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What Does Food Have to Do with Faith?

Posted by Jeff Young in Faith on Monday, September 13, 2010 10:00 AM

What does food have to do with faith?

I mean, faith involves prayer, church, the bible, the sacraments. What does any of that have to do with food?

At first glance, it might seem that the two are unrelated. But let’s take a closer look by searching for food in the bible.

Did you know that the bible is filled with food? Really, it is. From cover to cover.

• In Genesis we see God giving Adam and Eve command of all the animals and plants, which they are free to use as food. We also see Abraham welcoming and feeding three strangers from the desert, the same three strangers who prophesy that Sarah would bear a child in her old age.
• In Exodus we see God tell Moses and the people, very specifically, how to celebrate the Passover meal. It was through that meal that God set his people free. God also commanded that the Passover feast be observed as an everlasting memorial. Then we see God providing the miraculous Manna for his people as they wandered in the desert.
• References to food, feasting, and wine frequently appear in the Psalms, the Proverbs, and in all the books of the Prophets.
• In the New Testament Jesus often dines with public sinners. He miraculously feeds thousands of people. He even cooked breakfast for his apostles after his resurrection. Jesus often told parables about meals and feasts, particularly wedding feasts. As a matter of fact, it was at a wedding feast that Jesus changed water into wine… lots of wine!
• There’s the Last Supper. And, at the very end of the very last book of the bible, we get to see where this is all heading: the wedding feast of the Lamb. The heavenly banquet.

Wow.

You know, it could be argued that food is a golden thread running through all of Salvation History. Think about it. In the story of the Fall in Genesis, how does sin enter the world?

Through eating! Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And they did so in direct disobedience to God.

Now, jump ahead to the Gospels. What does Jesus tell us about salvation in John, Chapter 6? Who does he say he is?

“I am the bread of life… I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6: 48, 51).

So, sin and death enter the world through eating, but so does salvation and eternal life!

I don’t know about you, but this gets me excited! It gives me a whole new vision of what it means to share a meal with family, friends, and even strangers. It also makes me want to shout “bon appetit!” every time I pick up my bible!

What about you? Let’s talk more about food and faith this week. I would love to hear what you have to say. Comment below!

And… Bon appetit!

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