Our Leavening“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33) Monday, Sixth Week of Easter God of mercy, may our celebration of your Son’s resurrection help us to experience its effect in our lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen Dear friends, Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God and what it was like and how it affects us. One of them was about yeast, or leaven, and its effect on dough. As we journey through life, it is not without purpose. God has a purpose for each one of us to grow in his grace and in our faith. Listen to Martin Luther as he explains this parable, and may it be helpful to you this day: “The…parable…tells of the leaven which the woman mixes in three measures of meal until it is thoroughly leavened. The new leaven is the faith and grace of the Spirit. It does not leaven the whole lump at once but gently, and gradually, we become like this new leaven and eventually, a bread of God. This life, therefore, is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness; not health, but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest, but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” (Martin Luther, Defense and Explanation of All the Articles) A servant of the Lord, Pastor Langdon Reinke P.S. Hope you and your family are healthy and safe. We are in this together. We have help available if there are needs. Please let us know. |