As some of you may know, I like to work with my hands as a stress reliever. That means that I love life best when I'm outside digging in the yard, planting and nurturing something alive, and even once in a while, playing in the kitchen. Whenever I approach food in the kitchen, I do it with a typically male attitude, or so says my wife, Laura. That means that cooking is just simple math, rules must be followed, and the outcome should be predictable. Okay, it rarely turns out to be that simple.
Take making bread, for example. Simple math tells me how much of each ingredient to add, rules tell me in what order to add them, and the finished bread should be the predicted outcome. The problem with that formula is the yeast. Yeast is a living, growing organism that lies dried and dormant until it's activated by warm liquid and a food source (such as sugar). As it grows, it gives off carbon dioxide, which expands and pushes the dough upward and outward. In other words, the dough rises to signify that the yeast is working. In this case, seeing the dough rise on the outside means something is working secretly on the inside.
Jesus is talking about many of these same reflections in the text for today. The Pharisees were favorite targets for Jesus, who often chided them for doing what looked right on the outside, while secretly being motivated by internal greed and hunger for power. Jesus' point, in challenging their hypocrisy, is that whatever we think is hidden on the inside will eventually make itself know externally: nothing stays hidden forever.
What do these reflections say to you about your life today?
I am your fellow traveler,
Pastor Paul
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