My wife has been going through a Bible Study called The
7 Experiment by Jen Hatmaker which has really engaged many of the ladies of
my church and also 7 other churches that have joined in this particular
study. I thought that was pretty cool
myself… as a Restoration Movement minister whose Christian heritage claims it
wants unity among all believers. Anyway,
as usual, she and I talk over the study at times, she asks me questions, I
offer my opinion, we debate, we laugh, and we generally enjoy the studies
together even though I am very much on the outside.
This particular study is not one that centers on one
particular Bible passage, but rather centers on the idea (this is my take on
it) that American Christians are consumed with consuming and it can and often
does get in the way with our relationship with God. The study has allowed us to talk about some
things about the Christian faith that most of the time are left unsaid… some
with good reason… others need to be talked about. Whether the ladies of her study realize it or
not, I get asked a lot of questions about their study through her and some by
them directly. I thought I would put
together a few thoughts to help answer some questions I have heard about the
different areas of the social experiment in the study.
My concern with any of these areas is: “What does the Bible
actually say?” That should be a key for
us in any subject we tackle in the Christian faith. Our perspectives and attitudes should be
informed by Scripture and then we need to align ourselves with it where we
differ from God.
THEOLOGY OF FOOD:
CULINOLOGY
I
remember a few years ago that McDonalds
was on the hot seat for their massive supersized meals. It was a sign of the early 2000s. Everyone had survived Y2K and we all wanted was to celebrate with massive amounts of sodas and French fries. It’s not every year that the apocalypse
happens without a hiccup… unless you count the 2012 one, too. Anyway, food seems to be at the forefront of
our lives. Drive down any street in America and you
will most likely hit some kind of establishment that serves food. I remember taking a road trip in college
through Texas
where every single town had a Dairy Queen.
Not all the towns had stop lights or running water, but they all had at
least one Dairy Queen! TV markets food
through commercials. Movie theaters
market their snack bar with whimsical finesse.
Even sports venues have a ring around the field full of vendors with
food. Food is everywhere!
So,
what does the Bible say about food? What
am I supposed to think about food? To be honest, there are key words to look
for and think about when looking at food in the Bible. Some key words: food (317x), harvest (96x), glutton(s)(y)
(7x), starve(ation)(ing) (9x), drought (8x), supplies (18x), meat (91x), vegan
(0x), cook(ed) (22x), eat (514x).
Numbers 11:4-6 (talked about in Psalm 78:12-35):
“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites
started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt
Psalm 111:3-5: “Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever. 4
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and
compassionate. 5 He provides
food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.”
Proverbs 22:9 (echoed in other passages like
Deuteronomy 10:17-18, Proverbs 25:21, Luke 3:11, Acts 6, James 2:15-17): “A
generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
Ecclesiastes 9:7: “Go, eat your food with gladness, and
drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.”
Romans 14:13-23 (also in Genesis 9:3-4, Acts
10:11-16): “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one
another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle
in your brother's way. 14 As
one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in
itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is
unclean. 15 If your brother
is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not
by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16 Do not allow what you consider
good to be spoken of as evil. 17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves
Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 Let us therefore make every
effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God
for the sake of food. All food is clean,
but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to
stumble. 21 It is better not
to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother
to fall. 22 So whatever you
believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man
who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the man who has doubts is
condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that
does not come from faith is sin.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (spoken about in Matthew 6:25-27):
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the
world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with
that.”
Honestly, I tried to narrow down
the passages for you to read so you won’t get bored with my blog. As you can see from the list of key words
about food, the references about food and food-type thoughts could go on for
days! Yes! The Bible does talk about food… so what do we
see when it comes to food in the Bible?
I think we can notice several principles
about food that can be helpful for us in our walk with God.
First, notice in Numbers 11 and
Romans 14 that food can be a source
of sin or temptation in our lives. The
word “gluttony” is framed as a sin in the Old and New Testaments and is
something looked down upon along with over drinking. Food, in Romans 14, can even be a stumbling
block for someone’s faith. Now I realize
the Apostle Paul is speaking specifically about purchasing meat sacrificed to
pagan idols, but I think the principle of watching what you eat and how it
effects those around you remains (Romans 14:20).
Second, notice food can be a
source of blessing from God and something that we can enjoy from Psalm 111 and
Ecclesiastes 9. It is a proper thought
to have that anything you eat, serve in your home, purchase at the store,
or order from a restaurant menu is provided to you by God Almighty. To paraphrase a President, “You didn’t make
that.” God gives food the ability to
grow. God provides you a job with which
to purchase food from your earnings. God
is the source of your ability to go out to eat.
These things are a blessing from God and can be enjoyed. For example, my mother-in-law’s cheesecake is
a blessing straight from Heaven’s kitchen.
Now, looking at Numbers 11 and Romans 14, it is possible to enjoy food
far too much, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a good meal
while praising God as the source from whence it came. I also would add to this thought, that 1
Timothy 6 encourages us to be content with what is given to us. It should not be a stressor that you can’t
afford to go out to eat, but rather celebrate that you can make a meal and
enjoy it at home.
Third, Deuteronomy, Proverbs,
Luke, Acts, James, and so many other passages in the Scriptures commands us to
share food and provisions with others. This
is not a suggestion or an inkling or a maybe-ifn-you-want-to statement. Sharing with the poor is a command from God
and is something that pleases Him. I
believe the key here is out of the blessing and enjoyment God has given you,
you then should share with others. In
John 12:8, Jesus Christ says “you will always have the poor among you…” and
James 2 echoes the thought that when we see someone in need, we should help if
at all possible for this pleases God (who gave it to you in the first place).
So what is a proper theology
about food? We’ll call it “Culinology”
(I looked and didn’t find a fancy name).
A proper Culinology rests on the three principles above and has at its
core a profound sense of thanksgiving to God for all that He provides and the
necessity to share with others who are poor.
Some Suggested Action Steps for a
Proper Culinology (Theology about Food):
* Pray before your meals
(meaningful prayers, not rote ones) and teach your children/grandchildren to do
the same.
*
Skip some meals going out to eat and give the extra money to a local food
pantry.
*
Do a personal inventory to see if you are overeating or undereating or
if you have an eating
disorder.
*
Investigate what fasting
is and how this can be a beneficial spiritual discipline in the Christian life.
Troy Borst
Associate Minister
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