Known by His Food

They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in.  Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Master!” (John 21:6,7 The Message)

Known by His Food

Perhaps the disciple Jesus loved recognized the resurrected Lord by His face, His countenance, or His mannerisms.  But from this story it seems that Jesus was recognized by the huge amount of fish that Jesus suddenly and miraculously gave to the disciples.

His actions spoke as loudly as His Words.

A dear lady from rural Mississippi was known to my family by here delicious biscuits.

Another friend is becoming known by his bacon-wrapped turkey every Thanksgiving.

An elder in a church of my childhood was known by his weekly mints on Sunday mornings.

Jesus is known by the extravagant blessings of His food.  Whether fish here with the disciples, the bread and fishes on a hillside in Judea, or the bread and wine during His Supper… 

Jesus is known by His food.

The Lord’s food blesses His people.  The Lord’s food teaches His people.  The Lord’s food excites His people.

Hooray for His food!

Weaned

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:2 ESV)

Weaned

A calm and quiet soul… that sounds great, but how do we have that?  It might seem that the Psalmist is telling us to be like a child, trusting our God like a child trusts well-known parents.

But there is more here.

A calm and quiet soul is not like any old child.  But rather a weaned child.

A child who has grown used to being fed by mother.  Never going without.  Never in fear of being hungry. So often, and so regularly, that the child does not doubt.

And now, with that as a backdrop, the child is done being fed so obviously by the child’s mother.

Now they are weaned.  Now they are more on their own.  Now they are responsible, to some degree, for the work of feeding themselves.

That kind of child, weaned, goes out with knowledge of what food is like.  That kind of child, weaned, goes out with confidence because of the nearby mother.  That kind of child, weaned, goes out with calmness because fear is far away.

God has weaned us.  Not that He has cut us off… but He teaches us, nurtures us, feeds us… and now, weaned, we have calmness and peace.  Because we know He enabled and enables us.  He guided and guides us.  He fed and feeds us.

We are not on our own, of course.

But He makes us willing and able to live for Him, out in the world.

Calendar By Feast

These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.  Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places.  They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover… (Numbers 33:1-3 ESV)

Calendar by FEAST

The wandering Israelites did not state they left on a Thursday, or in October, or at 6:00 am… but rather, the time of departure was noted as occurring on a religious holiday.

Many ancient folk kept calendar by a schedule of planting and harvest.  Because food production was the most important thing they knew.  Other ancient folk kept calendar by a schedule of honoring the gods they perceived, naming months and days after their chosen deities.  They knew SOMETHING was out there, and set up their schedules trying to honor that.

God’s people, the Israelites, set of their schedules in obedience to God’s proposed timing.  They had seven feasts, arranged over three time periods.  Those feasts annually taught (and to some degree experienced) the story of their salvation. In fact, it would have been very difficult to understand God’s work without those annual scheduled events.

They had feasts because the feasts shouted to them about what was most important.  They had feasts because the feasts pointed to the most important aspects of their lives.  They had feasts because thereby they knew about the One True Living God.  They had feasts because in the feasts, they knew that God.

It shows up in these verses because we see the feasts were their calendars.  They were time markers.  They were schedule-makers.

Today, Christian time-keeping has been railroaded by our culture.  While we do not purposefully honor gods, or harvests, or much of anything through our calendars, we certainly are not reminded of our God through the regular passing of time.

But we can do that.  We can mark our days and weeks around the Lord’s Day.  We can remember our salvation as we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  We can talk about important impact of our God on our daily lives.

Let HIM run our calendar. 

Joy of Joy

And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 8:15 ESV)

Joy

Joy is a gift, and a choice.  The world tries to teach us that joy comes from circumstances.  We will have joy if we have the right environment. We will have joy if we have the right opportunities.  We will have joy if we have the right community.  We will have joy if we have the right skills.

But those things do not really bring joy.

Joy, an internal happy-peace, only comes when we are aware of our real circumstances (Christians are God’s Redeemed children). Joy, an internal happy-peace only comes when we are aware of our real environment (Christians live in God’s kingdom).  Joy, an internal happy-peace only comes when we are aware of our real opportunities (Christians have a life-map in God’s plans). Joy, an internal happy-peace only comes when we are aware of our real community (Christians have unity with the people of God).

And we get to choose that joy.  God does not force it on us.  God does not even require that we choose His joy in order to be His people.

Joy is God’s gift… and our choice.

And joy is pretty cool.

Both

And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord orders.” (Numbers 32:25-27 ESV)

Both

The Tribes of Gad and Reuben had found the joy of a physical home.  A place they could produce food, eat, and live.  Founding homes is a Godly thing.

