Passover is probably the most widely celebrated Jewish festival. It is a festival of freedom and is intensely personal for each individual.

Preparation for Passover begins with a thorough cleansing of the house, mainly to remove all leavening agents (Exodus 12:19), whether it is in their cookies or bread, or boxes of baking powder in the pantry. During the Passover meal and for seven days thereafter, nothing containing any leaven is to be eaten. This is the Feast of Unleavened Bread as told in Exodus 13:6.

Some homes have special dishes and cookware that are only used during the Passover season. The everyday things are put away.

On the night before Passover, a traditional hunt for any final crumbs of leavening is conducted by the father of the house and his children. Mother has purposely left out some crumbs for them to find. When they discover the crumbs, they sweep them with a feather into a wooden spoon, wrap it in a napkin and burn it. In some communities, there is a bonfire where families come to burn their final bits of leavening. With this accomplished, the house is now ceremonially cleansed.

Jesus talked about leavening being corruption of the heart. Even a little is dangerous. We cannot flirt with the world or continually taste of a little sin and expect to walk away unaffected. A little leaven puffs up a whole batch of dough. A little sin, left confessed, can spoil the soul.   And it influences those around us whether we like  it or not. 

Let us examine ourselves daily and pray as Jesus taught us, “Forgive us our trespasses . . .”  Let us pray David’s prayer,

Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me . . . , (Psalm 139:23-24)

Paul warned us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1).

What is that keeps you from drawing closer to God? A habit that binds and controls? A relationship you know is not edifying but you cannot give up? A temptation that you did not run from and now it entangles you? A command you know you should obey but you simply won’t?

I cannot look into your heart. I can only look into mine. And so I pray,

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge my sin to you and do not try to cover it up. I will confess my transgressions to You Lord. And You will forgive the guilt of my sin. I am blessed because my transgressions are forgiven and my sins covered.   (from Psalm 31 and 51)

Prepare me, O Lord, for the Passover, that my heart will be a cleansed and welcome place for Your Spirit.