Bread, Yeast, and Bricks

Wednesday is the night we go to bible class. Tim and I are in the same class and we have really enjoyed it along with feeling challenged by some of the lessons.

The lesson last night was over the 16th chapter in the book of Matthew. Jesus was being tested by the religious rulers of his day. He used some harsh language when he spoke to them and then later warned the disciples about the "yeast of the Pharisees." Our class discussion centered around "rules" mentality and how the Pharisees bound these rules on the other Jews of their day. Jesus warns the disciples about the teachings and uses the analogy of yeast during this conversation.

When using yeast in baking bread, the yeast has to be kneeded into the flour so that it is incorporated throughout the whole batch of dough. When bad yeast is used in making bread, the finished loaf is hard as a brick. When a "rules" oriented Christian centers his/her life around the "do's and don'ts", the heart begins to harden, much like the hard loaf of bread. It is no longer soft and therefore unable to show forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and grace. That is why Jesus warns the disciples against the "yeast of the Pharisees."

Tim and I spent most of the way home discussing how we were raised and some of the teachings we heard from the pulpit and in bible class. We came from an era of "rules" and warnings of the "yeast of the Pharisees" but never was the emphasis of this passage on the harding of the heart. It was always on false teaching of other religious denominations. We had to be careful of "false" teachers (other religions) and we had to keep the letter of the law, even though there were scriptures that discussed "freedom in Christ." It's difficult for people to reconcile rule-following and freedom.

I am still pondering the things we heard in class. Rules do NOT save you. Jesus saves you. Yes, sins are forgiven; only one is unforgiveable. Yes, we are suppose to flee from sin and temptation, but there are also times when we stumble and fall. We are human and make bad choices all the time. Jesus offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy, not so that we can keep on sinning, not so we can have a "Get Out of Hell Free" card from the ramifications of sin, but so that we might look to him for help up and out of our sin, shake ourselves off, and keep on going.

Next time we eat a piece of bread, let us examine our heart . . .