HERE’S WHAT WE DID
Sunday after church, we went to our son Derek’s apartment for lunch. He wanted to cook for us and he makes a killer stir fry, Mongolian BBQ style.
Our family enjoys long meals with long conversations over good food eaten slowly. But that takes some time to put together.
WHILE WE WAITED
While he was getting lunch ready, he prepared some rangoons to snack on. We were in the living room when he brought them in on a plate.
HERE’S WHAT I DID
I had been fooling around with my phone but when I finally put it down, I looked up, saw a plate of rangoons and was happy to have something to eat.
I was enjoying them when my wife said, “You are eating all the rangoons, that’s the serving plate, put that down, get one of the snack plates, and leave some for Derek.”
Oops. I hadn’t noticed that he also brought some snack plates.
Yep, the serving plate was just sitting there, so I just assumed it was for me. I chose badly. Okay, it wasn’t a world-ending thing on my part, but still.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
Since my rangoon faux pas I have, for some reason, been thinking about Jesus. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about Jesus and food.
Consider what he did for others:
- He once filled two boats full of fish.
- After his resurrection, he again filled a boat with fish.
- He multiplied some loaves of bread and a few fish to feed thousands.
- Then he again fed the multitudes with a few loaves and some fish.
- After his resurrection, he cooked breakfast for his disciples.
Consider what he did for himself:
- When he was hungry he ate some kernels of wheat in a wheat field.
- After fasting 40 days he turned down an opportunity to have bread.
JESUS OUR MESSIAH
The Messiah was anointed to preach and to provide. He came not to be served, but to devote his life to serving. He focused on what he could give, as opposed to what he could be given.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The bigger Messianic picture is that he gave his life for others: to forgive sins, to redeem mankind, and to build the bridge bringing us back to the Father.
But he also chose kernels of wheat instead of a sumptuous meal.
Greatness is obvious when it’s seen in the arena of vast human need. But true greatness, or shall I say true humility, is in the tiny little everyday things that are less transparent to the watching world.
NOBODY REALLY CARED
Nobody was upset that I ate most of the rangoons, it wasn’t important.
But when it is, when it matters, will I be more like Jesus, or more like, well, you know.