Soul Food?

The mouth can betray the Heart.

.

Did you know that in the United States of America, the second-largest food consumption day of the year is Super-Bowl Sunday? Statistics tell us that in that single day—actually in one 4-hour period that night—among other things, while watching the Super Bowl football final on television, Americans eat:
.
· 4 million pounds of popcorn
.
· 9 million pounds of tortilla chips
.
· 12 million pounds of potato chips
.
· 13 million pounds of guacamole dip!
.
Now there are two consequences that come from eating all this junk food: First, it leads to thousands of upset tummies. We know this because statistics also show that on this day when stomachs bulge, sales of antacids also bulge by 20%. And the second effect of consuming all these millions of pounds of salt-filled food is that it makes people thirsty! I don’t have the stats on this but I’m sure people drink millions of gallons of beverages to slake their thirst after eating all those chips and popcorn. However, we do tend to eat all the wrong things.
.
I recall as a child that when it was supper time, first of all you came as soon as mum called. If someone prepared a meal for you, you were expected to show up and eat it. Next you hand to wash your hands before eating, and we were not allowed to watch tv or read at the table - this was a time for talking - or more importantly - it was a time of listening. Parents to children and children tp parents. It was a time of sharing family stories and family histories.
.
Last week while doing sermon research, I came across a piece of information that was striking in its simplicity. The latest buzz today is about obesity in children. The culprits in all of this are said to be fast food chains and pop manufactors. We have not only super-sized pop drinks and super-sized food portions, but we have super-sized a whole generation of children who will have terrible health problems as they grow older, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and bone density problems on a scale never before seen in previous generations as many today eat the wrong thing full of empty calories
.
One of the reflections I read on this upsurge of obesity was that many children live in very stressful situations today and use food and pop to ease their stress just as adults might use drugs and alcohol to reduce their stress - all the while increasing their stress levels through associated health problems.
.
But what fascinated me was what one person saw as the answer to all this - it was so simple that at first I laughed out loud. The answer was a programme aimed at teaching parents how to cook and eat properly and in doing so, have their children eat their meals seated around the family table instead of at some fast food restaurant where there are all kinds of distractions - never mind the calories eaten through fat food and sugary drinks. This way, the food nutritionist suggested, that not only could parents monitor what was going into their children’s mouths but also was was coming out of their children’s mouths.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is being taken to task because his disciples have not observed the traditions and customs around hand washing. When observant Jews came into contact with Gentiles, or other Jews who were not observant, and thus hand-washing was necessary to be rid of the defilement of everyday contact with those considered unclean. The water that Jesus turned into wine, wasn’t for drinking, but rather it would have been used for this cermonial washing of hands, where the Jew would be cleansed of their defilement by pouring the water of their hands. They saw Jesus and his disciples as unclean.
.
The very fact that Jesus ate and drank with outcasts and sinners, and allowed unclean people like lepers and prostitutes touch him, and his disciples did not observe the religious laws regarding hand-washing, in the eyes of the religious leaders made Jesus and his disciples unclean.
.
Jesus’ disciples did not observe the religious laws regarding this hand washing, and when the religious leaders challenge Jesus regarding this, Jesus responds by first calling them ‘hypocrites" because even though they said all the right things, the right words rolled of their lips, their hearts were far from God. They were very good at keeping their own man-made rules, but when it came to keeping the Biblical commandments, well that was a whole different thing.
.
Jesus actually slams the religious leaders by telling them and the crowd that has gathered to listen that there is nothing a person can eat that will make them unclean. In fact, it is not what goes into a person’s mouth that makes a person unclean, but rather what comes out of a person’s mouth that makes them unclean. Jesus goes on to say that it is what is in a person’s heart, the evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly, these are the things that come from inside a person that indicates an impure heart.
.
If you listen hard enough it doesn’t take too long before the words of our lips will betray the secret thoughts of our hearts. The words of our lips often betray the envy, greed, malice, or deceit that we entertain in or the dark recesses of our hearts. The thoughts of our hearts will spill out of our mouths when we are angry or upset or frustrated. From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
.
There are so many examples from Scripture that one might use to illustrate how from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks, however, one of my frustrations in ministry is that I spend time preparing a service and a sermon in the hopes of spiritually feeding God’s people, but only a few ever show up to partake of it.
.
But, be that as it may, the call to me is to be faithful in the preparation and wit that I reflect on the Parable of the Prodigal Son which is misnamed, because the story of the prodigal son, who asks for his inheritance early than promptly goes off and wastes in on wild living, then returns to be welcomed home by his father, who does not condemn this wayward son as one might expect, but instead orders that the fatted calf be cooked and let there be a great celebration, for the son who was lost has been found. But the story does not end there, my friend.

.
There is another older brother who refuses to join in the great celebration. and even with his father pleading with him to celebrate, the older son simply refuses.
.
With anger in his heart, the words of his lips betray his jealousy and envy, and even the deep resentment not only against his brother, but against his father -:
.
"Look! Even his first word that he chooses betrays him. "Look! All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours ( he could not even bring himself to call him his brother) When this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him." The words of his lips betray not only his anger and frustration regarding his brother, but also reveal what he thinks about his own father for who he has slaved "all these years." Was his father really only a slave -driver in his sons eyes. Such resentment and envy.
.
Then I think of Mary and Martha, two sisters who were close friends of Jesus.
On this occasion Jesus was invited to relax in their home and a special dinner was prepared in his honour. However Martha was distracted by all the preparation that had to be made for this special dinner, while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to what he said. Martha came to Jesus and asked him ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself. Tell her to help me!" Can you hear the jealousy and envy in her request?
.
It is so easy to get discouraged. It is so easy to get distracted. It is so easy to think that no-one else cares. It is so easy to be envious of the success of others, while we are left to do all the hard work and get little or no recognition.
.
In times of discouragement, in times of distraction, in times of disillusionment,
I try to remember that everything I do, I do for Jesus. I try to remember that imperfect as I am, and unworthy as I am, God has called me to this time and place. Even though there are times when I feel all alone in ministry, I try to remember that I am not alone, for he has promised to be with me at all times.
.
In such times, I try to remember that it is the word of God that sustains me,
and that Satan will attack me when ever and where ever possible,
but Jesus alays walks with we where ever he asks me to go.
.
And so, as you leave here today, remember he has promised to be with you.
And as you go, take with you his promise that he will never leave or forsake you.
.
Remember that every good and perfect gift is from above,
and may the name of Jesus be for ever on your lips.
Amen.