would have been more appropriate. The issue is rather that leaven is hidden in the flour but irresistibly leavens a large amount of flour.63 Thus it is with the kingdom of God. Once the “leaven” is in it, an irresistible process leads to excessive fullness. In this parable the idea of “growth” is more central than it is in the parable of the mustard seed; in my view its closest parallel is the parable of the seed growing by itself. Where Matthew’s church found its own experiences in this parable