2.3.25 ~ A New Lump
Good morning!
Yesterday, I began sharing with you some thoughts on the feast of unleavened bread by comparing leavened bread with the guarding of Passover's Unleavened Bread. What we didn't address in our first study was what the leaven included.
When Yeshua spoke to His disciples, He warned them of 3 types of leaven (Matt. 16:6-12; Lk. 18:5):
-Pharisees: hypocrisy; were not fair-you-see.
-Sadducees: denied the resurrection, the Spirit and Angels; they were sad-you-see.
-Herod: dependence on the government's provision, which leads to their control over our lives.
The Apostle Paul warned the assembly of Galatia that a little leaven will leaven the whole lump (Gal. 5:9) and with a similar theme he reminded the Corinthians to keep the feast of Unleavened Bread/zyme/matzah with sincerity (1 Cor. 5:6).
In each case, the metaphor of leaven means some small thing that is introduced into the group that changes the whole (Matt. 13:32). But in order for the “leaven” to have its effect, it must be within the large substance. Bread does not rise if the leaven is left on the nearby shelf. Hint, hint.
What's ironic about the introduction of leaven, in each case, the source seems fairly clear that the influencers are closely connected to those who make up the bread (1 Cor. 10:17). They would not have any effect on the believers if they were simply outsiders proposing alternative rituals and theological understanding. As outsiders, they would be easily dismissed or ignored as 'red light' strangers. The concern over the detrimental influence of these leavening agents is based on the fact that they are already incorporated into the assembly, and, in fact, have already affected their direction; the warning is not against foreign invaders. Would there even be a point of the leaven metaphor if the threat is not internal? Nope.
The leaven metaphor also implies that the people do not perceive this leavening force as harmful or threatening, since it's so small and it's a long time process; like 'the boiling frog story'. In fact, it seems quite the opposite - they will share the pathway proposed by these leavening agents as beneficial and necessary.
Regardless of who gave the emphasis of these leavening agents, behind every warning, there is the encouragement to be a full-functioning citizen of the Kingdom; hence there was a significantly strong appeal to the warning.
One thing I should point out, which is obviously not obvious, is that there is no suggestion that the leaven is the Torah/Instructions of God's Word! In other words, it does not entail that God's Torah, aka the law of Moses, has been abandoned. On the contrary, I am expected to live according to the code of conduct so that I might demonstrate to the world that my life has been changed by the hand of God. Some, mistakenly, have thrown out the baby with the bath water and ever since they have attempted to build their own standards for conduct, with dismal results (Rev. 3:14-21).
It might be worth asking ourselves, “How much leaven do we have in our assembly?” “How much have we changed the standards to accommodate the leaven instead of throwing out the leaven and keeping the unleavened bread?” "How much leaven of the Pharisees has affected my life?" "How much leaven of the Sadducees has affected my life?" How dependent am I on the powers that be"? If you're like the average loaf of 'Iron enriched Wonder Bread', probably too much. Remember, the threat is not the attack of the world; it is the subtle alteration from inside displayed with “good” reasons.
It's time to get rid of that old leaven and become a new lump (1 Cor. 5:7).
Passover's coming :-)!
Shalom
-Pharisees: hypocrisy; were not fair-you-see.
-Sadducees: denied the resurrection, the Spirit and Angels; they were sad-you-see.
-Herod: dependence on the government's provision, which leads to their control over our lives.
The Apostle Paul warned the assembly of Galatia that a little leaven will leaven the whole lump (Gal. 5:9) and with a similar theme he reminded the Corinthians to keep the feast of Unleavened Bread/zyme/matzah with sincerity (1 Cor. 5:6).
In each case, the metaphor of leaven means some small thing that is introduced into the group that changes the whole (Matt. 13:32). But in order for the “leaven” to have its effect, it must be within the large substance. Bread does not rise if the leaven is left on the nearby shelf. Hint, hint.
What's ironic about the introduction of leaven, in each case, the source seems fairly clear that the influencers are closely connected to those who make up the bread (1 Cor. 10:17). They would not have any effect on the believers if they were simply outsiders proposing alternative rituals and theological understanding. As outsiders, they would be easily dismissed or ignored as 'red light' strangers. The concern over the detrimental influence of these leavening agents is based on the fact that they are already incorporated into the assembly, and, in fact, have already affected their direction; the warning is not against foreign invaders. Would there even be a point of the leaven metaphor if the threat is not internal? Nope.
The leaven metaphor also implies that the people do not perceive this leavening force as harmful or threatening, since it's so small and it's a long time process; like 'the boiling frog story'. In fact, it seems quite the opposite - they will share the pathway proposed by these leavening agents as beneficial and necessary.
Regardless of who gave the emphasis of these leavening agents, behind every warning, there is the encouragement to be a full-functioning citizen of the Kingdom; hence there was a significantly strong appeal to the warning.
One thing I should point out, which is obviously not obvious, is that there is no suggestion that the leaven is the Torah/Instructions of God's Word! In other words, it does not entail that God's Torah, aka the law of Moses, has been abandoned. On the contrary, I am expected to live according to the code of conduct so that I might demonstrate to the world that my life has been changed by the hand of God. Some, mistakenly, have thrown out the baby with the bath water and ever since they have attempted to build their own standards for conduct, with dismal results (Rev. 3:14-21).
It might be worth asking ourselves, “How much leaven do we have in our assembly?” “How much have we changed the standards to accommodate the leaven instead of throwing out the leaven and keeping the unleavened bread?” "How much leaven of the Pharisees has affected my life?" "How much leaven of the Sadducees has affected my life?" How dependent am I on the powers that be"? If you're like the average loaf of 'Iron enriched Wonder Bread', probably too much. Remember, the threat is not the attack of the world; it is the subtle alteration from inside displayed with “good” reasons.
It's time to get rid of that old leaven and become a new lump (1 Cor. 5:7).
Passover's coming :-)!
Shalom
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