Spring Cleaning!

This week, observant Jewish people all over the world will be cleaning out the "chametz" from their homes. What does this mean? Here is a brief commentary on the custom from about.com:

Before Passover, the house needs to be cleaned so that all chametz (leavened products) are removed. Don't forget the bag of baby crackers in your diaper bag. What about the Purim treats your 3rd grader has stashed away in her desk? Gotta lift the sofa to get all that popcorn vacuumed up. While you are at it, you might as well throw some Spring cleaning in there - get out the summer clothes and put away the winter blankets and coats.

Spring cleaning is always a good thing.  I'm doing quite a bit of it myself.  Physical and spiritual cleaning.  The clutter in the closet and the clutter in my heart have to go.  Spring is a time for new birth.  However, trying to get all the leaven out on our own is absolutely impossible, and fortunately, we are not expected to do it all on our own.  In fact, in removing the leaven (which spiritually represents sin) prior to Passover, we are, in fact, doing it backwards.

In a week, we will celebrate the Feast of Passover.  Passover was fulfilled by Yeshua, who by His sacrifice paid for the sins of all who will trust in Him.   The seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread follows the one day of Passover.  The number seven (sheva) represents completeness.  Those seven days are a picture of the rest of our life.   After our sins have been forgiven at the cross, we are commanded to live a holy life - to spend the rest of our lives becoming more and more like Jesus.  In other words, getting rid of the leaven day by day.

Hebrews 10:14 says, For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 says this:  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Like I said, spring cleaning is good.  Self-examination is good.  But don't forget that we have One who forgave us once for all, the moment we trusted in Him at the cross.  He will help us get the leaven out!