GETTING RID OF THE OLD MAN AND PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN

READINGS: EASTER SUNDAY

In the 2^nd reading of this Easter Sunday, St. Paul concludes with this statement, “Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor 5:6b-8). What Paul, basically is saying is that our celebration of Easter should be a sign of an inner disposition that has  no place for malice and wickedness. 

Malice comes from a Latin root “Malus” which literally means evil and from the Greek word “Kakia” which refers to a very bad character, evil and vicious in quality. There is no redeeming quality in malice because it is a sign of an unrepentant and depraved heart. Scripture says that God sets Himself squarely against all malice (Psalm 10:14). No wonder, Lincoln, in his second inaugural speech, said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all.” 

Though we easily recognize malice in the hearts of others, we rarely remember that malice may be hidden away in our “old man”. Malice is something we should diligently guard against (1 Peter 2:16), never to be coddled or nourished (Ephesians 4:31), lest we will never be able to live a life that is pleasing to God (1 Corinthians 9:26f). 

Wickedness, on the other hand, generally refers to doing evil, being dishonest, and a rejection of God’s spiritual and moral truth. The Bible describes the wicked as “full of deceit; their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice” (Jeremiah 5:26-29) and then goes on to say, “Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done” (Isaiah 3:11). 

My friends, malice and wickedness are not merely about overt actions. They could be covert in nature as they dwell in our hearts and find manifestations in our thoughts. So, turning away from malice and wickedness is not only about stopping bad behaviors. It requires a realignment of the heart; an inner transformation that is committed to follow God’s ways and purpose. This is what Easter glory invites us to do when the bible calls us to put on the “new man” full of truth and righteousness. Because the acts of malice and wickedness are pervasive in our society, living in truth and righteousness requires us to strive for a world where goodness prevails over wickedness, and this includes taking stands against injustice, inequality, discrimination, and all forms of corruption and inequity in our communities. It involves getting rid of anger, wrath, vengeance, reviling, and covetousness. 

The good news is that the resurrection of Christ has the power to raise us up from these evils and to equip us with the graces needed to counter these impulses in our lives. May the good Lord grant us the graces that we need to be true disciples of His Easter glory, Amen. Happy Easter to all of us!