Bible Parables S2E11 : Parable Of The Leaven

This is a live session recording where we delve into the timeless wisdom of The Parable Of The Leaven and its practical application in our daily lives. This session is part of an ongoing series where we explore how biblical teachings can guide us in living fulfilling lives.

In this session, we will explore the deeper meaning behind the parable and offer practical insights for bringing more compassion and connection into our daily lives.

This session includes a guided reflective meditation which will gently lead you through a journey of inner reflection and healing.

Come prepared to reflect on your own journey, engage with thought-provoking ideas, and leave inspired to create a life filled with purpose and abundance. This session is welcoming to all, regardless of religious background or familiarity with the Bible.

Transcript

The parable of the leaven.

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 leavened.

It's a short parable.

I will read it again.

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,

Which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was leavened.

It's a very short parable,

But it's a very profound parable.

And on the face of it,

It describes how spiritual transformation works,

Quietly,

Gradually,

But powerfully.

The leaven or the yeast,

It represents spiritual truth.

It represents divine consciousness.

It represents inner transformation.

The woman can thought to be or can thought to represent divine feminine energy.

The nurturer,

The person who nurtures us.

The manifesting principle or even the soul.

And the three measures of meal,

They represent our whole being,

Our mind,

Our body,

Our spirit.

And just as the yeast slowly spreads to the dough,

Spiritual truth,

Divine consciousness,

It slowly transforms an individual.

And as it transforms individuals,

Ultimately,

It is able to transform the world.

So we'll go now into or we'll try to interpret,

We'll try to extract what meaning we can get from this parable.

And the parable starts with,

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven or leaven,

However you want to pronounce it.

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven.

When you look at this from a spiritual aspect,

It can be said to be the silent,

But the powerful growth of divine truth.

The silent but powerful growth of divine truth.

In this parable,

The kingdom of God is compared to leaven.

Leaven is something so tiny,

But it's capable of transforming everything it touches.

So when you look at the spiritual side of it,

Even the smallest thought of faith,

Even the smallest act of love,

Even the smallest amount or smallest measure of wisdom can spread through your entire life and create a powerful transformation.

In the same way as we don't see the yeast working inside the dough,

Our spiritual growth happens within us before it starts to appear on the outside.

And when you accept a divine truth into your heart,

It begins to work silently,

Expanding,

Shifting your consciousness,

Changing the way how you experience life.

So don't underestimate small beginnings,

Whether it's a single prayer,

Whether it's an affirmation that you're saying regularly,

Whether it's a kind act that you do.

All this can create ripple effects beyond what we can see.

Plant these seeds daily.

A moment of gratitude,

A moment of self-reflection over the period of time can transform your mindset.

And trusting the process.

The whole process of making bread from the time the yeast is added till the time it actually goes into the oven is approximately one and a half to two to three hours.

So just because we don't see instant results,

It doesn't mean the transformation isn't happening.

So that's the spiritual aspect of it.

Then we have the psychological side of it.

How leaven works because it spreads throughout the dough.

In the same way,

Our thoughts,

Our beliefs have the same effect on our mind.

If we plant positive,

Faith-filled thoughts,

Over the period of time these will expand and influence the way we act,

The way we feel,

The way we behave.

They will transform our life experiences.

And if we allow fear,

If we entertain thoughts of fear,

If we subscribe to doubt,

If we let negativity into our life,

That too will spread and shape our reality.

So our dominant thoughts become our beliefs.

Our beliefs become our actions.

And our actions become the way we experience life.

Habits work like leaven.

Small repeated actions,

Whether good or whether bad,

These grow into major life changes over a period of time.

So choose your habits wisely.

And from the psychological perspective,

The subconscious mind absorbs whatever we feed it.

It does not question whether what you believe is good or bad.

Whatever you plant,

It will expand.

So guard your mind.

Choose thoughts,

Words,

Influences that align with the kind of life that you want to have.

If you have identified limiting beliefs,

Reprogram them.

Replace them with expansive affirmations.

When it comes to habit formation,

Small consistent actions,

Whether it's journaling,

Whether it's exercising,

Whether it's meditating,

These compound over time.

Looking at the same sentence from a practical perspective,

Our influence spreads to the people around us even when we don't see it.

Whether it's at work,

Whether we are at home,

Whether it's in a relationship,

Our words and actions are like leaven.

They can either spread positivity or they can spread negativity.

To influence change,

We simply need to focus on living in alignment with the truth.

And automatically,

Others will feel our presence and they will be uplifted.

Your positivity,

Your kindness,

Your wisdom will ripple outward.

When we embody peace and love,

The people around us automatically absorb that energy and reflect it back.

And in the same way that negativity can spread,

So can faith,

Joy and inspiration spread.

And the parable goes on,

Which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal.

It's a very simple phrase but it's very profound,

Which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal.

The woman can be said to represent the subconscious mind,

That divine feminine energy that nurtures and brings forth whatever is planted in it.

In the same way as a woman conceives,

Nurtures and gives birth,

The subconscious mind receives ideas,

Nurtures them and changes them into reality,

Manifests them into reality.

Be careful of what you impress upon your subconscious.

