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Bad Yeast and Good Yeast

Links for today’s readings:

Aug 20  Read: Jeremiah 14 Listen: (3:51) Read: Galatians 5 Listen: (3:22)

Scripture Focus: Galatians 5.6-9

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

Reflection: Bad Yeast and Good Yeast

By John Tillman

Paul repeats this line, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough,” in 1 Corinthians. (1 Cor 5.6-7) In Corinthians, Paul was concerned that a case of sexual immorality would spread and damage the reputation of the church. Here, Paul was concerned that the Galatians were being misled to follow strict Jewish laws.

So which is it, Paul? Does “yeast” lead to breaking God’s law or to following God’s law? If one law from scripture is binding, Paul, why do you say people don’t have to follow them all?

In the majority of scripture yeast is treated like a corrupting agent. Nearly every mention is about keeping yeast out of spaces, places, and food that is holy. This goes back to the establishment of Passover. Making bread without yeast in that meal symbolized the haste with which the Israelites were to leave Egypt. (Ex 12.34-39) All the ceremonial bread used in worshiping the Lord in the Tabernacle was to be made without yeast because it was looking back to that moment.

Yeast was removed from Jewish communities during Passover because just a little could make an entire batch of bread unusable. Even today, on the night before Passover, Jewish families will search through the house for crumbs of leavened bread, hidden by parents for children to find. These will be thrown out or burned.

Paul and Jesus were concerned about the yeast of false teaching and sin. They wanted it exposed and thrown out. Jesus warned about this in Mark, Matthew, and Luke. (Mark 8:14-21; Matthew 16.5-12; Luke 12.1-2) In Luke, Jesus specified yeast as the sin of hypocrisy and stressed that hidden things would be exposed. However, Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to yeast spreading through a large batch of dough. (Luke 13.18-21)

So, there is good yeast, which is the gospel the Galatians risked losing. And there is bad yeast, including pride, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, sexual immorality, and other sins.

We need to seek out and throw out bad yeast. This yeast puffs us up with pride, which could lead to self-righteous rule-enforcing or self-righteous rule-breaking. Sinful yeast makes us unclean and infects everything we touch.  

We need gospel yeast. This yeast works through our whole lives, changing the flavor of our faith and filling us with pockets of God’s Spirit. Serve the world with gospel yeast. This yeast is the yeast that counts: “faith expressing itself in love.” (Galatians 5.6)

Share the gospel. It is good yeast.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

When Jesus was at dinner in his [Matthew’s] house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When

Jesus heard this he said to them, “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the upright, but sinners.” — Mark 2:15-17

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Second Chances Blown

The first sign of God’s punishment is not usually fire from the sky or police at the door. It is when God stops appealing to our hard hearts

Second Chances Blown
Read more: The Law that leads to Grace

Thank you, God, for grace through faith that cannot be downgraded and a Law designed to lead us to grace.

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/the-law-that-leads-to-grace-gp-2

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Burn Out, Rust Out, or Rot Out?

Links for today’s readings:

Aug 19  Read: Jeremiah 13 Listen: (4:11) Read: Galatians 4 Listen: (4:13)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 13:7–10

7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless!

Reflection: Burn Out, Rust Out, or Rot Out?

By Erin Newton

There was a saying I heard in seminary: Better to burn out than rust out. A friend would quip: “But either way, you’re out.”

The saying was meant to encourage people to enter ministry with passion and fervor. The saying helped keep the flames of motivation going when long years of service weighed you down. The contrasting negative option was the picture of doing nothing—either through laziness or apathy. Those people rusted. Obviously, fire sounds cooler than oxidation. Duh.

Yet the friend’s retort was telling: Neither ash heaps or rust are helpful tools.

Then there’s a third image of being “out”—Jeremiah’s depiction of the rotten linen belt.

Linen is a fiber, one we tend to relate to for its coolness, comfort, sturdiness, and breathability. But it’s a natural fiber which means it’s of this earth—from dust it came and to dust it shall return. (Which in its purest state means it won’t leave pollutants in creation.)

While linen can start decomposing within weeks, this belt is meant to be purposefully worn. Belts are utilitarian. Belts are secured to their wearer.

Israel and her pride were this belt. But they had turned to worshiping other gods. They became stubborn and neglected their duties. The purpose and utility they were supposed to perform were tossed aside. So God says he will bury this belt. To dust it will return. When it is dug up, it’ll be tattered and weak—useless.

So now I amend that seminary saying: You can burn out, rust out, or rot out—but either way you’re out. What’s the better solution? Even if you aren’t in ministry. What if you’re just trying to live your life in a way that honors Christ? 