And it might have seemed that forming homes would stop them from doing the Lord’s Work.  Canaan was still ahead of Israel!  Giants needed to be fought!  Those nasty Kings needed to be defeated!

How could they stay HOME?

But they could do both.  They made homes AND kept doing the obvious Work God had called them to do.

And they DID both.  Yes, they started their homes.  And they still fought on until the war against Canaan was done.

We might be tempted to make a false separation.  God calls every Christian to present the gospel in word and deed… always.  But we make excuses.  Perhaps we need to finish our secular work, first.  Perhaps we need to finish our housework, first.  Perhaps we need to do some OTHER things, first.

But we can do both!

The need for food does not prevent us from being the Lord’s workers.  We can earn a living, providing bread, while we fight for the Lord.

There is truth to tell, the unprotected to protect, love to be displayed, help to be offered, gifts to be given, words to be spoken… all in the name of the Lord’s Work.

Don’t stop to eat.  Eat along the way.

Thirst

Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, “I’m thirsty.”  A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done … complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit. (John 19:28-30 ESV)

Thirst

We often are blind to the benefits of our senses.  Pain, for instance, is a warning of danger.  (“GET YOUR HAND OUT OF THAT FIRE!”) The feeling of temperature extremes is a signal to get appropriate clothing, or alter circumstances. 

Jesus’ thirst here is much more than a journal-like entry of what Jesus did on the cross.

He experienced thirst… severe thirst… because while divine, He was also fully human.

God is not thirsty.

Angels are not thirsty.

Spirits are not thirsty.

But people… WE are thirsty.

And as the Messiah, Jesus, was about to die, one of His last experiences was physical thirst.

He was displaying His humanity.

Because that Humanity gives His death half of it’s meaning.

If Jesus was not really a human person, His death would have no value.  It would be an unfair, temporary sacrifice.

But His thirst shows He died for US humans.

Satisfaction

They shall eat, but not be satisfied. (Hosea 4:10 ESV)

Satisfaction

May this forecast not refer to you!

If you consume food, expecting that to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you spend money, expecting stuff to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you use resources, expecting such use to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you travel widely, expecting such trips to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you stay home, expecting your family to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you work hard to be entertained, expecting entertainment to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

If you read books after books after books, expecting knowledge to give your life meaning, you will not be satisfied.

As simple as it sounds… satisfaction is only found in knowing the One True Living God. 

And that is only through Christ.

Sure

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126, 5,6 ESV)

Sure

I am not a good gardener.  Things I plant grow incorrectly.  I do not seem to be able to make plants do what God created them to do.

But even when they grow poorly, or wrongly, or incorrectly… they do grow.

Obviously, exceptions exist.  But when things are planted, sowed, started… there is a harvest, a reaping, a result.

And with God, through the amazing Christ Jesus… the result will be joy.  Often not immediately.  Often not today. Often in a way we do not expect.  Often not in a way we recognize.

But joy, for Gods’ people, through the amazing Christ Jesus, is coming.

We might plant in tears and sorrow… in fact, we usually do!  But the result, in spite of our planting, will be understanding, peace, and joy!

It’s sure.

Give Away

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. (II Corinthians 9:10,11 ESV)

Give Away

Our most generous God gives us seed, harvest and food for our own benefit.  But also, He intends for us to pass it on.  To share.  To give away.  And in that way, the gift He gives, grows!

That is an unusual concept these days.  We want to keep our food, money, and possessions.  We want to prepare for three months from now, just in case.  We want to store up, to protect, to hoard.  And our world encourages us to think that way.

But think about a simple smile.  A smile is also a gift.  When something happens that causes me to grin, I do not keep that to myself.  I cannot, unless I make great (silly) effort to mask my face, hide in the dark, or avoid humankind. 

When God grants me something grin-worthy… I share it.  I can not help it.  It auto-shares.

The gospel works the same way.  We receive it so that we can share it.

All the good things, in fact, work that way.  The grace of salvation, forgiveness, peace, joy, happiness, smiles, bigger smiles, shelter, dollars and cents, ice cream, strawberries, popcorn, chocolate cake, mints, and maybe… just maybe… even bacon!

Sowing

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (II Corinthians 9:6 ESV)

Sowing

While not directly referring to food, the theme of these articles, before you eat, you have to grow food.  Whether it is a cow, a radish, a peanut, or a chemical concoction, sowing precedes consumption.

The more you sow, the more you have available to eat.

And the better you sow, the better you eat.

This is not, of course, simply referring to food.  Rather, it refers to life itself.

If we, or rather SINCE we desire a good life… we should be aware of what we sow.

