Matthew 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.”

I’ve recently been thinking about the topic of interpretations again, it regularly comes up throughout my life and great to think about it.  I’ve decided to write up some of my thoughts on it!

I’ve quoted here a parable that Jesus said as part of a number of parables that he taught many critical truths through …Why’d Jesus teach in parables? Well, his disciples asked him that! And you can read his answer for yourself in Matthew 13… but it’s so some get it and some don’t!

The fact is, many people do not and will not “get” the Bible, as John wrote “he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us”. Yes, Anyone can read it, and it can be intellectually dissected and disseminated “until the cows come home”…

… but fact is, it is a spiritual book received and understood and whose lives are changed only by those who have the Holy Spirit “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. Salvation is prerequisite.

In interpreting scripture, none of us have liberty to make the Bible say whatever we want it to say “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”… because you can twist if it you want and many do… I mean, Satan tried getting Jesus to jump off a building by quoting him a few lovely verses from Psalm 91 pertaining to the marvellous deliverances and protection of God.

Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us wondering about interpretations, because if you want to know how to interpret the Bible… just read what the Bible says about how to interpret it! Many books we read today have glossary and appendix and instructions enclosed within… how much more the word of God?!

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In the book of Genesis, one day, a young man renowned for understanding God’s word was hauled out of a crummy dungeon to stand before the king of the known world…

God had given king Pharaoh his word in a dream, but this mighty king could not understand the meaning of it or what to do in light of it… none of the “experts” could either… and so they get Joseph in, a rare someone who understands and is able to relate God’s word to real life. In a world so lost to God, you may get real popular one day soon Christian!

So Joseph stands before Pharaoh, but he didn’t reach back into some mystic bag of tricks, he told Pharaoh “Do not interpretations belong unto God?” and “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

The only person that can interpret God is God. That’s why we need his Spirit and surrender to him when it comes to his word. Without his Spirit, we are as nude of power and understanding as Samson with his fresh haircut. It’s a shame so many Christians have been shaved of the power of God that was on their head by the seductions and enticements of 21^st century Delilah.

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But let’s get to the parable, where we find a mysterious woman involved, who slips a bit of leaven into the meal, and it affects the whole thing… and what a wonderful interface for the discussion on interpretations this provides. Because the common “take” on the meaning of this parable is unscriptural.

This verse is often used by people who say that Jesus is talking about the gospel here and that the gospel is like “leaven” in that it influences and permeates people, society and our world… and so we try to influence everyone and incept and slip God in on them. But it’s not nearly entirely true of how evangelism works, or how a Christian should interact with and will influence their world around them.

Yes, it does sound kind of right, because it plays off on the “salt and light” concept that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5. But it’s not balanced in scripture “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. And because the Bible says “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”

When you look at everything the Bible says about leaven, and the context it is used in, and the truths that the concept of the effect that leaven has on bread is used to convey, we know that Jesus is teaching about the corrupting of Christianity… that we see today… not the spread of it. Christianity has been corrupted a lot by corrupting Bibles “the meal”, lacing false doctrine through Christendom, Satan sowing discord among the brethren… and it’s spreading far and wide! And the Bible doesn’t teach things are going to get better, they’re going to get worse, there is going to be a “great falling away”… and people are falling for, falling out and falling away … that’s just how it is “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”

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Noone has an “angle” on the truth. I don’t either. And quite simply, most interpretations debates go away if we just open the Bible and let God’s word speak. He speaks pretty well after all!

If you’re into the Bible, well, the more you use it, the better you get in it. The Bible says Daniel was “skilful in all wisdom”… get skilful in the Bible! The Bible speaks in Hebrews 5 about how childish Christians are “unskilful in the word” but mature Christians who are on “strong meat” are “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Exercise God’s word in your life, and it’ll sharpen your God given senses right up!

It’s not about being a jerk, remember, the Bible is for humanity, God is for salvation of souls. But all through the Bible it was the “little guy” that “got it”… so can you. None of us are “big shots”. In trying to understanding God’s word … seek God on it! There is a place for help, but really, to know and use God’s word as intended… all you need is a heart that really wants to do his will, and God will let you know! “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself”

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