Come and Eat !

I fixed lunch for my daughter and her boyfriend when they visited the other day. I'm not a great cook by any means: but I have a few things I do well. I take great pleasure in preparing food my family likes. And I know that going to the work of preparing food well will be rewarded in the best possible way: by my guests eating and enjoying it.

I get that from my mother. The food she made for us was a manifestation of love, and what she most wanted was for us to eat it, and enjoy it.

The thought occurred that the work I put into studying scripture for Sunday School is the same kind of thing. I ask for the Spirit's light, and study hard, so that my comments will be the Spirit's Own words, giving life to those who receive them. Jesus drew that parallel when He countered satan's tempting Him with food by quoting scripture, that the real bread is "...every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

But Sunday School is different than my kitchen. I can't help noticing that not many will receive what I'm glad to prepare and offer them. LOL.

We're currently studying I John. The apostle, from his first words, emphasizes the experiential manifestation of Christ. He presents himself as one who saw, heard and touched the incarnate "Word of Life...manifested to us." He tells us again and again that our God is as manifest in this world as light: and that "...the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious..." as well, by the spirit they manifest.

But the response in Sunday School when I noted that was to the effect, "That's not my experience. I've been deceived by people many times."

I wasn't even sure how to respond, except to say, yes, I've been deceived by people too. Maybe I should have responded that being deceived is a manifestation of not heeding the Spirit...which it is, and which we're all guilty of at times. But what hit me at that moment was that the class' response seemed to argue that scripture is wrong: the children of God and the children of the devil are not obvious.

Musing on it since, I've been reinforced in the long-held belief that we can only be accountable for the quality of what we put out...whether it's food, or scriptural insights. Whether it's received or not received is the choice of those to whom we offer it.

It's very gratifying if what we offer is received with joy: as John writes, it makes our joy complete. But food is only fully enjoyed by those who are hungry. When people turn up their noses at food they're offered, and say it's not to their tastes...they're not really hungry.

God, PLEASE give me Your grace to be always HUNGRY for Your Word !