Sow troubles, reap troubles.  Sow blessings, reap blessings.

If that sow-quality were up to us, we would be in trouble.  I would usually be sowing selfishness, and reaping the results.  I would be sowing blindness, and reaping the results.  I would be sowing insensitivity, coldness, laziness, slowness, hastiness, and sorrow.  And that would be the life I would harvest.

But when we sow Jesus into our field instead, oh, the harvest is grand!

How do we do that?  Read His Words.  Pray to Him, and through Him.  Mimic Him.  Love Him.  Depend on Him. Speak of Him.  Trust Him. Believe Him.

And we will reap bountifully!

The Whole Hog

‘And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:23,24 ESV)

Whole Hog

…or calf, anyway…

The Prodigal’s Father did not celebrate with restraint, cautiousness, uncertainty, or doubt.  His son had come home, and was that dad glad!

When God gives US reasons to celebrate, we modern folk tend to be more cynical, more unsure, more afraid.  We wait for the other shoe to drop.

But because Christians’ heavenly Father does all things for our good, we have the option of celebrating in trust of Him.  We can celebrate sure that the other shoe will also be worth celebrating.  We can bash our bashedness into unabashed celebrations.

Of course, hurtful things happen.  Sorrow is still here on earth.  But let us not let those overwhelm and out-dark the shining gifts He ALSO gives us.

The Prodigal Father still had troubles.  His younger son was understandably sullen.  He had to PAY for that feast.  His neighbors would doubt the validity of the Prodigal’s awakening.

But oh, he celebrated!

Celebrating Restoration

This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.  Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:9,10 ESV)

Celebrating Restoration

When I have been gone on a trip, my wife and I usually celebrate by going out to eat.  When family visits, we celebrate with a meal.  When we hear good news we eat!

And the same thing happens here.  The exiles have returned home!  And a feast was announced.  A grand feast of amazing tasty food… and everyone is invited.

But note… this feast did not happen merely because they returned to some physical land.  It was more than that.  They were celebrating their return to God’s favor.

Ezra read God’s Word… which they had missed for many years… even BEFORE the exile… and then announced the celebration.

This is what God should actually be best known for.  While the world has grown to see the very real threat of God’s wrath, there is something even bigger, more powerful, more awesome.

God loves it when His people return to Him.  Whether exiles from Babylon, prodigal sons, or modern converts.

And He calls a feast!

Come home and eat with Him!

Inside

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 ESV)

Inside

One of favorite historical places I have visited is Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s famous WWII Prime Minister.

I have walked through his bedroom, stood near his writing desk, wandered around his garden, and observed his whiskey cabinet.

I was inside.

But I did not eat there.  I did not dine with him there.  I did not share a meal with him, there.

But oh, if I had… my awe would be intense.

Jesus calls His people to come in to His home, heaven.  But we will not be wandering through like tourists.  We will not have to merely imagine His presence there.  We will not have to be sentimental, or academic, or simply interested.

We will EAT WITH HIM!

We practice it when we are allowed to celebrate His Communion.

We practice it when we worship.

We practice it when we spend quality time with other believers.

When we get to come in through Him, the door… we will eat with HiM!

Effective Grumbling

“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”  In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. (Exodus 16:12,13 ESV)

Effective Grumbling

Israel’s God was shockingly generous.  Rather than snub the Israelites for their grumbling, God grants their desires.  Rather than empower Moses to lecture them on their attitudes, He grants them food, even meat.  Rather than ‘teach them a lesson,’ with a grumpy look, and a woodshed visitation, God gave them food, good food.

It seems God was more interested in their love than their instant obedience.  It seems God is more interested in displaying patience than enforcing good behavior.  It seems God knew them… their real needs, their hunger, their fear, their insecurity. And God gave them what they needed.

Not because they grumbled… but because He desired to help.

Not because they grumbled… but because He is good.

Not because they grumbled… but because He loved.

And God kept doing that, all the way through the cross to the empty tomb.

Trust

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. (II Chronicels 7:4-6 ESV)

Trust

Those cattle and sheep were not merely an expensive offering to the Lord (although they were, that…). Even more, the sacrifice above and beyond the minimum that God required showed that King Solomon had decided to trust that God would provide for him. 

Solomon did the same thing when he told God that he preferred God grant him wisdom instead of financial security and wealth. 

I wonder if I would have that kind of trust.

I have enough food in my refrigerator to last many days.  I have enough medicine in my cabinet to last many weeks. I have enough funds in my checkbook to last many months. 

Solomon gave all that extra to the Lord, as sacrifice.

He was making a truly wise (although foolish in the eyes of the world) statement.

