Spring Cleaning Traditions: Discovering the Life of Our Messiah
There is "spring cleaning," and then there is Passover spring cleaning. As a Messianic Metis woman, I am used to the idea of seasonal shifts and "clearing out the old," but this year, the process has become about something much deeper: as I focus on the life of our Messiah.
This journey is rooted in the instruction the Creator gave to our ancestors:
"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses..." (Exodus 12:15).
Since our Messiah was a Torah-observant Jew, this yearly disposal of old leaven would have definitely been a part of His home life. Every year, Yeshua would have participated in this same rhythm—searching, sweeping, and clearing out the house to prepare for the Feast. By following this instruction today, we aren't just cleaning; we are walking in His footsteps and learning more about the life He lived.
It’s a physical act that mirrors a spiritual reality. By removing the physical yeast, we are reminded to search our hearts for the "puffed up" parts—the pride and hypocrisy that Yeshua warned us about when He said:
"Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6).
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| Doing a little 'freezer archaeology' with my flashlight! |
The Freezer Archaeological Dig
I have a very practical system for stewardship. Whenever I bring grains home from the grocery store, they go straight into the freezer—my "grain vault"—to keep them fresh and prevent any "chiggers" or mealworms from hatching. But as I began my countdown to the formal search, I realized even a vault can hide things that don't belong in a season of unleavened truth.
Armed with a flashlight, I went deep-sea diving into the frost. There, at the very bottom, buried under a miniature glacier, sat a blue box of Barilla Gluten Free Rotini. It had been "safekeeping" so well I’d completely forgotten it was even there! It reminded me how easily the "old" can settle at the bottom of our lives, hidden away until we intentionally shine a light on it.
The Triple-Threat Popcorn Conundrum
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| The Popcorn Wilderness: What happens when your Biur Chametz plans meet three massive bags of kernels. A literal backyard snowstorm in the making! 🍿❄️" |
Then, there’s the Popcorn Situation. I discovered three huge bags of popping corn. I’d originally bought them with the Metis ingenuity of one day grinding them into cornmeal, but now they stand between me and a leaven-free home.
The traditional next step is Biur Chametz—the ritual destruction of the leaven. I’ve been doing the math: Fire + Three huge bags of kernels = An Absolute Backyard Snowstorm.
Part of me thinks it would be hilarious to watch it "snow" popcorn over the neighborhood. The other part of me—the steward of the funds the Creator has provided—is cringing. Is it being a good steward to turn my grocery budget into a localized weather event? Probably not. But oh, the visual!
To Sell or Not to Sell?
I know many people "sell" their chametz to a non-Torah Observant friend, lock it up, and buy it back later. To be honest? It feels a bit hypocritical to me. If the Creator asked me to remove it, simply hiding it behind a locked door feels like I’m missing the point of the heart-change the Messiah calls us to. I don't want to just "re-title" my leaven; I want it truly gone.
A Greener Solution?
So, what do I do with the freezer pasta and my popcorn mountain? I’m wondering if I might be able to bury it in my garden. Returning these "roots" to the earth feels more in line with my walk—taking what was meant for one season and letting the Creator turn it into something new and life-giving for the next.
Since the goal of Biur Chametz is to remove the leaven from our possession and benefit, burying it is a valid and beautiful way to "return it to the dust." As the grains break down in the soil, they leave my possession forever, clearing the way for a season of "unleavened" sincerity.
How are your preparations going?
Do you have any "freezer treasures" that surprised you this year? Have you ever thought about planting your grains instead of selling them? Please leave a note in the comments below! If this post gave you a chuckle or a new perspective, I'd be so grateful if you would share it with your community!
Thanks for popping into my blog today~ Su
