In reading again the articles found below, I am going to attempt to prove that Jesus was talking about a PRINCIPLE and not sin, as many seem to think that leaven represents. My concern is that if this idea of leaven pertaining to sin is not purged (no pun intended) from believers hearts (and yes sometimes it does pertain to sin but not in this instance) then a lot of the teachings of the Kingdom will go unrecognized. An example: if the leaven being hid in meal pertains only to sin hidden wherever, the church, society, etc., then how does it relate to the other parables that are related to good things? Luke 13: 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure HID in a field; the which when a man hath found, he HIDETH, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that FIELD. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Notice the words HID, HIDETH, and FIELD. Aren’t those words that are found in the parable of the leaven and the dough? Luke 13: 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and HID in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Might the field (in verse 44) be the dough-the meal (the heart)? Now, where is the “TREASURE” in sin? Where is the “PEARL OF GREAT PRICE” in sin? You would think that if this idea of leaven being sin were true, then the scripture would have to read something like this: The Kingdom of God is like unto a man walking through a field, upon which he stepped in something…So he bought the field! (Lorde, lorde, lorde, it waz nassy.) Joking aside, it doesn’t fit. Sin does not fit in with the whole of the parable teaching. Treasure, and Pearls of great price are BLESSINGS-GOOD THINGS. They’re not foul and putrid things as these people believe they are (I realize they haven’t given it much thought). Can you see how you can take a wonderful idea and turn it into a real stinker? The dough, the meal, the field, the ground-in this network of parables-is the heart of a man. THERE’S A TREASURE HID IN YOUR HEART. And it’s worth “SELLING ALL THAT YOU HAVE, TO AQUIRE IT” (paraphrased). Look at this scripture. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. People think that this is difficult to understand because it’s filled with idioms and metaphors. But if you understand that Jesus is talking about the same idea here-what goes into the heart, gets radiated to the world around us-if done properly, then you can see how that it’s about a principle that can work either way. In the good direction or bad. The light in this instance is the heart of a man. It’s the part of us that retains spiritual vision. That’s why Jesus likened it to an eye. But this eye can radiate things good and bad. “as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light”. Mathew 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good TREASURE OF THE HEART bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the EVIL TREASURE bringeth forth evil things. Once again, it’s the principle. We can deposit things in our hearts good or bad. And our hearts radiate it forth to the world around us good or bad, light or darkness. Jesus said how great is that darkness! If the human being was designed to carry about this inner light, “let your light so shine” and yet darkness gets injected into it, you can see how that it’s almost a double negative. A light bulb that can radiate darkness-hey a “black light”-just kidding. I think this will serve as food for thought for now. But just remember that the Scribes and Pharisee’ probably seized upon this (idea that leaven is always bad) and thought that they knew what he was saying, and yet they really didn’t. The Kingdom principles are hidden FOR us, not from us. For we are the good hearted ones desiring to hear. May God bless.