James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from above. 1 Timothy 6 mentions we have a God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. And…spoiler alert, Matthew 7 tells us we have a very good Father in Heaven who knows best, how to give good gifts to his children.
Among the many good things God saw fit to bless us with, he’s given us good good food. I thank you God for barbecued brisket, with a peppery rub, cooked low and slow. Delicious! How amazing is cheesecake or chocolate pie! Hot from the oven fresh baked bread or in season strawberries, a sweet ripe banana or even just a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. Like the Israelites after Egypt, our bodies could have found sustenance with something like Manna, but how generous is our God to bless us with such a wide and delicious variety of food?
He even chose delicious food as a beautiful symbol to remember him by. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)“…..Jesus, …..took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.
And….this cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Do this—drink wine, chew bread and remember me. Remember the way I lived life, remember the way I loved you, remember my sacrifice, remember the price that I paid for you. Remember often.
I love that Jesus connected remembering the most important, earth-shattering event that’s ever happened, with a meal.
In Matthew 6 it appears Jesus assumed his followers would at times, practice fasting—abstaining from eating food. Perhaps this was a form of intense prayer, prayer that involved the whole mind and body hungry for communion with God. At other times, as Ryan mentioned last week, it was a faith filled act of generosity toward someone else—choosing to forgo eating meals for a time in order to nourish someone else who needed it more. Or fasting could be a spiritual discipline, a simple act by a Christ follower to deny oneself, to grow more like the one who so willingly gave it all.
Whatever the motivation, Jesus taught that the practice of fasting should be done quietly, with humility—something kept just between you and your heavenly Father. Then our all-seeing and all-knowing Father, the giver of all good things, he promises to reward us when we seek only his approval and his applause.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member