The answer is: Three

Matt 13:33

In the parable of the leaven found in Matthew 13:33, a woman took three measures of flour and mixed it with a small amount of leaven. This ratio is fascinating not just for its numeric simplicity but also because it speaks volumes about change and influence. The number three often represents completeness or wholeness in biblical literature.

Consider how leaven works. Just a tiny bit of yeast (often equated to "leaven" in biblical texts) can permeate and transform a large batch of dough. Similarly, small actions or beliefs can trigger significant change — whether in a person's life or in the community at large. This parable encouragement anchors the idea that the simplest, humblest things—like yeast in flour—hold the power to spark considerable transformation.

Interestingly, the use of three measures of flour also alludes to the Jewish way of cooking, commonly leading up to unleavened bread for Passover, emphasizing how leaven can denote something extraordinary or hidden.

Furthermore, it echoes the notion of the Kingdom of Heaven as something rooted quietly but compellingly amid mundane life—as if God’s presence and work can flourish from even the smallest whispers. Overall, the skilled hand of the cook isn’t just about the flour and the leaven; it’s about understanding how significant society change is made, one that starts small and leads to a newly risen dough brimming with potential.