GOODNEWS LETTER
Number 363 March 16, 2011
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
PART TWO
"How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Thy precepts I get understanding;" Ps 119:103 & 14a,
"My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;" Prov. 24:13 & 14a.
Like the writer of Proverbs 24, I have a need to wrap spiritual food around with a physical understanding. Paul wrote, "When I was a child...speak as a child...think as a child...reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things" 1Cor. 13:11.
Paul explained the fact that "tongues" (languages) are no longer a gift of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of maturing physically and, at the same time, growing up and "becoming a man." Ending of certain gifts was possible only since the completed word of God has been given. No need of tongues, anymore - tongues (languages) are no longer given by the Holy Spirit.
In this "wrapping" sense, Paul's words add to, and support, what I think "eating Jesus" means. Thus, I paraphrase:'When I was a child, I loved to go to the table and eat food; now that I have become a man, I love to go to the table of God's concepts and ingest His truth.'
Certainly, my paraphrase isn't as neatly succinct as the apostle's words. I do think, however, that the idea of progress and growth within our spiritual life, comes when we replace our stomachs with our spiritual heads and begin to use our brain (hearts). When we do, we find that there is nothing as filling and lasting as God's concepts. The writers of the Bible explained truth by interweaving it within the physical world-of-thought, in every book.
At any rate, there is nothing like learning God's word. Not only learning it, but savoring each tenet as the tasty morsel it is. Each taste brings a sensation of truth about God and His eternal plan. It is yummy!!!
Unfortunately, we read of another side to "wrapping" spiritual truth around physcial understanding. But, it's not a pretty thought, at all. Using the "wrapping" idea concerning the Kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, "But I say to you truthully, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
Again, the Bible's "Eating of" is found everywhere; nearly, by everyone, too. Peter stated the idea in his first letter, "...like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word..." (2:2a). He wants believers to grow "in respect to salvation..." (1st Pe. 2:2b).
Then, to take a spiritual truth farther and clearer, Peter goes back to the Old Testament when priests served within buildings. "...you also as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1st Pe. 2:5). God's house, today, is made up of people who believe and serve. The church is a spiritual building made up of saved, baptized believers who follow and "Go."
While, the "wrapping" process is seen throughout God's word, we can't miss the import. Clearly, we can grow only by ingesting Jesus and His life into our hearts. Further, no longer can we feed from the diet of the world. "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons," ICor. 10:21.
Clearly, the narrow walk means that we, not only ingest Jesus by taking in His words and living by them, we must know what is on the menu. We cannot eat from any other supply.
Life is short and, it can be sweet if we take Jesus and His life seriously. "My son, keep my words, And treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister,' And call them your intimate friend; That they may keep you from adulteress, From the foreigner who flatter with her words" Psalms 7:1-8.