“He told them another parable.
‘The kingdom of heaven is
Like yeast
That a woman took.
She mixed in
Three measures of flour,
Until all of it was leavened.’”
Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον.
This parable about the yeast in bread can be found in in Luke, chapter 13:20, indicating a Q source. Once again, the emphasis of this parable is growth from a small piece of flour to a large leavened loaf of bread because of the yeast. Jesus, via Matthew, told them another short parable (Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς). The kingdom of heaven is like yeast (Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ). A woman mixed in three measures of flour (ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία,) so that the bread was all leavened (ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον). The kingdom of heaven will be like this leavened bread, always expanding.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 