A devotional for Pesach by Mara Frisch.
Ever since I was a little kid, I celebrated Passover with my family. I have rich memories of searching for the Afikomen (matzah) with my cousins, singing songs like “Let My People Go” and “Dayenu,” and participating in the traditional Seder meal. The story of Passover has always resonated with me. Each year, we retell the story of our ancestors, who were once slaves in Egypt. God saw their suffering and heard their cries and had compassion on them. Through a dramatic series of events and divine intervention, He delivered them from slavery. As Jewish people, we are implored each year not to simply listen to the retelling as bystanders but to identify with our ancestors as if we were reliving the story. We proclaim, “We were once slaves, and now we are free.” Each year, I consider the awe of this truth.
As a Messianic Jewish believer, I love the mediating on the spiritual truths that are evident throughout the Exodus story. I also recognize that while the Seder meal tells the story of the Israelite’s suffering and deliverance, it also tells the story of Yeshua’s (Jesus) suffering and resurrection. By this truth, we can truly proclaim, “We were once slaves, and now we are free.”
To further explain this, I’ve chosen to take one of the symbols of the Seder meal and discuss its significance. The bitter herbs are one of the most infamous aspects of the Seder meal. We eat the bitter herbs to remind ourselves of the bitter suffering our ancestors endured while they were slaves in Egypt. I always hated this part of the Seder meal because my name in Mara, and in Hebrew, my name means bitter. The Hebrew word for bitter herbs is Maror, with the same root letters as Mara. During this part of the Seder, I’m always reminded of the meaning of my name.
Yet, immediately after eating the bitter herbs on their own, it’s tradition to create a “Hillel sandwich” and put a touch of charoset, a sweet mixture of apples, nuts, honey, and sweet spices, on the matzah along with the bitter herbs. This touch of sweetness is meant to remind us that even in the midst of harsh suffering, there is the promise of redemption.
We see many examples in the Bible of G-d bringing sweetness out of bitterness. In Exodus 15:22, G-d turned the bitter waters sweet so the Israelites could drink from them and be refreshed. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph explains to his brothers that what they intended for evil, G-d used for good. In other words, G-d used the bitterness of Joseph’s situation to bring forth good for the entire land of Egypt and Israel. In Romans 8:28, we are told, “And we know that in all things G-d works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Though my name means Mara, I have experienced enormous blessings that have come out of some of the most bitter moments of my life. Even when I can’t see the blessings, I cling to the promise in Romans and the examples from Scripture where I see that G-d is working even the worst things together for good. It doesn’t mean that the suffering we experience isn’t real or difficult; rather, we are reminded that G-d can and does bring sweetness out of our sorrows. I encourage you during this Passover season to trust G-d with the bitter circumstances of your own life and look for traces of the sweetness that He is already bringing about through it.
Mara Frisch is the full-time Ministries Director of the Young Messianic Jewish Alliance (YMJA). She was raised in a Reform Jewish family in suburban Chicago, IL. At 18, she made a decision to put her faith in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, which dramatically changed the course of her life. Mara received her bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio, where she double majored in psychology and speech communications. She received her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from University of Cincinnati. Mara is devoted to helping teens grow in their faith and has had the privilege of serving in various roles in Messianic youth ministry for the past 12 years. In addition to serving young people, Mara loves teaching figure skating, flying on trapezes, and spending time with her friends and family in Chicago, IL.