Unleavened bread is that which does not contain yeast. While flatbreads have greatly increased in popularity–historically, this bread holds significant meaning. The great Old Testament Exodus (when God, through Moses, led the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt) was a swiftly moving event. In their preparations for leaving, they were instructed not to use yeast in their dough for there would not be enough time for it to rise.
God also instructed that this great event be commemorated every year, continuing to every generation in perpetuity. This celebratory remembrance of their freedom from slavery has indeed continued and is what we commonly know and refer to as Passover, which contains the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In anticipation of this Lenten season, it occurred to me to think about the properties of unleavened bread and how they could be adapted and incorporated in a way that could bring a feasting of nourishment to each of our lives. I began to consider three intertwining components that I feel, represents an “unleavened life”. It all revolves around simplicity, gratitude, and values.
In thinking about simplicity, we know that bread without yeast does not rise. Its appearance is thin and set low, as opposed to the beautiful rise of freshly baked bread containing yeast. Unleavened bread is not the showpiece you would use to impress your dinner company. However, we can translate the simplicity of its appearance as being representative of particular character traits such as a postured lowliness; a life that is willing to bend to accommodate others; a life that is marked by humility and modesty. This is how our Lord walked this earth, as an example for us to follow.
Unfortunately, the world in which we live today is anything but humble and modest. For many it’s all about their “rising” status, a puffed up pride that values acquirement over sacrifice, and pushing the envelope in their appearance and in risque or indecent behaviors. There seems to be no self-imposed limits, everything goes, and what they already possess is never enough. Their appetites crave to have more–whether fame, fortune or recognition. This actually makes sense because worldly appetites can never be satisfied. They must continually be fed again and again, and usually with ever-increasing debauchery.
These days it seems as though everyone is a celebrity, from reality shows to influencers. We are targeted and marketed to the inth degree for the things we “must have” in order to be happy. It can all be summed up in the contemporary term, “selfie”. The worship of self is on full display in ways we’ve never encountered before.
Stepping aside from the worldly climate of those yet to be saved, we all have our personal struggles. Christians are not immune, and at times, can even be more vulnerable than others in trying to bring balance to our days. Our lives have gotten so crazy busy! The ever-present, tugging demands for our time and attention leave us feeling like a wilted weed; we are parched, blurry eyed and dizzy with hunger for a break. We know what we need: a sense of inner peace, a slower pace. We want to worship and serve and honor our Lord. Yet, our lives are cluttered to the point of claustrophobia, and over-extended to the point of exhaustion. We are feeling the crush of the rush, rush, rush. There are times when I can definitely feel it. There never seems to be enough time to get it all done!
Life can get sticky and complicated, sometimes we just need to stop and unwind–then we need to rewind. Rather than feeling overwhelmed and overtaken by all of our commitments and responsibilities in life, perhaps we need to take an honest inventory of what needs to stay, and what needs to go. Engaging in a serious, prayerful, intentional accounting of the path we are walking, who we are following, and what direction it is taking us–may just lead us to the peace and calm residing in simplicity. We never want to crowd out what is most important; we never want to lose sight of our purpose.
There is much to be said for dwelling in the pure honesty of a simple life. A life that is being emptied of fretfulness, worry and a never-ending cycle of busyness, is a life that can be filled with deep assurances concerning faith and trust. A clean and simple life is marked by the prioritizing of eternal things over the temporal, of decluttering the chaotic excess that surrounds us, which creates disharmony and can contribute to stress.
How wonderful it would be to pare our lives down to only those things which we truly need–to have or to do for ourselves–in order to create the time and the space for the things we need to give unto others. Anyone who gives of themselves in service to others, will always receive more in return than they started with–more joy, more satisfaction, more desire to continue giving. Just as the Israelites fled for their lives out of Egypt, let us first cling to the God who frees us, then flee to the good works we are called to do.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38
I love the imagery of this overflowing blessing being “poured into our lap”. A lap indicates we are seated, we are the passive recipient. Our Lord Jesus is actively at work: teaching, loving, blessing, and rewarding us. Why? Because He is the lover of our soul. He wants us to understand what a life of loving looks like so that He may reveal His desire to measure out to us in abundance!
Reflecting again upon the simple, humble effects of an unleavened life, I believe gratitude plays an important part in this. Intentionally removing distractions (cell phones? television?) that can turn into obstacles, allows us the opportunity to spend more quiet time with God in our thought life and prayer life, and in our worship and study. All of these disciplines are so beneficial for us! In fact, we were made for such intimate times as these–time spent in furthering our relationship with God. As we put these disciplines into action, we shall reap the rewards in countless ways. When we begin to focus more on Him and less on self, our deepened awareness results in an abundance of gratitude–for all that He is, and for all that He does.
In connecting gratitude to Passover, it’s the very reason it is celebrated. It is gratitude in remembrance of God’s saving power in bringing freedom from oppression. He can bring that to us as well–refreshing and restoring when the demands of life seem to be pressing in all around us, wanting to enslave us with its crushing power. God stills our internal chaos; He leads us to the calming streams of living water, giving rest unto our souls.
This writing has brought to mind an old Quaker hymn:
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where I ought to be;
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed;
to turn, turn, will be my delight.
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
Leading a simple, uncomplicated life is a gift that frees us. By turning away from all that wants to disrupt our relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sharpens our focus. It helps prioritize our values to align more closely with our belief system. This brings a deeper meaning, purpose and connection to our lives, and a deeper sense of fulfillment in all that we do.
The Exodus from Egypt was the starting point of a long and eventful journey toward a land that was flowing with milk and honey. That is always where God is wanting to lead us…to a better land, a better place, a better marriage, a better choice, a better way, a better outcome. By His creative hand, He leads us to the place we were destined to be. This is our joy to behold when we engage more fully in the long and winding journey of faith. He restores our life, our very soul. And one day, we will taste the sweet honeyed fruit of our labors.
