I wish my long-term memory was better. Then, I could remember how many sermons I have heard on this verse, which has been so often quoted by elders to youth that it has become part of the cultural lexicon:
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Galatians 5:9 KJV
A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise!
The Message
In the Bible, leaven can have both positive and negative connotations. Some theologians focus on verses that emphasize its positive or neutral applications. For example, in Matthew 13 Jesus is teaching by the seashore in Capernaum. Part of that teaching, verse 13, finds Him describing His kingdom as leaven. The connotation is that the kingdom of Heaven will spread like yeast spreads through a recipe of bread, hidden, working quietly, transforming. Hallelujah!
The Jews and Messianic Jews have for centuries celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (That's an entire blog post in and of itself.) This feast commemorates the Israelites' sudden departure from Egypt. They had to leave so quickly, their bread did not have time to rise! So, at that feast, leaven (or its absence) can be connected with haste, a semi-neutral concept. Other theologians, say that this typifies leaving the sin of Egypt behind them as they fled.
There are other negative connotations to leaven, and these are the most often cited.
We find in Leviticus 2:11 and 6:17 that bread with leaven could not be offered on the altar as a grain offering. Leaven accelerates the spoilage process in bread. (That's what fermentation is - - a type of spoilage.) Then, carrying that theme forward, Jesus used leaven to describe the rottenness of the ruling religious classes' doctrines, that of the Sadducees and Pharisees, in Matthew 16:6-12. So, of course, because Jesus used "leaven" as a type for sin, this interpretation has sort of stuck.
In Galatians 5, Paul carried forward this analogy to describe the false teachers who were leading astray the Galatians. Just a little false doctrine, properly nurtured, can cause a great deal of damage.
When I make bread I only use a level tablespoon of dry yeast, along with 4.5 cups of fresh flour. It doesn't take much to cause the bread to swell and rise.
My takeaway from Galatians 5:9 is that sin is not to be played around with. A little bit of sin can do a lot of damage. We may choose whether or not to sin, but we are not free to choose the consequences of our choices. Those are prescribed by God. Many times we fool ourselves into thinking, "It won't matter just this once", or "It won't affect me this way" only to find that our "little sin" has had life-altering consequences. If you have experienced this, you know exactly what Paul means.
A contemporary application of Galatians 5:9 is playing out on the campus of Wheaton College, a contemporary liberal arts college just west of Chicago, IL. One of its professors, Dr. Larycia Hawkins, last month made statements in social media that contradict the institution's Statement of Faith. It is common for Bible schools to require faculty and staff to sign a Statement of Faith pledge. These types of documents lay out the school's core beliefs and standards. By signing, the employee is promising to not only adhere to those beliefs but also to defend and promote them. Dr. Hawkins deviated significantly from the statement of faith which she signed, along with her other employment papers. Essentially, she stated that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Decrying the deity of Jesus Christ and denying the essential role He fulfills in the salvation of mankind is quite a breech. Since she has refused to back off from that position, Wheaton has begun termination procedures against her. She has chosen to become a detrimental form of leaven in that Bible-based institution.
Kudos to Wheaton College for standing for the truth, revealed in God's Word! Let's pray for them as they move through this very difficult situation, and for Dr. Hawkins, that the Holy Spirit will work in her heart through this, also. Jesus told us His disciples to "beware" false teaching and any kind of spiritual "leaven". We, as Christ-followers, should do the same. Regardless of the opportunities to sin, the temptations strewn into our path by the enemy, we should beware and resist/stand firm or, better yet, RUN in the opposite direction!
Dear Jesus, open my eyes to my sins, the leaven in my own life; and press my heart to, not only confess them, but to avoid temptation scenarios at all costs. In Jesus' name, amen.
Sources:
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/march-2007/02
http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/december/wheaton-college-hijab-professor-same-god-larycia-hawkins.html
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