Burning out might look flashy and impressive, but there is purpose to retreating and relaxing. Some might assume you can only fight fire with fire, but we know that water will also do the trick. 

Rusting out from apathy is truly shameful. Laziness is not any better. I guess rust is still our lesser preference. 

Rotting out would be to deny our call, forsake our God, and refuse to change. The rusty ones might not be too helpful but they are still faithful. Rotting out is the bottom of the list. 

What should we do instead? 

Look out – for God’s direction. 

Cry out – for God’s wisdom. 

Work out – our salvation with fear and trembling.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive us our sins, for your name’s sake. — Psalm 79.9

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: A Neglected Garment

Let us consider ourselves with sober judgment. Do we treat our status under Jesus with disdain? Neglect? Pride?

A Neglected Garment
Read more: Why the Cross?

Why the cross?…people express discomfort with the cross. “Isn’t it gross?” “Isn’t it violent?”

Why The Cross?
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The Law that Leads to Grace—Guided Prayer

Links for today’s readings:

Aug 18  Read: Jeremiah 12 Listen: (3:06) Read: Galatians 3 Listen: (4:39)

Scripture Focus: Galatians 3.24

24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

Reflection: The Law that Leads to Grace—Guided Prayer

By John Tillman

Let us pray through these responses to Paul’s description of the Law’s inability to save us.

The Law that leads to Grace

Oh, God, may we not rely on the Law, except to point us back to grace.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

We love your Law, Lord. But we know that the Law does not, will not, and cannot justify us.

We rely instead, Lord, on faith.

Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 

We cannot live by the Law. If we could, then Christ’s death was for no purpose.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 

Christ’s death opened the path of grace through faith to all people. In Christ, God came near and extended his hand to us. And his arm was not too short to save. He saved us not based on anything we have done, but in response to his own promise and purpose for all who have faith. 

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Help us Lord to remember…

The Law exists to point us to, and cause us to cry out for, grace.

Those who think they can live by the Law are deceived and hopeless. Cursed.

Those who are hopeless in everything else, clinging only to grace, are raised to life. Blessed.

Whatever form of moralism we seek to add to grace is a failure of faith, doubting the value of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Thank you God for grace through faith that cannot be downgraded and a Law designed to lead us to grace.

May the felt reality of Christ’s incomparable grace extended to us cause us to season our lives, our tongues, our actions, our prayers, and our inner being with grace.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. — Psalm 19.14

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Our Vengeance is Repentance

God promises Jeremiah that even Israel’s enemies, used by God to punish them, will be restored by God if they turn to him.

Our Vengeance is Repentance
Read more: Downgrading Grace

Grace, once gained, can be forgotten and replaced with a smug and damaging form of self-righteousness.

Downgrading Grace
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From Worthless to World-Changing

Links for today’s readings:

Aug 17  Read: Jeremiah 11 Listen: (4:09) Read: Galatians 2 Listen: (3:44)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 11.14-16

14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. 

15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple 

as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? 

Can consecrated meat avert your punishment? 

When you engage in your wickedness, 

then you rejoice.” 

16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree 

with fruit beautiful in form. 

But with the roar of a mighty storm 

he will set it on fire, 

and its branches will be broken

Reflection: From Worthless to World-Changing

By John Tillman

In Jeremiah’s day, worship thrived, but the city’s and nation’s spiritual condition was flatlined. Josiah’s revival had brought soaring attendance and restored worship practices, but the effects didn’t last long.

If Jeremiah evaluated Jerusalem’s worship as an industry, he might call it booming. People and priests ate holy, consecrated meals at the temple. He could smell the meat of sacrifices burning and cooking, hear prayers and songs, and measure the economic activity of buying and selling animals, grain, oil, and wine for the offerings. But that isn’t how God evaluates worship. God looked at all these activities and asked Jeremiah, “What are they doing?” (Jer 11.15)

What made God question their worship? What made it worthless instead of world-changing?

Sometimes God condemns worshipers for cheating him by offering sick, deformed, or dying animals (Mal 1.8). But that issue doesn’t appear in Jeremiah’s writings. The problem wasn’t corrupt ceremonies in the temple but corrupt hearts in the worshipers and corrupt actions in the city. Jeremiah condemned idol worship, wickedness, and evil schemes. 

Modern people don’t often build idol statues but don’t let that give you a false sense of superiority. We just express idolatry differently. If all our idols were visible statues, our cities would be littered with them.

