Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.

 

Friday, October 6, 2023


Psalm 86

1 Kings 18:41-19:8

Matthew 10:16-27


Observance: William Tyndale, biblical scholar (d. 1536)


Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.


If advertisements are anything to go by one would be mistaken for thinking that all men survive on a diet purely of mars bars and chocolate milk. Fortunately, memories of the food pyramid lie deep in the collective subconscious and so the human race manages to continue on.


Well might we snort at the idea of arteries of nougat pumping vessels of caramel being in any way reflective of a healthy human system; but what about our spiritual diet?


Ahab the king is sent off on his chariot to beat the rain and tell the city that there is a God in heaven and His name is the Lord. He has a prophetic message to proclaim, of the justice of God coming upon the priests and worshippers of Baal. He was given this instruction by Elijah, a prophet himself; and Elijah needs to be well-fed for his own journey.


The Lord Jesus is sending out the Twelve, and they are as sheep amongst wolves. They must be both prudent as snakes and harmless as doves. He is sending them out without extra supplies, because God is the best employer, and they will have their expenses covered. Jesus is confident that they know what they really need to sustain for the journey, and that He has given it to them already: the Holy Spirit will tell them what to say when the time comes. Because the disciples have been in the presence of God incarnate, they have fed richly on the spiritual food of Christ, which results in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.


We each have our own journey, our own prophetic mission, given from God to carry out. The Holy Spirit will be there to speak when we need the right words; but we need to be well-fed for the journey. The word of God is good eating, so get plenty of that in your diet. Our Lord has also spread a table before us in the sacrament of Holy Communion; we feast on the life that comes from the Source of Life in that heavenly banquet, so make sure to accept the invitation wherever possible. Ultimately, Christ makes Himself available to us wherever and whenever we ask. Turning to Jesus in prayer is the best way to feed on the bread of heaven, and He is there beside us, waiting for us to ask for it. Get up, ask Him, and eat – or the journey will be too much for you.

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