Yeast is an amazing thing. Seemingly inactive in its dry form, yet quietly alive with the addition of some liquid and some warmth. It slowly takes over the dough in which it is placed, turning something flat and ordinary into something beautiful and delicious. Such is the case, Jesus says, with His Kingdom at work in this world (Matthew 13:33). Seemingly inactive, yet when watered by the Holy Spirit and warmed by the prayers of the saints, God’s Kingdom is taking over the whole world in which it is placed, turning the ordinary universe into the eventual union of heaven and earth under God’s reign. Isn’t it amazing that we’re invited to be a part of that transformation, beginning with our being taken over by that “yeasty” kingdom ourselves?
And yet here in Matthew 16 Jesus warns His disciples, including us, of another kind of yeast which is also seeking to take over. It’s the kingdom of this world, manifested in the kind of attitude and teaching of the religious leaders of His day: prideful, judgmental, graceless. This kingdom disdains the Other Kingdom, thinking it impossible, impractical, even dangerous. Challenging the rule of the Other Kingdom at every turn, it seeks to invade us, to incorporate us into its way of thinking, believing, and behaving. It’s sort of like “the borg” in the Star Trek series, a collective possessing one mind, bent on capturing the universe for its own destructive purposes: evil, yet somehow alluring. Jesus warned His disciples to beware of this kind of yeastiness, as it seeks to take up residence in those who claim to belong to God’s Kingdom, but have yet to bend the knee of the heart to Him. Its hallmarks are constant skepticism, cynicism, and negativism, seen in the disciples’ constantly focusing on what isn’t there as opposed to what God might make appear (as was the case in the feedings of the thousands).
So dear friends, let us beware, as we imbibe daily of the teachings of this other kingdoms, hurled at us in the things we watch, hear, and consider. Let us continually imbibe ourselves with the teachings of God’s Word, the conversations about God’s Kingdom, and the actions consistent with God’s Rule, so that we may be continually infused with that Yeast of His which will infuse the world, for good.