Would God ever look at our worship activities and say, “What are they doing?”

If he did, he wouldn’t judge our worship by the data of our attendance, the decibels of our singing, or the decimals of our giving. God looks past the outer measurements of worship to the inner condition of the heart (1 Sam 16.7). Heart condition is measured by different data. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks and the person acts (Matt 15.18-19; Luke 6.45; Pro 17.3; 21.2; 27.19).

Worship should make you ask the same question God asked: What am I doing?

Look for idolatry in yourself the way God does—look at the results. The idol of indifference makes us shrug at injustice against others. The idol of favoritism fuels oppression of enemies. The idol of violence celebrates war. The idol of gluttony (whether for wealth, pleasure, food, or drink) results in starvation.

Jeremiah called often for changes in society but none of that was possible without changes of the heart. Outward changes, whether in your personal life or community, grow from inward changes. Allow God to change you and your world can change.

True worship changes your world, beginning with the inner world of the heart.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies. — Psalm 28.2

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Apotheosis of Politics

The way the founding fathers (or current want-to-be leaders) are venerated as if they were apostles or Moses or Jesus, frightens me.

Apotheosis of Politics
Read more: To Kill a Prophet

There is a risk when you confront bad behavior or rebuke fellow believers. Sin has a way of infecting our hearts…

To Kill a Prophet
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Can’t Get There From Here

Links for today’s readings:

Aug 14  Read: Jeremiah 8 Listen: (3:52) Read: James 4 Listen: (2:25)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Aug 15  Read: Jeremiah 9 Listen: (4:38) Read: James 5 Listen: (3:01)
Aug 16  Read: Jeremiah 10 Listen: (3:51) Read: Galatians 1 Listen: (3:05)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 8.4-6

4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: 

“ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up? 

When someone turns away, do they not return? 

5 Why then have these people turned away? 

Why does Jerusalem always turn away? 

They cling to deceit; 

they refuse to return. 

6 I have listened attentively, 

but they do not say what is right. 

None of them repent of their wickedness, 

saying, “What have I done?” 

Each pursues their own course 

like a horse charging into battle.

Reflection: Can’t Get There From Here

By John Tillman

Today, instead of giving directions, we plug an address into a GPS-enabled device and trust the technology. We used to give landmarks, count intersections, and describe signage. 

“Watch for the sign. You can’t miss it.”
“When you think you’ve gone too far, you are almost there.”
“Take the third right turn past the Big Chicken.”

If the legendary “Big Chicken” landmark in Marietta, Georgia, near Atlanta ever disappeared, half of Atlanta would be hopelessly lost. The Georgia rock band R.E.M. (who would definitely know the Big Chicken) used another trope of getting directions in their 1985 song, “Can’t Get There From Here.” The phrase humorously implies that you first have to get somewhere else before you can get to where you want to be.

GPS devices are imperfect technology, based on imperfect maps and human observations and measurements. But even the best directions won’t get you where you are going if you fail to follow them.

In the wisdom of God’s law, people of Jeremiah’s day had the best directions from the best source and still ended up hopelessly lost. They made wrong turn after wrong turn. Like a GPS that keeps saying, “Make a u-turn” when you have missed your intersection, prophets like Jeremiah continually tried to correct Jerusalem’s course. 

Jerusalem wanted to return to God’s blessings but wouldn’t return to God. They charged ahead in the wrong direction. Despite ending up in places they didn’t want to be, they weren’t willing to turn around. Are you?

The way of Jesus is a Christian’s “GPS” and Christ’s cross and resurrection is our landmark. Have you lost sight of the landmark? Are you ignoring the call to turn around? Have you ended up somewhere you don’t want to be?

No one comes to the Father except through Jesus (John 14.6). You can’t get there from here, but you can get there through him. Whether it is the first time you turn to Jesus, or whether you’ve lost your way and need to return, at his feet you’ll find the place we need to get to before we can get where we want to be. 

Don’t be too stubborn to admit you need directions, take your foot off the gas, and ask for help. Turn around. When you seek first the kingdom of God, every direction God wants to send you is an open road (Matt 6.33).

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Love the Lord, all you who worship him; the Lord protects the faithful, but repays to the full those who act haughtily. — Psalm 31.23

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: To Whom We Draw Near

We must choose whom to resist and whom to draw close to. May we draw close to God and be safely kept in his hand.

To Whom We Draw Near
Read more: Having vs. Knowing God’s Word

What does it mean to be wise? How can we know if truth and wisdom have been handled falsely?

Having vs. Knowing God’s Word
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