The Kneading Woman, Matthew 13: 33 – Leaven and Bread (Radical Hospitality)
As I introduced our first parable, The Workers in the Vineyard, I mentioned I was drawn to that particular story because its main theological point is to demonstrate that the Kingdom of G-d is a place where His grace and mercy, His notion of righteousness and justice, reigns supreme, in direct contrast to Humanity’s concept of righteousness and justice, which if we are honest with ourselves, always has a healthy dose of self-interest intertwined with it.
If you remember, Matthew has Jesus framing this parable with the beginning and ending inclusio phrase, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” This sets up the surprise hook of all workers, regardless of their start time, receiving the same wage. And, I made mention of Jesus’ introduction, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like …”
Jesus commences numerous parables with that introductory “The Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) is like …” (By the way, when Heaven is used, it is a euphemism intended to shield the speaker from having to utter “G-d;” we have spoken of this protocol that demonstrates a reverence for G-d and His name).
Matthew arranges a total of 8 such “Kingdom of God is Like” parables in what is the 13th chapter of his Gospel. So, as a segway from our first parable, I thought we would spend time in looking at these stories from chapter 13 (and in no particular order).
Today, we will focus on one of the shortest (and in my opinion) most brilliant parables of Jesus … it is definitely a top-fiver … one that typically doesn’t receive a “title,” probably because it is so short, but one that demonstrates classic structure and a powerful theological message about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 13: 33 (NIV – 2011 edition)
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast (leaven) that a woman took and mixed into about 60 pounds of flour until it was worked all through the dough.”
That’s it! Short, compact, powerful! Let’s review how this one sentence compares to classic parabolic characteristics:
1. It is short (obviously) and simple, yet it has a plot, an action sequence.
2. It is fictional and employs an anonymous character.
3. It’s setting is “earthly:” a common daily human activity, preparing bread to be baked.
4. It employs not one, but two surprising hooks:
a. the metaphor for God’s Kingdom is yeast (leaven) which throughout Jewish literature and oral tradition, is a metaphor for evil – why would Jesus use it to describe His Kingdom?
b. the woman is baking SIXTY pounds of bread – that is a lot of bread and that seems really strange in this context.
5. This parable reaches back into Jewish tradition by way of a re-MEZ, a Hebrew word that can roughly be translated/interpreted as a “hint” or a very unspoken nudge by the storyteller to refer to a know story in the tradition to find the deepest and truest meaning of the story.
And it is this last characteristic that we will focus on, AND it provides us with yet another example of how important translation/interpretation in context is when understanding Scripture.
This requires looking at some other translations of this verse, especially the Greek words (the New Testament was written in Greek) translated as sixty, and what that set of words would have been in Hebrew and/or Aramaic, Jesus’ mother languages. And while it is possible that Jesus spoke Greek, it is highly unlikely he taught Jewish people in anything other than Hebrew or Aramaic.
So, other translation/interpretations say three measures, a large quantity, or more accurately, three satas of flour were kneaded. A Greek sata equates to about 20 pounds of flour. But Jesus would have used the Hebrew equivalent, seah, סְאָה when telling this story. But you say, D-Wach, so what?
And the answer is that this is the re-MEZ, the hint that Jesus is giving us. He is inviting us to think back to a VERY WELL KNOWN text of His listeners … for you see, in Genesis 18: 6 another woman prepares 3 seahs of flour, sixty pounds worth, and made bread for some visitors … but just THREE visitors! It is the story of Abram and Sarah, resting at mid-day in the heat of the desert and their encounter with three strangers. The part of the story we will review is Genesis 18: 1-8, which I encourage you to read. It is the story of radical hospitality to three strangers in a hostile and harsh environment. Abraham and Sarah not only bake 60 pounds of bread, but they also prepare best animal for a feast in addition to milk and curds … it was a sumptuous feast! AND, as you read the story, note the emphasis on speed and quickness and spontaneity of their hospitality!
The Kingdom of God is like a place where G-d’s radical grace and mercy is pared with His radical hospitality that is actively demonstrated with speed and spontaneity. If you want to help usher in His Kingdom today, go and do likewise. Be His hands and feet today, show his grace, mercy and radical hospitality today for you have experienced it yourself.
Shalom שָׁלוֹם
D-Wach
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