I ordered and was waiting for my food when I noticed a group of four sitting two or three tables further up the row from me. The group consisted of a man and woman with a teen aged girl and boy. The only one I had a clear view of was the young man.
The waitress brought them a plate of appetizers. The young man looked at it rather dubiously. The others began to dig in to whatever the dish was. I don't think he planned on trying the appetizer. Not wanting to stare, I distracted myself with other things as I waited for my order.
A few minutes later I looked back over to the young man. I watched as he took a bite of something. He had the strangest look on his face as he held in his mouth what was apparently new and strange to him. It was definitely a look of uncertainty.
He was aware his companions were watching him, so he tried to control his reaction. At least he didn't immediately spit it out in disgust. There was no gag reaction; but by the look on his face all kinds of thoughts raced through his mind. He chewed slowly. It seemed as if he was trying to decide if he liked the taste.
My order arrived and I concentrated on my own dish. But as I was eating I couldn't help but think about what I just witnessed. Suddenly a thought occurred to me.
The young man had approached his food hesitantly. Maybe sometimes we do the same thing with God's word. Maybe we think we have this faith thing down pat. We love God and we pray and we study.
Yet, some instructions in the Bible are totally foreign to our human nature. Maybe our obedience only goes so far. Are there certain commands that don't "taste" quite as good as others? It's easy to say we aren't going steal by robbing a bank, but how often do we rob God by failing to worship Him as we should. Sleeping in or going to the lake is easy, but getting up early on Sunday morning might not be as appealing to us.
We may do good things for others, but we may want to pick and choose who those "others" are. God says we are to do good everyone. (Galatians 6:10) What about gossip? We must be very careful with this one. Curiosity about something or someone can lead us into gossip before we even realize it. Yet, a rumor can be very destructive.
What about bitterness over the promotion we wanted but someone else got? Perhaps we are holding to a grudge because someone said something to us years ago. Maybe we think we've laid those old hard feelings aside and suddenly something comes up that makes us angry all over again? Yes, that's a struggle for me, too.
These are real life issues we face every day. Finding God's word more or less palatable on particular days could often be a reflection of the temptations we face. It's like a friend of mine said that her preschool son told -- "sometimes it's just easier to be bad." Yet, we cannot give up the good fight of faith!!
If we keep feeding on the word of God, these instructions in righteousness will become easier to digest. The more we learn of Christ the more we will want to be like Him. The truth will taste better and better to us.
Yet, many folks don't want to recognize the authority of Christ in any way, shape or fashion. Unlike the young boy who was so uncertain about the new food he was tasting -- they have an instant gag reflex. They completely reject the love of Christ.
It is the same now as it was during Christ's ministry. Remember the events recorded in John 6? In this chapter that Christ declared “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in shall never thirst.” Thus began a conversation many could not understand.
The Jews grumbled.
They doubted Him because they knew Him. They knew His earthly
family, so it was very difficult for them to think He was "the bread that
came down from heaven" (v. 41). They simply could not see Him as
one sent from God, let alone His only Son.
Even
some of His disciples said it "was a hard saying." Christ continued,
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The
words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (v. 63). After
this conversation many of His disciples "no longer walked with Him" (v
66). Figuratively (and spiritually) speaking, they had a gag reflex.
How sad
that must have been for our Savior!! It is sadder still for those who
turned away. Can you imagine the
despondence in His voice as Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you want to go
away as well?"
It was
Peter who answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life, and we have believed, and come to know, that you are the Holy One
of God" (vs. 66-69). Peter and the others didn't find the words of
Christ repulsive. They may not have fully understood the meaning of
Christ's words; but knew He came from God and they wanted to continue to feed
on His word.
The question for us today is whether or not we will choose to feed our souls on the Bread of Life? Will we take in spiritual nourishment for eternal life as quickly and easily as we do for our physical bodies? OR will we reject what is offered to us.
In John 6:51 Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." He died that we might live with Him forever. That is pretty appetizing to me!
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
(Psalm 34:8)
Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley
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