WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?
The pilgrims sat in the comfort of the luxurious bus with a look on their faces that complimented the forlorn emptiness of the wilderness we could see one either side of the highway as we made our way towards Jericho. I couldn’t tell just yet if it was the somber prospect of entering a city that represents to many modern day Christians, the parallels of tearing down impenetrable walls that seem to impede their progress on many fronts, as it did the children of Israel back then in biblical days or if it was simple to look of human beings when tired and hungry.
The core cause of the distant eyes, forlorn looks and slumped shoulders became more evident as the coach turned into the ancient city of Jericho. “On our left side” the guide began “just beneath those rocks, you can see the remnants of the wall that Joshua met. That is the wall of Jericho that came crashing down after 7 days with a loud shout of Hallelujah” he enthused. Not a soul moved an inch to catch a glimpse of this monumental piece of scriptural miracle nor was there much more stir as he pointed out a few minutes later, in the distance, the mount of Temptation. But animated life returned to the pilgrims when the bus turned into where lunch was to be served. The irony wasn’t lost on me that just across from us, in plain sight was the mount of Temptation, where Satan tempted the Lord Jesus after a 40 day fast in the wilderness.
The Almighty, who created the heavens and the earth also made man a living being. He gave us spiritual food to feed the soul and spirit and physical food to power the body and energize the mind. In doing so, He created a balance between spirit, soul, mind and body each to help the other stay fit and strong to live a fulfilled life. But ever since the fall of man, the body has craved food far more than it’s standard requirement for the sustenance of life to the detriment of the spirit. Starved of spiritual food, the soul becomes lean and unable to impact the mind in things divine, sin prevails. For this reason we are asked to fast often, denying the body its excesses thereby allowing the spirit get its fair share of spiritual food bringing once more the divine balance of spirit, soul and body as was intended from the foundation of time. Is this your time to fast? may the Lord help us find the right balance in feeding our flesh and our spirit today.