Solomon trusted God more than Solomon trusted chariots, mounds of gold, majestic trading ships, and good loyal friends.

Solomon’s attitude towards his food proved his trust of His God.

Vinedressers

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. (John 15:1 ESV)

Vinedressers

A grape does not determine it’s own flavor.  A grape does not determine it’s own vintage.  A grape does not determine it's own value.  A grape does not determine it’s own pairings.  A grape does not determine it's own usefulness.  A grape does not determine it's own harvesting, processing, aging, bottling, and sales plan.

A grape needs a vinedresser.

Even Jesus had His vinedresser, His Father.

We need that, too.

Sometimes I think I am a pretty clever grape.  Sometimes I try to define myself according to my own standards.  Sometimes I act like I am in charge.

And while it might SEEM insulting, demeaning, or sad to admit that I need a vinedresser… it is not!

Because that vinedresser is grand!  He knows and loves me!  He knows and loves the marketplace!  He knows and loves everything about grapes!

And He is good!

Jesus had His vinedresser… and we have the same one!

Violent Words

From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. (Proverbs 13:2 ESV)

Violent Words

Talk is not cheap.  Our words are the first view others have of our hearts, our desires, our hopes, and our expectations.  What we say out loud has immediate and long lasting consequences.

When our hearts are knitted to the Word, Christ Jesus, our words will cause our lives to bear good fruit… good results… good effects… good witness… good relationships… good gospeling.

But when our hearts are knitted to anything else, our words will precede the effects of being outside of Christ.  Terrible results, both temporally and eternally.  Selfish results, both intentionally and unintentionally.  Violent results, both towards others and towards ourselves.

Talk is not cheap.  Talk mirrors our hearts, and anticipates our actions.

The good news is that we KNOW the words of eternal life.  Christians KNOW the Word.  Our words, then get to mirror and display our beloved Savior.

Enough

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. (Proverbs 13:25 ESV)

The Path to Enough

Righteousness leads us to the definer and enabler of righteousness: the One True Living God.  When our bodies, minds, and souls are striving to serve HIM, righteousness follows. 

And the more that righteousness becomes our foundation, framework, ends, and means… the more satisfied we will be with life.

Because that kind of life (righteous rather than my-right-aimed, serving God rather than seeking to be served, loving rather than demanding to be loved), connects us to God Himself.

All appetites become transformed under the focus of the gospel. 

We want, perhaps slowly at first, to want what God wants.

We desire, perhaps with gradual awareness, to live alongside Him.

We find that we need, despite our one time rebellion, to know about Christ, to know Christ, and to be known by Christ.

Instead of, in frustration, having to say, “enough is enough!”  We can listen to Him saying, “you have enough.”

Appetite

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. (Proverbs 13:25 ESV)

Appetite

Another example of how the Bible uses food to illustrate an important point.  When I am hungry, I am often REALLY hungry.  And when that occurs I gobble all the food I can see… regardless of need, healthiness, or generosity.

But when I am content, I find it easier to eat purposefully, gratefully, and thoughtfully.

Contentedness, whether regarding my stomach, my checkbook, or my self-worth, enables me to be more righteous in my consumptions.  But discontent, coming from self-focus, greed, and too much self-awareness, pushes me towards injustice, me-ism, and wastefulness.

My appetite displays who I really am.

And I can compare myself to Christ while on earth.  He ate, as we see often in the gospels… but He ate to God’s glory, not His own gratification.  As a human, He had appetite… but His appetite gave way before the Spirit of God when He went to meditate in the desert.  His appetite could have driven Him to selfish consumption… but He divided fish and bread, shared meals with the disciples, and did not aim at accumulation.

May my appetite be more towards righteousness, and less towards my full belly. Checkbook, and friendlist.

Feasts

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. (John 11:55 ESV)

Feasts

The Feasts were created by God for many worthwhile purposes.  Here, as the time of Christ’s atoning death was nearly at hand, God providentially brought many faithful to Jerusalem to take part in the Feasts.

Those Feasts, all seven of them, were amazingly beneficial for God’s people.  But here, unbeknownst to them, the Feasts were being used to get them ready for a most amazing event.

The author of this gospel is clever.  He writes that they were coming to purify themselves (referring probably to the Feast of Unleavened Bread).  But while they were celebrating that Feast, on a hill nearby, God’s people were being given an opportunity to be finally, truly, absolutely pure.

The Messiah was going to be killed for their impurity.

The irony and symbolism are rich.

They ate their Feasts, celebrating their celebrations, while Christ’s body was being broken, and their remembrance given meaning.

This year, their Feast was more healthy than they imagined!