Unleavened bread

The recent recession has been called a watershed event, one of those points in time that marks a strong difference in how things get done. A watershed, of course, is a geological way of defining how water flows: at certain places it no longer flows one way but instead, due to changes in the landscape, flows somewhere else.

Paul points to the ultimate watershed event in all of history in 1 Cor 5:7&8: "Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

The watershed event, the one that started everything flowing in a new direction, was the sacrifice of Christ, our Passover Lamb. As a result, Paul says, it's out with the old (leaven) and in with something new.

Keep in mind that this is in the context of the man in an incestuous relationship with his step-mother. The old leaven Paul refers to is the old sinful ways that we used to do church, with no accountability for what he calls "malice and evil."

I find it interesting that Paul doesn't say put in new leaven, he says worship with unleavened bread. A couple of thoughts here: First, coupled with reference to the Passover lamb, this is a deliberate reference to the use of unleavened bread at the original Passover and every celebration since. In this way Paul still honors Jewish history, reminding us that Old Testament principles endure even if practices don't.

The second thought: We don't need to add anything to what Christ has done. His work is sufficient, and the best way to honor it is with "sincerity and truth;" that is, accurately reflect what has been done, rather than trying to embellish.

It would be interesting sometime to review our worship to see how much embellishment is there. Even more, what about church life as a whole? Is there still some old leaven, some tolerance for malice and evil? Or do we serve one another in sincerity and truth?

Remember the reason: the amazing sacrifice of Jesus means we're free of all that. If we still do it, that's our choice, but it's not a choice that honors the sacrifice