Hidden Yeast

Scripture: Luke 12:1b-2 – “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known.” (NRSVUE)

What are you hiding? If you are making bread, you might be hiding yeast.

Yeast is something that most people don’t think about, especially since most of us buy bread at a grocery store rather than make it ourselves. Yeast is a fungus that uses fermentation, converting carbohydrates like sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yeast can be used to make wine or beer, but it is mostly connected to bread, specifically adding air to the dough. Yeast makes bread that is filled with air, soft and fluffy, rather than dense or crispy. A few attempts at homemade bread without using enough healthy yeast have proven to me how important it can be.

But yeast, while loved by bread makers the world ‘round, has a mixed reception in the Bible. Jesus tells a parable about how the Kingdom of God is like a woman who hid yeast in batches of flour until it was leavened. A standard interpretation is that the Kingdom of God grows from humble beginnings to something large and wonderful.

But Jesus also warns his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees, which he identifies with hypocrisy. With the parable, what seems invisible leads to positive to growth, but the secrets of the Pharisees lead only to boastfulness. The yeast of the Pharisees does not fill them with tasty bubbles but with hot air. What they are hiding is not something important that is easily ignored, but something shameful which is hidden from view.

This leads to an important question for us. What are the things in our lives that we are keeping secret and what would happen if people learned about them? When we pray in private, the strength we find from our connection to God can have great benefits. The generosity we do not boast about can lead to good without it being all about us. If people learned about these things, we might feel embarrassed, but certainly not ashamed.

But what about the things that would humiliate us, or expose us as hypocrites? Those things may one day see the light of day. What can we do if they are? They say it is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, but it is even easier not to do it in the first place.

How do we manage our secret behavior? I think it starts with those private prayers. When we can admit to ourselves that our hidden yeast is puffing us up, that is the first sign towards change. We all know how dangerous a lack of transparency can be for organizations like governments or churches, and it can be just as destructive for our families and our sense of self. So, be honest and humble in your prayers, and may your secrets lead to good things.

Prayer: God, help me to be humble as I walk the road of faith with you. Amen.