Matthew 13:33 says, “Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’ ”
Known as the Kingdom Parables, the “Parable of the Leaven” is the fourth in this series of parables that the Lord gives in Matthew 13. There are two very different interpretations applied to this parable. Some commentators view it very positively, believing it depicts the rapid growth of the kingdom, much like leaven causes bread to expand. In this interpretation, leaven is presented as a good element, in contrast to every other mention of leaven in the New Testament, where it is a symbol of evil.
For example, Paul used the image of leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6 to illustrate the far-reaching effects of sin. In Galatians 5:9, this imagery is used to show how false teaching can spread and negatively affect many people. In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus used the word “leaven” to describe the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (see also Luke 12:1) and the liberalism of the Sadducees.
Furthermore, in the Old Testament, leaven was to be avoided, as shown by what the Israelites took with them when leaving Egypt and during the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:15–20).
The other interpretation of this parable views leaven as an illustration of the effect of introducing false teaching into the kingdom. This is consistent with the context, as the Lord Jesus has left the house and is now at the seaside, speaking to the crowd. Here, He presents four parables that describe the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven includes both those who are truly saved and those who only claim to belong, as seen in the parable of the wheat and the tares.
In the parables given by the seaside, Satanic activity and falsehood are depicted. In the parable of “The Sower and the Seed,” Satan is in opposition, represented by the birds that steal the seed. In the next parable, imitation is clearly evident, as the tares the enemy has sown in the field look like the real thing. In the parable of “The Mustard Seed,” the mustard seed produces a large tree where birds find a nesting place, which is clearly infiltration, since the birds have already been explained by the Lord in the first parable. Considering the context, including where the Lord is speaking and to whom He is giving these parables, helps with interpretation.
Consider also that in Leviticus 2, the Meal Offering is described as an offering of fine flour without leaven (2:4–5). The Meal Offering included oil with frankincense and was to contain no leaven, serving as an illustration of the purity and fragrance of the life of Christ.
In Matthew 13, interpreting leaven as false teaching about the person of the Lord Jesus is consistent with how leaven is depicted throughout Scripture and fits the context of the scene by the seaside. It also aligns with the progression noted above: opposition to the gospel, imitation believers, infiltration into the kingdom, and, in this parable, the corruption of the truth. This pattern has persisted throughout the history of Christendom, as many denominations that claim to be Christian hold and present false teachings about the Lord Jesus.