Supersize Me

Food is important. Beyond the calories and yes, even the taste, meals are filled with great significance. There are few acts that convey companionship and relationship like sharing a meal. We tend to eat with people we would consider friends or those we hope to call our friends. It’s not inconsequential that almost every first date in the history of western civilization (slight exaggeration intended) has happened over a meal or at least a cup of coffee, which some of us consider to be a substantial and important substitute.

In his recent book “A Meal with Jesus,” Tim Chester reflects on the significance of meals in the life of Christ. Chester points out that Jesus spent much of his time eating and drinking, so much so that the Pharisees slandered him by calling him a drunkard and a glutton. He was ridiculed and chastised by the foolish religious leaders for eating with the outcasts of society. More than once Jesus fed thousands by miraculously multiplying fish and bread. He used food as a powerful analogy, calling himself “the bread of life.” So much of Jesus life and ministry involved a long meal that often stretched into the evening. He made and matured disciples around a table with some grilled fish, a loaf of bread and a pitcher of wine. Don’t believe me? Just read Lukes gospel and count how many times Jesus is going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal… it’s staggering!

Now, my goal is not to give a detailed review of this book. As a pastor, my desire is to strongly encourage those who follow Christ to read good books – books that will be spiritually profitable. Unfortunately, there are thousands of books cut from a quasi-christian cloth that sell millions, appeal to the masses and are all but worthless. Walk into your local “Christian” bookstore and try to discern what is good, bad and just plain ugly… it’s not easy. In light of that, I want you to have resources that you can trust. I understand that you don’t have time to read everything out there – neither do I. I want to give you the comfort of knowing some books you should read. Just a little caveat – I don’t necessarily endorse every viewpoint, particular doctrine or theological persuasions of all the books I write about on this blog. But, the one’s I post on are worth reading.

This book stretched me and enlightened me. It had me thinking about food and meals in a brand new way. It reminded me of some powerful truths I have tucked away somewhere in the deep recesses of my scattered mind. Let me give you just a taste to whet your appetite:

“Many people love the idea of the church as a community. But when we eat together, we encounter not some theoretical community, but real people with all their problems and quirks. The meal table is an opportunity to give up our proud ideals by which we judge others and accept in their place the real community created by the cross of Christ, with all its brokenness. It’s easy to love people in some abstract sense and preach the virtues of love. But we’re called to love the real individuals sitting around the table (pg. 48).”
Meals teach us how to enact grace and live in real community with one another. They allow us to show love and mercy to those in need and to open our lives up to one another. They get us away from superficial relationships into the kind of life-on-life Christianity that brings glory to God and puts legs on the gospel message.

Here’s one more that encouraged me greatly!

“When your church family gathers together as a group of needy people and shares food with Jesus at the center and with Jesus as the provider, you glimpse God’s coming world right here, right now. The Christian community is the beginning and sign of God’s coming world – and no more so than when we eat together. Our meals are a foretaste of the future messianic banquet. Our meals reveal the identity of Jesus. Our meals are a proclamation and demonstration of God’s good news (pg.61).”

Food will be an important part of God’s coming Kingdom. We will one day feast with him at his banquet table – the ultimate picture of relationship, community and fellowship with your Lord and Saviour!

Get this book and read! It will definitely give you some food for thought (pun intended ☺).

If you want to read this book for yourself you can find it here: Amazon.ca