Why the injunctions regarding table manners? There is more at stake than simply good
manners. Greediness, gluttony,
drunkenness are all more than bad manners, they are windows into our
souls. They tell us much about what we
are satisfying ourselves with and how we are trying to fill the void in our
lives. Food and drink should be enjoyed,
they are gifts of God to us, but they are not to be enjoyed to excess. When Jesus began His ministry, after the
baptism by John, the first thing He did was go on a forty day fast, and the
first temptation was to make food to satisfy His hunger. His response was that man was meant to be
satisfied with every word that comes from the Father, not food, even after a
fast. He also provided more wine for a
feast as His first miracle. There is
nothing wrong with either food or drink, we must however, keep such things in
their place.
Did you notice this, "so many
thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one
another…" What an amazing scene
that must have been. The Pharisees were
trying to trap Jesus into saying something they could attack Him with and
enormous crowds are gathering for Him. The
Pharisees are jealous of His following, and their only aim is to destroy Him,
one way or another. In the midst of the
mob scene Jesus turns to the disciples and gives them some wisdom they will
eventually all need to remember. They are
not to fear those who can only destroy the body, they are to reserve their fear
for the One who can not only deal with the body but who can determine their
eternal destiny. This life is important
but not so important that we compromise eternity. We are called to glorify Him as His image
bearers to the rest of creation. Perspective
makes all the difference.
We see in the vision the ancient serpent,
now a dragon, thrown down from heaven in failed rebellion there, now lashing
out at the woman, the vehicle through which God brings forth new image bearers. The serpent's hatred of God is now directed
at His image on earth and towards the woman.
The imagery is of a flood and the earth comes to the aid of the woman,
swallowing up the flood. We need to wake
up and realize that we have an enemy who is blinded with hatred and rage
towards God, whose image we bear, and if He can destroy that which the Lord
loves, it is almost as good as destroying the Lord Himself. John tells us that the serpent knows His days
are numbered, that ultimately He will lose, but He knows not when. We live in a day when womanhood, child
bearing, and the very nature of being are under assault. Do we not see the enemy at work?
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