Passover 5764

Passover
5764

In the Passover Haggadah there is a paragraph that we read at the Seder after we break the middle matzo of the three tiered unity. While holding the remainder of the unity of matzo we say,

This is the bread of affliction which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt . Let all who are hungry come and eat. All who are needy let them come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now we are here; next year may we be in the land of Israel . Now we are slaves; next year may we be free men.

This paragraph holds several important principles that help us to understand more about the meaning of Passover.

1. This is the bread of affliction which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt . The matzo reminds us not only of the sufferings of the Jewish people in Egypt , but all throughout history. A careful reading of history teaches us that the Jewish people have suffered primarily because they are the chosen people - called of God to live differently than the peoples among whom they were living. Yeshua, the personification of Israel , suffered because He is the Chosen One of God who died for the sins of the world. John Piper, in his little book, The Passion of Jesus Christ, explores a connection between the sufferings of the Messiah and the concentration camps. He asks a question that very few Christian writers consider: “…I am not thinking of cause or blame. I am thinking of meaning and hope. Is there a way that Jewish suffering may find, not its cause, but its final meaning in the suffering of Jesus Christ?”(p.16) No one can truly give a definitive answer to this, but one thing is sure - the sufferings of both Israel as a nation and Messiah Yeshua as an individual are linked to being chosen of God.

2. Let all who are hungry come and eat. We are reminded of the importance of being kind to those who are needy around us. The Torah in Leviticus 19:34 says '”The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.” Yeshua told a parable about a man who was condemned because after receiving great mercy he would show no mercy to others. Yeshua said “Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?” (Matt. 18:33). All of this teaches us that we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate than us because of the mercy we have received from God. When we consider that all that we have is a gift from Him, it should make us more generous to others. Remember that not all who are hungry are hungry for physical nourishment. There are many people who are hungry for forgiveness, acceptance and other intangible “food”. We have been given forgiveness, acceptance and unconditional love by God through the death and resurrection of Yeshua. In the New Covenant we are called to be “living sacrifices” (Rom.12:1). Notice that this exhortation is followed by a description of how we are to treat others. We are to treat others the way God has treated us.

3. All who are needy let them come and celebrate the Passover with us. Although we are reminded that we have a responsibility to care for others in general, we are specifically reminded to invite people to the table of spiritual blessing. We are called to invite people to partake of the Lamb of God and experience spiritual freedom. Yeshua said to go to highways and invite people to the wedding feast. He said that we should go and make disciples of all the nations… (Matt.22:9; 28:19). When our ancestors were freed from the bondage of the Egyptians they went to Mt. Sinai and entered a covenant relationship with God. They were called to be a nation of priests - spiritual intercessors. When we receive Messiah, we are freed from the bondage of sin in order to serve God. Our calling is to share the Good News of the Messiah. We are called to “stand in the gap” (Ezek. 22:30 ) on behalf of others. This includes praying for people and telling people about the salvation available in Messiah Yeshua.

4. Now we are here; next year may we be in the land of Israel . Now we are slaves; next year may we be free men. This final part of the paragraph offers words of hope. Traditionally, these words serve both as a re-enactment of the exodus from Egypt as well as a desire for the Messiah to come. The thought is that when the Messiah comes all of the Jewish people will be in Israel and when the Messiah comes we will truly be free. As believers in Yeshua we know that the day will come when all of the Jewish people will indeed be in Israel and all of Israel will believe in the atonement provided by God in the death and resurrection of Yeshua. (Zech. 12:10; Rom.11:25-27). As believers in Yeshua, we also hope for the “final redemption”. While today we have a personal relationship with God and the freedom from the slavery to sin the day is coming when there will be no more pain and sorrow; disappointment and hurt. As Paul says, “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”( Rom. 8:23-25)

In conclusion this little paragraph that we recite each year at the Seder reminds us of the full meaning of the Passover. As a result of Messiah being our Passover sacrificed for us: there is meaning in suffering, we are to give much because we have been given much in our freedom from bondage, we must be inviting others to partake of the lamb of God and finally that there is always hope for the future. Shabbat Shalom!