English
Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of the Father is like a woman. She took a little yeast, buried it in dough, and made it into large loaves. Whoever has ears, let him hear.’
Interpretation
The form of the saying is different between Thomas and the synoptics, but the meaning appears to be the same: God’s kingdom is already being established, prior to the eschaton, but it is slowly growing through the people who dedicate their lives to it.
Parallels
Matthew
13.33 He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’
Luke
13.20–21 And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’