Passover Musings.

I forget how to start blogs these days. I try to start them like I am talking directly to you, but for some reason I get a few lines in and scrap the entire conversation. I doubt you appreciate that since, in real life it would be as if you were starting to say something and I glanced at my phone and walked away.

What I want to talk about this month is Passover and unleavened bread. I was privileged enough to be asked to help throw a Passover dinner with some friends and it was awesome. This was the first time that I had lamb and it tasted delicious, the only time before that was in a gyro so, now I don't know what to believe. It gives me hope because for me, I consider myself a symbolism guy and to say that "Lamb just isn't my taste" always made me a little uncomfortable theologically. I did a clean on parts of my house and removed (ate) the leavened things before they were Biblically off limits for Unleavened bread. This lead to an interesting predicament.

There are those who clean out the leaven out of their house and they usually give it away to those that do not observe the feast. I've done this in the past, but over the last few years I've adopted the mindset that if it's sin, it's sin. Aren't we as believers supposed to be about 1) removing sin from our lives, and 2) teaching others how to be that example of Christ?  If it is a sin for me to be eating unleavened items during unleavened bread, then it would be a sin for me to give unleavened bread to another person and therefore contribute to their sin. This is the conclusion that I have come to in my walk.

This post may be a little scattered and hazy, on account of my being Italian and not having full bread or pasta, it's taking a greater effect that I'd like to admit. Where was I? Oh right. So, I did a clean on parts of my house and knowing the time was approaching I didn't buy more things with leavening in them as to not be in a situation where I am purchasing things to just throw away.  Some times I attend a bible study with a well meaning guy who brings a teaching that is somewhere doctrinally comparable to what I believe being like Baseball, and what he believes being like Cricket. Might be a weird analogy, because the guy isn't British, but I think he is Jewish. Either way, we both have hearts to keep God's times. So I'm trying to get my house squared, but I've got roommates. They're believers, but compared to the theological analogy of Baseball vs Cricket, they're probably more Softballers.  Teacher guy decides to clear out his leaven and pass it over to my roommates. Now the leaven is in my house, with Softballers who I've been talking about major league stuff with. It's in my dugout.

This got me to thinking about other sins. Do we do this with other sins? Do we excuse certain sins because the players aren't in the same sport? I, am a terrible example of righteous living... but in my defense, which is no defense at all, I do tell people out right that when I am in sin, it doesn't excuse the sin. The sin doesn't cease being as such because I am in rebellion. It's still sin, and I should be a better example of resisting it. I don't think I have ever told someone that something in the Bible that God has defined as Sin ( not issues of personal conviction mind you, but God laid text) wasn't a sin to them if they did it because of  X_________. This is something that I have mused over, and researched some, but could stand to study more you know?  I'm getting that conversational rhythm back, you know. Yeah, you know.  I'm not trying to be unfair to the Cricket players standards because he's still working out his stuff and in fairness he hasn't been doing this for as long, and probably hasn't' had anyone on his wavelength that knew enough to check him on some of the things that he's brought about. Is that MY place? probably not. Do I do it anyway? Like a compulsion. I do limit my attendance for both of our sake.

The question still stands, If sin is the transgression of God's law, and God's law is His self disclosure to the world, Then should it matter if you're Jew or Gentile, Saved or not, Man or Woman, Child or Adult? Shouldn't Sin be opposite of God and therefore be avoided by all of mankind? I have a hard time seeing it not. If we look at it as some sins for one race and others for another, I think that fosters a sense of elitism and division between nationalities and it turns the Commands of God from a position of "living like the Savior" to a position of elitism.  If Galatians 3:28-29 is to be true that we are all believers in Christ and therefore descendants of Abraham, then we should be looking out for other believers in trying to keep them from sin regardless of birthright.

Chocolate covered matza is the best way to eat matza. I saw a video wishing people a happy Passover and they used Matza as like, construction material. It made me laugh because of parallels. Never fails though, I get two days into unleavened bread and every time I turn around, I am punched in the mouth with a longing for doughnuts. I've also learned how easy it is to live off of lunchmeat, honey mustard and a tortilla.  The tortilla is really just an eatable plate.