Eat up!
“There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.” – Joshua 8:35
I used to be a picky eater. Not just as a kid, but throughout my teen years and well into my young adult years as well. Fortunately for me, I married young and my wife, who soon became a fantastic cook, exposed me to new foods and reintroduced things into my diet I had consistently rejected growing up. And compelled by my desire to please and encourage my new wife, I learned to love lots of new foods like Brussel sprouts (sautéed in bacon, of course) and bell peppers. Years later, I even found myself eating foods I didn’t even care much for like avocado and spinach, just because of their nutritional value – go figure! Odds are you can relate. I mean, what child has the complex palette of an adult. This kind of maturity – and that is what it is – is forced upon us on some level. Whether because that is all that is available in the pantry or we were served something unfavorable at a friend’s house and decided not to be rude, we eventually venture out beyond dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese, or my go-to, pepperoni Bagel Bites. Over time, we come to crave a greater diversity of foods and our commitment to our health broadens our diet.
God’s Word is food. And let’s be honest and admit that some of it is tastier, or perhaps easier to digest than others. Certain portions of Scripture are as sweet as honey – think of dessert, even candy. I think of our spiritual blessings and all God has done in Christ to love and save us. Other portions of God’s Word are substantive and meaty in terms of their theological or spiritual importance. The holy character of God and some of the more complex aspects of our faith come to mind. Then, at the risk of straining the metaphor, there are portions of God’s Word which act as a side dish – they are an undeniable part of the meal and with the right preparation these can really hit the spot. Such topics may include biblical narrative and divine instruction for Christian living. And finally, there are the vegetables of the Bible – those difficult and unpopular doctrines that often take time to really appreciate but without which we end up with life-threatening deficiencies. Here, I think about the Bible’s teaching on hell, the seriousness of sin and wherever else God’s wisdom contradicts the wisdom and sensibilities of the world.
Joshua read all of the law to all of God’s people - man, woman, child, even foreigner. And as Joshua 8 records, he didn’t leave out a single word. And as with Israel, Christians need every word of Scripture today, being picky is not an option! This means then that preachers cannot afford to be picky or particular. In fact, because of the preacher’s responsibility to “Preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2), it is negligent to preach and teach the Bible with prejudice, emphasizing preferable passages to the suppression of the more difficult, complicated, heavy, debated, strange or convicting passages. Drawing on the parallel between physical and spiritual food, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Every word. Every portion. We were designed to need it all. We only grow stronger sustainably with a balanced diet that consists of the whole counsel of God’s Word. The Apostle Paul communicated this truth with the pastoral weight it deserves when he said to the Ephesian elders…
“I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27).
Pastor, you must not be selective in the pulpit regardless the consequences. Man’s approval, your popularity or the stability of your preaching career are not worth breaking fellowship with God and malnourishing your people. God in His wisdom has set the menu; your job is to faithfully serve truth with a smile until the Christians in your care acquire a taste for or learn to appreciate all of it. And it starts with you. Are you delighting in every portion of Scripture yourself? Is your understanding of and appreciation for the Bible’s various genres and teachings increasing? Does the sermon always find itself reiterating the same pet-doctrines in a narrow range of tones or do you allow God via the text to determine the voice and direction of the sermon? (Pro tip: this is where expository preaching comes in handy!) We are spiritual nutritionists, and we must practice what we preach.
Christian, we must not be picky eaters. I pray you have a capable preacher skilled both in the preparation and presentation of God’s Word. Even so, it is possible to not even touch the spiritual vegetables generously served to you. At the end of the day, the decision to open up and chew is yours. Pay attention to your Bible study reading and devotional intake – do you find yourself gravitating to certain portions of Scripture at the expense of others that you don’t care for as much. I often hear how much people love the epistles (the letters to the churches). And for good reason, they are extremely relevant to Christians today and can be rapidly applied. But when was the last time you meditated on healthy portion of the Old Testament or trudged slowly through a Gospel. The Psalms themselves are an excellent example of variety and balance. (Pro tip: follow a Bible-in-a-year reading plan.) Just as with our literal food intake, we must watch what we eat.
There’s always room to grow here. To this day, I do my best to avoid mushrooms and olives. I may not be a picky eater anymore, but I am tempted to settle for the progress that I have seen to this point and not feel the need to continue. With my physical diet, that might be fine – but I’m convinced God’s Word offers far more nutritional value for my soul that cannot so easily be substituted for by other truths. I want it all – or at least I want… to want it all, and God is helping me be more disciplined and to believe more and more that His Word is everything it says it is…. perfect, trustworthy, right and righteous, sweet, pure, radiant, and that it gives joy and light (Psalm 19).
Eat up and enjoy!