Unleavened Souls

The first few chapters of 1 Corinthians talks about a problem most of us can identify with--divisions in the church. Everyone claims to have knowledge of the truth, yet somehow each "truth" is different. And so we accuse each other of following after man-made doctrines or misrepresenting the text. We're too narrow-sighted to see that maybe we just might be wrong; that maybe the text isn't quite as clear as we think that it should be.

Some of the popular arguments around this time of year revolve around the calendar, the timing of Passover, the definition of leaven, the sequence of events surrounding Yeshua's crucifixion, Messiah's role as the Passover Lamb, the pagan roots of Easter, the role of tradition in our lives (e.g. the Seder), etc.

This is the season for getting rid of leaven. Typically, leaven is seen as a metaphor for sin, however, I want to suggest a different interpretation. I see leaven as teaching or doctrine. That's how it seems to be used in Matt. 16:12. You might say "But teaching isn't always a bad thing." True. Leaven isn't either. Matt. 13:33 uses leaven in a positive context. Lev. 23:17 describes an offering that is to be baked with leaven. Of course, this is all just a picture or midrash.

If we take this picture back to the original Exodus story, it would look something like this. God commands all of Israel to get rid of their leaven or doctrine in Egypt--to leave their Egyptian ways behind. Fifty days later, God presents the Torah at Shavuot. Shavuot is the only day when a leavened offering is brought to the altar. Perhaps because this is when God gave His Torah, his teaching to Israel. It's the good leaven.

Jump forward 1500 years and Paul is talking about leaven again. In 1 Cor. 5 he talks about the leaven of "malice and evil." Curiously, this whole book is filled with warnings about knowledge and human wisdom. 1 Cor. 8:1 says "knowledge puffs up"--much like leaven puffs up bread. Paul urges us to cleanse out the leaven that causes us to boast.

Instead we must walk humbly with our God. Drop back to the Exodus story and we find that no man may eat of the Passover Lamb without being circumcised. Looking at the spiritual side again, Deut. 10:16 commands us to "circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stubborn." That's humility.

Paul warns us about partaking of the Lord's Supper (which I see to be the Passover) in an unworthy manner. 1 Cor. 11:16-34 speaks of how there are divisions in the church and when the people come together to partake of the Lord's Supper they bring judgment upon themselves. Because they come with an uncircumcised heart. They do not examine themselves before they partake of the blood and body of Messiah.

Now I've tried to paint a picture here for you. I realize that you may not agree with all the details of this picture--that's ok. The point I'm trying to drive home is that this is a time to lay aside our doctrinal differences and come together as one body. Circumcise your heart, cast out your leaven and come as unleavened souls--completely emptied of everything except for the power of Christ in you. "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).

Because on this night of watching only one thing matters:

The blood is on the doorpost

The family is in the house

Redemption is at our doorstep

Tonight we shall become free