“A little leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church].” (Galatians 5:9 The Amplified Bible)
Vivian Baker, in an article she contributed to a Christianity.com publication, explained the verse above in these words. “The Apostle Paul was telling the Galatians that just as a little bit of yeast or leaven can work its way into the whole batch or the whole lump, a little bit of hypocrisy or false teaching can also work its way into our hearts.” Another writer explained it this way, “A small amount of something, particularly falsehood or negative influence, can spread and affect a larger group or situation.” I liked both of the explanations. I liked the first because it speaks to the individual’s inclination to let something wrong, from the Christian’s perspective of wrong, that which is defined by God, can impact one’s belief, behavior, and blessing other’s capability. I like the second explanation because of the insertion of the words “a small amount of something” and the fact that this small amount could have a negative influence on others.
Let me tell you a story. This Thursday, a day after I had undergone a hospital procedure, I felt very lackadaisical. Yeah, your are right, I could have just been down to earth and said, “lazy.” Really, that’s not true though because I did write two meditation drafts and prepared sermon PowerPoint slides for Sunday. Neverthelss, I did lay around more than usual Thursday, and I did not shower until the afternoon. After finally showering, I looked in my closet for a shirt to wear the rest of the day.. I found one that I had never worn at all. Why? Because it had some words on it that not only do not describe me, but they contained language I would put in the category of “Expletive Expressions.”
I got some explaining to do, don’t I? Well then, let me explain. I initially ordered the shirt because it had the word “MAKI” embossed on it and it had “Nutritional & Undeniable Factors” that are supposed to indicate the traits of a person called by that name. My name is “Mark King,” but I do use the name “Maki” at times; a combination of the first two letters in my given name and my last name.
I have had this “MAKI” shirt for several months but have never worn it. Oh, most of the traits were positive: Hardworking (200%), Sympathetic (300%), Generous (1100%), Helpful (200%), Trustworthy (250%), and Accept Failure 0%. The last trait, which I will not mention, did not match my character. It was one of those “Expletive Expressions.” I really wanted to wear the shirt. It was brand new. But the last trait on the shirt stopped me from wearing it. At first, I thought about wearing a vest to cover up the words that formed the “Expletive Expression.” But I said to myself, “Covering it up is not the remedy.” So, I took a pair of scissors and cut out the last “ingredient.” I rationalized, “Nobody will see the hole in the shirt during my Thursday, virtual Bible Study class tonight.” But after putting it on, I decided to throw the shirt away. The little “something” written on the shirt had made the whole shirt bad and unwearable. The little “Expletive Expression” spoiled the whole shirt. Don’t worry, I had some more shirts to choose from, thank God.
Maybe each of us should check our Christian trait “wardrobe and see if there is anything little or even quite large that we should cut out of our thoughts, our talk, and our walk. It’s Saturday! It’s the day before the Lord’s Day; the day you will attend church! Do a quick self-assessment and see what you need to discard, or better said, dismiss. Pray for the Lord to help you get rid of your figurative “little leaven.” Have a great day! Come out of service better than when you went in! Amen! Be blessed!
“But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24 New King James Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King