“…Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast…” 1 Cor. 5:6-7a
In the context of Paul’s letter, he is referring to a certain individual in the church that has been dabbling into some immoral behavior. And bragging about it. Consequently, through his influence he has taken the church of Corinth down a corrupt path. Worked his influence into the whole “body.”
A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough applies to our own lives also. How often do we let a little indiscretion, a morsel of coldness, a smidgen of disgust, a dash of resentment, a drop of immorality, or a touch of anger works its way into our souls until it has worked its way through our whole being? Without even us sensing it. Until one day we find ourselves filled with bitterness, jealousy, antagonism, envy, pride, rage, and even hatred.
I remember as a young boy going to the beach with my family. As soon as we got to the beach, my brother and I would make a mad dash to get in the water. My mother would always yell to us, “Now don’t get too far away from us.” My brother and I would be busy jumping into the waves and trying to body surf. Pretty soon we would look up and notice that our mother was way down the beach from us.
How did she get so far away? She must have gotten up and moved to be so far away from us. We certainly hadn’t moved. But wait a minute, if she moved then so did all the houses and the trees and the lifeguard station. While we were distracted in our fun, we hadn’t notice that the undertow had slowly carried us down the beach a ways.
Wrongdoings, immorality – sin is a lot like this too. Without even noticing that we have moved, suddenly and ever so subtly we have strayed, been carried away downstream in our relationship with God. The only solution is to fix our eyes on Jesus the Christ. The one who can work his way through our whole being and free us from the “old yeast” and give us a new batch – a new life in His spirit.