Whether it's positive or negative.

And hid in three measures of meal.

And this is the process of inner transformation.

The three measures of meal represent the three aspects of human existence.

We have the mind,

Which are our thoughts,

Our beliefs and our consciousness.

Then we have the body,

Which is our physical health,

Our actions,

Our behaviours.

And we have the spirit,

Which is our faith,

Which is our intuition,

Which is our divine connection.

And in the same way as leaven must be worked into all parts of the dough to transform it,

Into all the three parts,

In the same way divine wisdom must permeate all areas of your life.

Not just your thoughts,

But also your emotions,

Your habits,

Your actions.

It should permeate everywhere.

Hiding of the leaven.

Because she hid the leaven in three measures of meal.

The hiding of the leaven.

It means that transformation starts beneath the surface.

Transformation starts within.

It starts unseen.

And after a period of time,

It starts to manifest.

So to create true transformation in your life,

Align your mind,

Your body and your spirit with your highest vision.

All of us think about change.

We tell ourselves that we want to do this,

We want to do that,

We want to achieve this,

We want to achieve that.

But don't just think about change.

Feel the change.

Act on the change.

Act on what you feel and embody the change.

And trust the invisible process.

Simply because we don't see immediate results,

Does not mean that transformation isn't happening.

And this is a complaint that is very common among people who are meditating.

People say I am meditating for 5 minutes,

10 minutes,

1 hour,

2 hours and nothing seems to be happening.

Like meditation,

Like prayer,

Like reflection,

These are all internal processes that will not show us immediate results.

Results will come over a period of time.

With consistent action,

Results will show.

So simply because we don't see immediate results,

Does not mean that transformation is not happening.

The parable continues,

Till it was all leavened.

And this is the unstoppable nature of expansion.

Till it was all leavened.

The first word,

Till.

Small word,

Very powerful.

The word till,

It implies a process.

It implies that growth is happening,

But it's not yet complete.

Like I mentioned before,

It's a reminder that spiritual,

Mental,

Emotional transformation doesn't happen instantly.

It unfolds in divine timing.

In the same way as the ish expands slowly within the door,

The subconscious is always working beneath the surface,

Even when we don't see it.

So be patient.

Inner work is always unfolding.

Trust that once you begin the process and you continue the process,

There will always be a completion.

And let divine timing unfold naturally.

And then the next part,

Till it was.

And this phrase is written in the past tense,

Suggesting that the process is already completed.

And this kind of aligns with the law of assumption.

When we assume our transformation is already done,

The outer world must confirm to that belief.

So let me repeat that again.

And it says,

Till it was completely leavened.

And it's interesting that the phrase it was is written in the past tense,

Implying that it is a completed event.

Like the law of assumption.

You're living in the assumption of your wish fulfilled.

When we assume that our transformation is already done,

The outer world must confirm to that belief.

So begin thinking from the end,

Not toward it.

Assuming that your transformation is already complete.

If you have a certain goal that you're working towards,

Whether it's a spiritual goal,

Or it's a material goal,

Or it's a career goal,

Or it's a relationship goal,

Try to think in terms of,

If I already had this,

How would I be?

How would I behave?

How would I act?

How would I interact?

How would I talk?

And then starting to embody those properties,

Those characteristics within you.

And it ends with all leavened.

Till it has all leavened.

And this is complete expansion.

This is complete manifestation.

The process has reached completion.

There is no part left untouched.

In the same way as the yeast permeates the dough,

The whole flower has risen.

In the same way,

Once truth,

Once divine truth is fully integrated into your consciousness,

Every aspect of your life will be transformed.

There is no partial transformation.

When the process is completed,

You are fully aligned with your divine nature.

So stop compartmentalizing.

Let your transformation expand into all areas of your life.

Your mind,

Your emotions,

Your habits,

Your relationships,

Your career,

Your health,

Your finances.

When you work on your inner world,

A natural outcome is that your outer world will automatically be affected.

Do not limit divine expansion.

Let it happen.

Allow that fullness of transformation to take place.

And that's an interpretation.

That's my interpretation of this parable.

So we'll now go into a guided meditation.

If you are seated,

Let yourself relax into your seat.

If you are sleeping,

Let the surface that you are sleeping on support you.

If you are walking around,

Going about your day,

Driving,

Just feel yourself relax a bit.

If it is safe to do so,

You can close your eyes.

And if you are not comfortable closing your eyes,

You can simply lower your gaze toward the floor.

Take a deep breath in.

Hold it for a bit.

And release it slowly.

Take another deep breath in.

Hold it.

And release it slowly while letting go of any tension in your body.

Take another deep breath in.

Hold it and let go of any tension in your body.

Let go of any thoughts.

Any thoughts of the past,

Any thoughts of the future.

Let them go as you release your breath.

This time is for you.

This moment is for you to receive,

To expand,

To align yourself with divine wisdom.

Breathe in once more.

As you exhale,

Imagine yourself becoming lighter,

Becoming more open,

Becoming deeply attuned with the divine flow.

And imagine yourself standing in a warm,

Inviting kitchen.

Imagine yourself standing in a warm,

Inviting kitchen.

