Pretzels

I love pretzels.
I do not have a sweet tooth.
I can pass by desserts without batting an eye.

Late in the afternoon, I love to have my homemade iced tea and a sourdough pretzel.
I can have just one…well…maybe two!

When I look at the ingredients in my favorite pretzel, I read:
Wheat flour, salt, malt syrup, yeast, soda.

German immigrants introduced the pretzel to our country in the 19th century.
These people became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Soon pretzel bakeries were found all over the Pennsylvania countryside.
Being from Pennsylvania, I am especially drawn to that fact.

Philadelphia became famous for the soft pretzel.
They were often sold on street corners on a mobile wooden cart with a glass case.
Soft pretzels are not a favorite of mine.
People come to Philadelphia determined to have a Philly pretzel and a Philly cheese steak.

An Italian monk was said to have invented the pretzel in 610 AD as a reward for children who would learn their prayers.
He used left over dough from his bread making.
He called his invention “pretiola” which meant “little reward” in Latin.
The twisted shape of the dough was to resemble a child’s arms crossed in prayer.
The pretiola made its way to Germany and Austria where they became known as pretzels.

I keep going back to the ingredients…namely the yeast.
When yeast is put in the dough; it produces carbon dioxide gas as it metabolizes the sugar during fermentation.
This carbon dioxide gas creates tiny air pockets in the batter, which helps make the pretzels lighter and crispier.

Whenever I bake bread, only a small amount of yeast is needed.
Without it, the bread will not rise.

When the Israelites fled from Egypt, they had to leave in haste.
They had to make their bread without yeast.
Bread made without yeast is called unleavened bread.

That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire- head, legs, and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. (Exodus 12:8-11)

The Israelites could not wait for the dough to rise.
Eating unleavened bread would always remind them of their swift departure from Egypt.

Even when Jesus taught His disciples, He had much to say about yeast.

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees…How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:5,6,11,12)

Yeast.
Jesus called the teaching of the Pharisees…yeast.
The word “yeast” is used to describe influence…usually corrupting influence.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees’ teaching because it was false teaching.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees’ behavior because it was hypocritical.

Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast- as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
(1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth.
Yeast is described as a corrupting influence.
False teaching and hypocrisy corrupted the people of God.
Trusting in Christ, the Passover Lamb, rendered the people clean…like unleavened bread.

Like the Israelites, the people of God need to remove the corruptible yeast from their lives.
They need to remove the sinful influences, the false doctrine, the hypocrisy.
Corrupting yeast is what is contained in the old dough.

Make a new batch!
Dough without yeast…the bread of sincerity and truth.
We are like unleavened bread…made clean by Christ…the Lamb of God.
Our Lord Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

Never thought that one little pretzel would be such an object lesson!
We see Him and His Truth everywhere!
We just have to look!