Eat The Word

The readings this week cover Luke 6-8 and Psalms 118 & 119. 
 

One of the simple joys in life is going to a good deli, café or even a supermarket and choosing the filling for your sandwich. In the supermarket I’m a creature of habit and seek out my favourite. When travelling or going somewhere new, I always look for something different to try. 

There are times when I’ve enjoyed the filling so much, I don’t eat all the bread. After all the bread is just there to contain the filling, isn’t it? 

When our kids were little, we would want them to not just lick out the sweet gooey jam, or pick out the cheese slices, but to eat the bread as well. Our desire is for them to have a complete meal that will satisfy their hunger and keep them going so they don’t snack all day. 

As I read through the 3 chapters from Luke’s gospel this week, I was struck by how many times Jesus deliberately spoke or gave time to his disciples. He wasn’t just giving them the tasty filling that is sweet to our ears, He was giving them the bread as well. Words straight from His heart that would sustain not just the disciples then but us as His disciples today. 

One of the “fillings” that we all seem to enjoy is found in Luke 6:38: 

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 

This is a great “filling”!! We know that when we give, we can apply the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping. That when we give, there is an abundance waiting for us. Our Heavenly Father is always looking out for us. 

So where’s the bread? 

In Luke 6:20 we read that Jesus turns and looks at His disciples and starts teaching them specifically. He tells them how blessed they are, and then He starts to talk to them about love. Not just any love. Not a delicious, warm, crusty, straight from the oven love. No. He gets the everyday bread out and starts to talk about loving your enemies. 

He gives clear practical instructions: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. He even says turn the other cheek, give to them more than they ask, don’t demand back what has been stolen. We are told to be merciful, and then in verse 37 we are told not to judge and to forgive. 

Then we have the “filling”!! 

Give, and it will be given to you! Not just finances but mercy. We won’t be judged, we will be forgiven. Verse 35 says “your reward will be great”. 

The principle of sowing and reaping affects every area of our lives. If you sow judgement, you will be judged. If you sow mercy, you will receive mercy. If you sow hate, you will be hated. If you sow love, even loving your enemies, you will be loved, even by your enemies. 

Then we have the second piece of bread. Jesus continues by looking at how we treat one another, are we judging one another when there are areas in our own lives that need to be removed. Are we bearing good fruit from the good that is within us? Or are we bearing bad fruit? 

He finishes with a poignant parable about the wise and foolish builders. To use my illustration, the foolish builder picks out the fillings he likes and ignores the bread that sustains him. The wise builder eats the whole sandwich: he delights in the filling and the bread. The wise builder is sustained by the Word and his foundations are strong. Psalm 119, also part of this week’s reading, is all about delighting in the Word. 

As you eat the Word, when you come across a delicious filling, look at the bread either side as well. Make sure that you eat the whole sandwich!!