1.
Prayer
Almighty God, kindle in every heart
the true love of peace, and guide
with your wisdom those in positions
of authority and power, that in tranquility
your dominion may increase until
the earth is filled with knowledge
of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

2.
Based on our recently approved
budget for 2023, anticipating $250,000
in giving, we need to average roughly
$20,833/mo
In January we received $18,424
Thank you so much!
JANUARYGIVINGUPDATE

3.
theCHURCH
CALENDAR

4.
The Gospel writers, in their
wisdom, left most of the
parables as open narratives in
order to invite us into
engagement with them. Each
reader will hear a distinct
message and may find that the
same parable leaves multiple
impressions over time. Different
audiences inevitably hear
different messages (and) this
surplus of meaning is how
AMY-JILL
LEVINE

5.
Jesus’ followers, like Jesus
himself, were Jewish, and Jews
knew that parables were more
than children’s stories or
restatements of common
knowledge, (but) were there to
prompt them to see the world in
a different way, to challenge, and
at times indict. We might be
better off thinking less about
what they “mean” and more
about what
AMY-JILL
LEVINE

6.
Part 4: Matthew 13 and Luke 13
PARABLES and the EPIPHANY

7.
THE OXFORD HYPOTHESIS
*MARK
*MATTHE
W
*LUKE
Q
L
M
Only in
Matthew
Copied from
Mark
Mark is
used
Only in
Luke
Parallels in Mt/Lk,
but not in Mark
*Synoptic Gospels = able to be seen together

8.
Αλλην παραβολὴν
ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς, Ὁμοία
ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν
οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ,
ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ
ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου
σάτα τρία, ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη
ὅλον.
MATTHEW 13:33
καὶ πάλιν εἶπε, Τίνι
ὁμοιώσω τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ
Θεοῦ; ὁμοία ἐστὶ ζύμῃ, ἣν
λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν
εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, ἕως
οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον.
LUKE 13:20-21

9.
He told them still
another parable:
“The kingdom of heaven
is like yeast that a woman
took and mixed into
about three measures of
flour* until it worked all
through the dough.”
MATTHEW 13:33
Again he asked,
“What shall I compare
the kingdom of God to?
It is like yeast that a
woman took and mixed
into about three measures
of flour *
until it worked all
through the dough.”
LUKE 13:20-21
* 3 measures of flour = 60lbs = @50-60 loaves of bread;
@600 cinnamon rolls; @1,125 batches of playdough;
@1,000-2,000 donuts w/leftovers for donut holes, fritters, etc.

10.
According to most major
English translations, the woman
’mixed’ the yeast…The problem
is that the Greek does not say
‘mixed.’
The Greek term is enkrupto
which comes from a root
meaning ’hide,’ as in cryptology
or… encryption…she is literally
doing something secretly
with an ambivalent or
multivalent substance that
AMY-JILL
LEVINE

11.
We should be reminded of the
places in the scriptures of Israel
where the phrase ’three
measures of flour’…appear.
Genesis 18 (should come to
mind)…
AMY-JILL
LEVINE

12.
”(Abraham) looked up and saw
three men standing near him…
‘Let me bring a little bread,
that you may refresh yourselves,
and after that you may pass on—
since you have come to your
servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as
you have said.’ And Abraham
hastened into the tent to Sarah, and
said, ‘Make ready quickly three
measures of choice flour, knead it,
and make cakes.’”

13.
We should be reminded of the
places in the scriptures of Israel
where the phrase ’three
measures of flour’…appear.
Genesis 18 (should come to
mind). Not only do the three
measures make
a connection to our parable;
so does the term for ‘cakes,’
(which) the Septuagint
translates as enkruyias, which
refers to a
AMY-JILL
LEVINE

14.
but WHAT does it MEAN?!
OR, better yet, WHAT does it DO?!

15.
• Like a baby in the womb, the
kingdom comes with
nurturing
POSSIBLITIES…

16.
• Like a baby in the womb, the
kingdom comes with
nurturing
• There is hidden spiritual
potential in the basics of life
POSSIBLITIES…

17.
• Like a baby in the womb, the
kingdom comes with
nurturing
• There is hidden spiritual
potential in the basics of life
• God’s Kingdom requires
watchful care
POSSIBLITIES…

18.
• Like a baby in the womb, the
kingdom comes with
nurturing
• There is hidden spiritual
potential in the basics of life
• God’s Kingdom requires
watchful care
• The importance of
extravagance and generosity
towards others
POSSIBLITIES…

19.
• Like a baby in the womb, the
kingdom comes with
nurturing
• There is hidden spiritual
potential in the basics of life
• God’s Kingdom requires
watchful care
• The importance of
extravagance and generosity
towards others
POSSIBLITIES…

20.
Maybe its that God is
attentive, careful, creative,
generous,
and surprisingly capable
of making hidden things
visible, and working through
the process of death and
decay
in order to bring abundant life
WHAT does this PARABLE
REVEAL about GOD?

21.
Closing Prayer
O God of light, your searching Spirit
reveals and illumines your presence in creation.
Shine your radiant holiness into our lives,
that we may offer our hands and hearts
to your work: to heal and shelter,
to feed and clothe, to break every yoke,
and to set every captive free.
Amen.