The Consequences of Discouragement and Neglect

Our natural Florida every-afternoon-rainstorm weather had caused my cucumber plants to mold. Over several weeks, I had spent considerable time tilling soil on a patch of earth covering approximately 75 square yards. I tilled it, weeded it, planted it, hauled nearly 50 large wagons full of compost to it, watered it, and otherwise tended it. All the while, I prayed that the Lord would bless my effort. After all, I reasoned, I was doing important and useful work. I asked Him to send rain and a bountiful harvest. And rain, it did. So much, in fact, my crops were drowning. The worms, on the other hand, were not. Nor did they respond in any appreciable way to the pesticide we applied. As discouragement set in, I responded by grumpy neglect. The Lord has shown me again that my best efforts can do nothing to bring the harvest. Only the Lord of the Harvest can do that. Today He led me, scissors in hand, to my cucumbers. They were a tangled mess of molded vines and soggy leaves. Slowly I began to snip away the dead leaves. This gave way to clipping entire branches. Ultimately, I uprooted entire plants. In the end, all that remained were the few plants which were actually bearing fruit. I was reminded of my favorite section of scripture, John 15 where our Lord describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches. How like My Father to reveal Himself through a physical picture of a spiritual reality. When we allow the enemy to take a foot hold through discouragement and neglect, we are left with a moldy mess of twisted dead branches that are good for nothing. We do not reap a harvest and eventually bring forth no good thing and must be uprooted. I noticed as well, the tendrils of the good plants had grabbed hold of the dead plants. When the dead rot was stripped away, the healthy plants suffered some damage. We must be careful to not become entwined in the sin, corruption and dead works of those closest to us. They will ultimately cause us injury. It was truly a disgusting endeavor. Upon completion, my hands and clothing were covered with nasty grime. It was slimy and putrid and in all ways revolting. How good of our God to be our vine-keeper. How sweet of Him to tend to us in our corruption and slime. How marvelous that He would care to tend us and lift us up out of the muck and mire, clean us up and set us to good healthy growth. Lord, please protect me from discouragement and neglect of my spiritual life. Please prune me Lord, so I may bear much fruit for the good and glory of Your Kingdom. Help me Lord to remember I have work to do, but only You can grow me and prosper me, only You can bring a harvest. I must do my part, but ultimately You are the vine. I am but a branch.

The Afikomen

The Afikomen As the generations passed from the first exodus Passover, the Jews continued to celebrate as they had been told. However, some traditions were added and changed a bit. Of particular beauty to us, as believers is the Afikomen. Author and scholar Marv Rosenthal has a very interesting personal history, but it's important to note his Jewish heritage and lifelong study. He was raised in a very traditional Jewish home, but converted to Christianity as an adult. He then spent many years studying and writing about the New Testament in context of Jewish beliefs and traditions. In his discussion of the Afikomen, we are introduced in a small unassuming paragraph which simply states that during the preparation for the Passover meal, 3 matzahs are placed in a specially embroidered bag with 3 pockets called the matzah tash. As a reminder, the matzah is unleavened bread. When it is prepared, no yeast is added because it represents sin, and consequently stays flat. In order for it not to bubble in the baking process, it is PIERCED! To restate that, there are 3 unleavened matzahs in a special bag on the table at the beginning of the seder. Early in the meal, something amazing happens. Listen carefully to the description Mr. Rosenthal provides: “Next, the leader removes the middle matzah from the linen bag to break it in half. Half is replaced, and half is carefully wrapped in a linen napkin and hidden away in the house while the children cover their eyes. It reappears later in the service to illustrate a very important truth.” (page 56) “After the meal, the children are sent out to find the broken half-matzah that was wrapped and hidden away. It is known as the Afikomen. The children search high and low with great excitement for they know that the one who finds it will receive a reward. From a remote corner of the house, shouts of delight announce that the desired treasure has been discovered. Rabbinic law requires that a small piece of the Afikomen be broken off and eaten by everyone present at the service as a reminder of the Passover Lamb.” The afikomen, the pierced, unleavened bread is broken (death), wrapped in linen and hidden away (burial), and brought back (resurrection). Ok, now hold on to your socks. We are reminded of the Lord’s words that night, “He broke the bread, gave it to His disciples and said, ‘Take and eat, this is my body.’” (Mat 26:26) He also said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53). In 70 AD, the Roman armies destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, thereby ending the sacrificial system. According to Mr. Rosenthal, “Rabbinic tradition holds that the afikomen now represents the lamb, and therefore everyone must eat of it.”!!! No really, there’s MORE! When the children find the afikomen, they all proclaim the word “Afikomen!” However, it is the only non-Hebrew word in the Seder. It is Greek. It means – “I CAME.” Is that not the most amazing thing EVER?! It’s right there in the Passover, “I came!” How much plainer can He make it? He IS the afikomen! GLORY to God!