By Sidharth Mohandas
In the Old Covenant, God gave them specific instructions concerning the grain offering. One such instruction was that no leaven or honey was to be used in the offering [Leviticus 2:11]. I thought to myself, Doesn’t leaven help the dough rise and isn’t the honey sweet? What does God mean by having unleavened bread?
I was led to a verse in the first epistle to the Corinthians:
“…but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” [1 Corinthians 5:8]
Unleavened bread symbolizes sincerity and truth. When leaven is added to the dough, the dough is given a sponge like texture unlike its original texture. The word that came to my mind: Artificiality! Today I’m especially concerned about the area of speech; God wants no artificial talk coming out from us; no sweet, flattering, honey-like talk. He wants sincerity and truth.
As I examined my own life I saw how I have said things to people without meaning them, so as to make them feel good or get along with them. Far from being rude, God wants us to speak the truth in love [Ephesians 4:15]. Modern day churches fear talking about anything that will make their members squirm in their seats. Some people stay in a local church as long as the pastor preaches things that will tickle their ears or bring goose bumps.
Take a moment and think about the many different greetings we use daily perhaps with little or no thought at all. When we greet someone out of mere habit, rather than in sincerity, we are indeed baking leavened bread!
Let’s make a decision to give careful thought to what we say. Like how honey turns into a black mass when passed through fire, some of our words and greetings are nothing but black masses when tested with God’s fire.
With Moses I say, “ye shall put away leaven out of your houses” [Exodus 12: 15]
Another phrase people seem to throw around these days is “I’ll be praying for you”. At times this seems misused like “how are you”. It is said, but sadly not meant.
Amen, Jeff. I had that in mind but then somehow I forgot to put it in the post. There are so many such religious cliches that people use. Thanks for adding that comment!
Sid
I was going to mention the “I’ll pray for you” thing as well. There is a lot of that going around nowadays. I also like how you interjected the “programmed” greeting. I always thought it would be fun if someone asked me how I was to really tell them and see if they stayed around to listen.
That’s also a reminder for me as well. I fall into that trapping as well.
hi
yes we do use words loosely at time yet we must try to not to as it is written somewhere that we will be judged by our words, i’m sure Mike may know or even Sid were this scripture is in the N.T
Matthew 12:36 is the scripture you’re looking for Inspired. Good memory!!
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken”