Food For Thought

       I don’t know about you but I LOVE food.  Have you ever noticed how often Jesus uses food to relate to us?  I find it fascinating.  This is one of the topics that I absolutely love exploring during adoration and prayer time.  For me it is one of those mind-blowing Jesus thought of everything kind of topics.

clockwise: Eucharist, My sister's wedding cake,
bread, date dinner, energy bar

       Consider some of the connotations and associations that food posses in our lives.  Food is associated with hunger and alternatively satisfaction.  It is our source of nourishment, sustenance, and energy.  It is a sign of community and hospitality.  Food is what we share when friends and family get together.  What is the most common first date? Dinner.  Parents sacrifice to put food on the table and provide for their family.  Not to mention the comfort and pure enjoyment that comes from the act of eating.

       All of these things and more are associated with food and eating.  God, being the omniscient and infinitely clever being that he is, decided to capitalize on our feelings towards food in his ministry and in his continued presence in the Blessed Sacrament. 

       Something that I have noticed recently during my study of the daily readings is that for at least 3 of the times that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after his resurrection he shared food with them.

1. In Luke 24 Jesus is walking along the road to Emmaus with two of his disciples, only they don’t recognize him.  During the journey he opens up the scriptures to them and gives them understanding.  When he acts as though he will continue on without them the disciples beg him to stay.  Jesus stays with them and reveals himself through the breaking of the bread.
2. Again in Luke 24 the disciples are gathered in the upper room talking about Jesus.  As they are speaking he appears in the room.    When the disciples didn't believe that it was really him, thinking it was a ghost, Jesus asked for food.  The disciples gave him fish and he ate.
3. In John 21 Peter decides to go fishing and the other disciples join him.  They catch nothing all night and at dawn a “stranger” on shore tells them to cast to the right.  They do and catch 153 fish!  Realizing it is Jesus Peter jumps overboard and swims to him.  When the disciples arrive on shore they see that Jesus is preparing breakfast for them.  He asks for some fresh fish, cooks it, and eats with them.

       I love that Jesus uses food to show us what we need to see.  In the first story he reveals his identity through the breaking of the bread (Eucharist).  In story number two he proves his humanity and true resurrection because a ghost does not eat, it does not have flesh and blood, he is truly risen.  In the final story Jesus uses food to show that he will still provide for us.  He helps them catch fish and then prepares and serves the disciples breakfast, sharing the meal with them.

       Finally, I want to talk about the Eucharist.  This is the “source and summit” of our Catholic faith.  In John 6:35 -69 Jesus presents his teaching of the Eucharist as his true body.  Jesus calls himself the bread of life that comes from Heaven.  The people in the crowd begin to murmur saying, “This is Jesus, son of Joseph.  We know his father and mother.  How can he say, ‘I came from Heaven’?”  Jesus then explained that whoever eats his flesh will live forever.  They are grossed out asking how Jesus can ask them to eat his flesh.

       In this passage’s original Greek there are two different words for used for "eat".  One is phago used in verses 50-52 this word in Greek means to eat or consume and can be used figuratively.  After the crowd begins to question his meaning and are grossed out Jesus changes the word he uses to trogo, this word means to gnaw or chew and was not used figuratively in the original language.  *Disclaimer: I am not a Greek expert I have learned this from studies I have taken via FOCUS. 

       The point is that after people are confused of Jesus’ meaning he clarifies by changing the word to make clear that he wants them to actually chew his flesh and eat it (Eucharist).  The Biblical account goes on to say that many of his followers walked away that day.  Jesus did not stop them.  He didn't say “no, no, hey guys that’s not what I meant!”, instead he asked the twelve if they too were going to leave.  Jesus wants all of us completely but he doesn't force us to follow him.  He presents his teaching and allows us to decide if we want to stay, or walk away.  This was his teaching; he wants us to eat his flesh.  He wants us to partake of his body in the sacrament of Communion.  Yet he let those people walk away, not because he didn't want them, but because they could not accept that the Eucharist was in fact his body. 

       Food plays a huge role in our lives.  This was not by accident but design.  The LORD uses all things to his glory and our love of and dependence on food is not excluded.  So eat, drink, and be merry!

       Can you think of other ways food impacts our lives? Bible Accounts featuring food? What is your favorite food, other than the Bread of Life? Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Drop me a line in the comments below! 

 

I really like food. Candy counts right?
ps. That pic with the Kettle Cooked Lays was taken while writing this post.