The Founder of the Feast

Instead of talking about Jesus as the "founder of the feast," perhaps I should talk about Jesus being known through his catering. You may have read that and are scratching your head, maybe a little shocked--or even downright irritated. To talk of Jesus being known through his catering just doesn't sound that spiritual, and yet.....Let's look at the facts. Jesus is out in the middle of nowhere and throws a huge picnic and feeds thousands of people, with plenty left over. He does this at least twice in his ministry. We might think this is a little unusual, but then we turn to the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus is at a wedding feast that is about to come to a screeching halt because the host has run out of wine. No problem: Jesus turns water into somewhere between 120-180 gallons of the finest vintage.Does this sound strange of God? Well, maybe, until you consider the fact the Bible begins with God presenting his newly formed image bearer a menu: "The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food." (Genesis 2:8-9) And then, at the end of the story, what is God doing? Throwing a wedding feast that will last for eternity.So now, I ask you again: should we be surprised that Jesus shows up catering meals all the time? God obviously likes being in the catering business--he thinks food is a good thing! This week, we are looking at Jesus throwing a huge picnic, and I will try again to convince you that cooking and serving people the greatest food of their lives is at the heart of God's kingdom! Bon Appetit,Jim