Monday, March 24, 2025

Listen to the Word

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:33)

Notice an apparently random detail in the one-sentence parable Jesus tells in today’s verse: the lone character in the parable is a woman. Before you say, “So what?” you should probably ponder the fact that no other self-respecting first century rabbi would feature a woman in a parable. Rabbis agreed with the cultural assumption of their day that women were “less than,” and assumed that they were not capable of being vessels of important spiritual truth.

But Jesus, who knew the heart of God better than any rabbi, knew better. His parables are full of lead actresses. A few examples: today’s baker demonstrates how the Kingdom spreads; a bunch of bridesmaids illustrate the need to be ready for Jesus (Matthew 25); a woman illuminates God’s heart for those far from him through her relentless search for a lost coin (Luke 15); and a widow shows us how to pray with persistence (Luke 18).

Jesus recognized that women are no less valuable than men, no less capable of receiving spiritual truth, and no less able to be bearers of that truth.

Live the Word

Think of a woman or girl who is a blessing in your life. Thank God for her, and pray that she will recognize how highly Jesus treasures her.