Ah, Turkey Day, the day of the feast! What a fine prospect lies ahead of us! We expect a smorgasbord of goodies, from meats and candied fruits to desserts aplenty.
After we’ve consumed all we can absorb, we expect some down time in front of the television, while we give our stomachs time to absorb the damage we’ve done.
As our television plays out its dramas, the last thing we want is the offer of additional food. The very thought makes us grimace with unease.
So what was on Jesus’ mind in John 7:37?
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’ ”
We can be pretty sure the participants gathered there, sprawled on their rugs, with their bellies swollen with meat and wine, looked at him bleary-eyed and askance, and probably muttered, “Go away, man. Can’t you see we’ve done enough damage as it is? Come again tomorrow, but not too early. My tummy’s too full already.”
To imagine Jesus spoke of physical hunger or thirst misses the mark, doesn't it? Jesus was never about food and drink, money, riches, or wealth. He was about changing people’s hearts, drawing them unto the Father, and making men’s lives better. His offer had nothing to do with water or wine. It was about enticing men to follow after God.
We see this proof in the next two verses in John 7:38-39:
“ ‘Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Why did Jesus use this particular moment to ask his question? A time when men’s bellies were full and their thirst satisfied? It was only then that they would see his question as it really was. Otherwise they would only feel their hunger and thirst, and it would get in the way of Jesus’ true message.
God knows we are human, and that leaves us focused on the physical world. We can be no other way. It’s only when our physical needs are met that we can keep our attention trained on him. He brings us the feast, and when we are satisfied, then he lays out his will for our life.
The matter of importance is revealed in the answer we give him. Is our physical day of feasting enough for us, or are we willing to partake of his spiritual feast, even if he asks us to walk away from the tables spread with turkey, ham, desserts, and more?
This is a hard question to answer. If God blesses us with houses, cars, and large bank accounts, are we willing to give them up to follow after Christ? We cannot afford to get this wrong.
Today is our Day of the Feast. When God gifts us material blessings, let’s not forget to choose Jesus, also.
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