine, such as that of the Pharisees and Sadducees: but here
it seems to be taken in a good sense, and the Gospel to be
compared unto it; nor for its disagreeable qualities, but on
account of its small quantity; it is a little leaven that leavens
the whole lump, and may express, as the grain of mustard seed
does, the small beginnings of the Gospel, and its meanness in the
eyes of men; and on account of its piercing, penetrating, and
spreading nature: so the Gospel reaches the conscience, pierces
the heart, enlightens the understanding, informs the judgment,
raises and sets the affections on right objects, subdues the
will, and brings down all towering thoughts, to the obedience of
Christ, in particular persons; and has penetrated and made its
way, under divine influence, through towns, cities, kingdoms, and
nations: also on account of its heating, swelling, and
assimilating nature; so the Gospel, where it takes place, warms
the affections, causes the heart to burn within, inspires with
zeal for God, and Christ, and the Gospel; it swells and fills
churches with such as shall be saved, and assimilates the several
persons it operates in, makes them like one another, one bread,
one body, having like precious faith, knowledge, and experience,
though in a different degree.
Which a woman took and hid in three measures of
meal.
By the "three measures of meal", are meant the elect of God; who,
because of their nature and quality, are compared to meal, or
fine flour; and that because of that of which it is made, wheat,
to a corn of which Christ is compared, ( John 12:24 ) and by
whose grace the saints are what they are, justified, regenerated,
and sanctified; and on account of the manner it becomes so, as by
grinding the wheat, sifting it when ground, and separating it
from the bran; all which may express the first convictions in the
conscience of awakened sinners, the grace of God in conversion,
and the separation of them from the rest of the world, in the
effectual calling; as also by reason of its choiceness, purity,
and goodness, the saints being chosen of God and precious, and
being pure and spotless, through the grace and righteousness of
Christ, and being highly valued, and had in great esteem by him;
and because of their quantity, are compared to three measures of
meal. The measure here designed, is the Hebrew seah, which held a
gallon and an half, and three of these made an ephah; and which
is often rendered by the F1 Targumists, (Nyao tlt) , "three seahs", or "measures", the
very phrase here used; and the reason why three are particularly
mentioned is, because such a quantity used to be fermented and
kneaded by women at one time; see ( Genesis 18:6
) and for the further illustration of this, take the following
passage out of the Talmud F2.
``The wise men say, that three women may be employed in one lump of dough; one may knead it, another may make it into loaves, and another may bake it--and it is a tradition, (Nybq tvlv Nyjyxb) "that in wheat they use three kabs", or "measures", and in barley four "kabs".''These measures, as here used parabolically, may design the small number of God's elect; and, as some have thought, may have respect to the three then known parts of the world, where they were, or should be: by the woman that took and hid the leaven in these measures, is meant, either the church, sometimes compared to a woman in Scripture, ( Revelation 12:1 ) or the ministers of the Gospel, wisdom's maidens; or rather, Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God; see ( Proverbs 9:1-3 ) and the reason why a woman is mentioned is, because it was, with the Jews, the work of women to ferment the flour, knead the dough, and make the bread: and this action of taking and covering the leaven in the meal, may denote the power of Christ, in opening the heart, and putting in the Gospel, which unless he takes in hand, and uses, is ineffectual; as also the passiveness of men, under the first workings of the Spirit of Christ upon their souls, by the Gospel; and likewise, the secret and invisible power of divine grace, operating by the ministry of the word, upon the heart.
Until the whole was leavened:
to be "leavened" by the Gospel, is to be evangelized by it, to be
brought into the life and liberty of it, to a Gospel way of
living by faith on Christ; to derive all peace, joy, and comfort
from him, and not from any works of righteousness; and to have a
man's obedience influenced by the love of God, so as to do it
cheerfully, and without dependence on it. Now the Gospel, where
it has entrance and takes place, powerfully and effectually,
continues to operate more or less, as the leaven in the meal,
until the whole man, soul and body, all the faculties of the
soul, and members of the body, are influenced by it; and will
continue with power and efficacy in the world, and church, until
all the elect of God are wrought upon by it, and are brought in.
There is a late ingenious interpretation F3 of this
parable, which, since the word "leaven" is elsewhere always used
in a bad sense, deserves consideration; according to which, this
parable expresses not the spread of truth, but of error; by "the
woman" is thought to be meant, the Apocalyptic woman, the woman
spoken of in the Revelations, the whore of Rome, the mother of
harlots; and the "leaven" which she took, the leaven of false
doctrine and discipline; by her "hiding" it, the private, secret,
artful methods, false doctrines, and bad discipline were
introduced, and the gradual progress thereof; and by the "three
measures of meal", the bishops and doctors of the church, among
whom this leaven was spread, and who were fermented with it;
particularly those three bishops of Rome at first, Sosymus, John
the faster, and Boniface the third; which by degrees spread
itself, until the whole Christian world was affected with it; and
for a long time lay hid and undiscovered, till the Lord raised up
Wyclif, John Huss, Jerom of Prague, Luther, and other reformers.
The reader may choose which interpretation he likes best.