The scent of fresh dough fills the air.

And on the table before you lies a bowl of flour,

Salt and water.

And you notice a small jar of leaven,

Yeast,

Beside it.

A voice within whispers,

This is your consciousness.

What you place within it will expand and shape your consciousness.

Your entire life.

And you understand that the flour represents your thoughts,

Emotions and beliefs.

The raw material of your reality.

And the leaven?

The leaven is your divine awareness,

Your belief in expansion,

Your knowing that the infinite power of creation is always working through you.

Reflect for a moment.

What flour,

As in thoughts,

Have you been working with lately?

What flour,

Thoughts,

Have you been working with lately?

Have you been feeding your mind with uplifting truths or limiting beliefs?

Are you allowing divine expansion?

Or are you resisting growth?

Without judgment and with gentle love.

Release any resistance.

Release any doubts.

Release any fears.

You are ready for transformation.

Now take the smallest pinch of leaven and place it into the bowl.

As you do,

You feel a deep shift within.

A new energy.

A quiet knowing that change has begun.

This is the moment you plant a new thought.

This is the moment you shift into a new consciousness.

This is the moment you say yes to your divine unfolding.

As you gently mix the leaven into the dough,

You whisper,

I allow divine wisdom to expand within me.

I open my mind,

My body,

And my spirit to infinite possibility.

Feel the energy of expansion working through you.

Feel the leaven working within your subconscious mind.

Feel the certainty that what is planted must grow.

Reflect for the moment.

What new truth do you want to plant within your mind today?

What belief will you allow to grow and take root in your consciousness?

How does it feel to know that transformation is already happening within you?

Breathe deeply.

Feel the shift.

Trust the process.

You set the dough aside and watch as it begins to rise.

Slowly.

Quietly.

Without force it expands.

You do not have to pull on it.

You do not have to force it.

You do not have to check on it constantly.

You simply allow it to happen.

And just as the leaven works unseen,

So does divine intelligence move through your life in perfect timing.

Your job is not to worry.

Your job is not to doubt.

Your job is simply to trust that what you have planted is growing.

Feel a deep sense of peace wash over you.

And reflect.

Where in your life do you need to release control and allow divine expansion?

What area of your life is already transforming even if you can't see it yet?

How can you relax and trust the divine process more deeply?

Breathe in faith.

Exhale doubt.

Breathe in certainty.

Exhale resistance.

After time has passed you return to the dough.

You see that it has doubled in size.

It is light,

Airy and full of life.

The small bit,

That smallest pinch of leaven you placed has worked its way through the entire batch.

You now understand the smallest thought can thee place,

Can thee shape your entire life.

The beliefs you plant will expand and take root in ways beyond your imagination.

The divine is always working,

Even when you don't see the process unfolding.

You take a deep breath and whisper.

I trust the expansion of my highest good.

I allow divine wisdom to unfold in my life.

Your transformation is already happening.

You are already growing,

Expanding,

Rising into your highest self.

Reflect here for the moment.

What is one thing in your life that has already begun to shift?

How can you nurture your spiritual growth daily?

What is one small action you will take today to live in alignment with your expansion?

Breathe in gratitude.

Breathe out certainty.

You are leavened.

You are rising.

You are transformed.

You feel lighter,

Expanded,

Open to the infinite possibilities before you.

You know now that change is always happening within you,

Even when you can't see it.

You trust that the divine leaven is working in your consciousness,

Shaping your highest reality.

And slowly start to bring your awareness back to the present moment.

Wiggle your fingers.

Wiggle your toes.

Feel yourself fully grounded,

Fully present,

Fully alive.

Fully transformed.

And when you are ready,

Gently open your eyes.

A few questions that you can reflect on during the day.

What insights came to you during this meditation?

What area of your life do you feel is already rising,

Is already transforming?

And what is that one step,

One action that you can take today to support your expansion?

What action can we take?

What is the daily action that we can take based on this parable?

Firstly,

Plant the right thoughts.

Because our thoughts are the leaven,

What we plant in our mind will expand into reality.

Make sure you are planting the right thoughts.

Secondly,

Trust the process.

Because when you are making bread and once you've mixed the yeast and you've left it to rise,

The last thing you would want to do is go in digging back again into that mixture.

Because then it's not going to rise.

So trust the process,

Stop digging up the dough.

As long as you are doing every day what needs to be done,

What you're expecting will manifest.

Thirdly,

Expand into aligned action.

Aligned action,

Inspired action.

Make sure that the actions that you take in whatever you're doing today,

It aligns with what you believe.

So take an aligned action,

Take an inspired action that reflects the transformation that you desire.

If your belief is in prosperity,

Invest in yourself.

If you believe in health,

Nurture your body.

If you believe in love,

Express love freely.

And fourthly,

Take some time every day to reflect.

How did I expand today?

What inner growth am I noticing?

What inner growth am I absorbing?

Reaffirm your beliefs.

The more you affirm your expansion,

The more it takes over your consciousness.

So create and choose affirmations that are aligned to the journey that you're on.

So thank you everyone for being here at today's event.

Love,

Light,

Blessings.

Namaste.