What's On Your Menu?
Flesh and Spirit were always together. Where one went, so did the other. One
big problem, though. They could not seem to get along. And their appetites!
How very different they were! Flesh was constantly attempting to entice Spirit
to go to the restaurants he liked; to eat the things that he found appealing.
Christian was well aware of the contention between the two, and he decided
that Home was the best place for them to go for their meals: for breakfast, for
lunch, for dinner. But Flesh was in for a rude awakening. . . Give me a big slab of roast mammon, said Flesh; along with side orders of
pride, envy, and strife. For dessert I’ll have the fruit of unrighteousness - and
top it with a large scoop of hypocrisy. And to drink, I’ll have the cup of extortion
and excess. (“Ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but
within they are full of extortion and excess”) Matt. 23:25 What do you mean, sit down at the Lord’s table? Eat His flesh and drink His
blood? How gross! I want to be able to enjoy my meals! How can you possibly
find any joy - eating what you’re eating? And you tell me that it’s nourishing?
I’m a junk food junky! What I’m interested in is finding stuff that leaves me
feeling satisfied. . . Oh Flesh! “Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. For there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and
suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing” Psalm
34:8-10. But Flesh is in no mood to listen. . . What sort of salad is this? queries Flesh. A Fruit salad? What’s in it? Love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance?
I can’t eat that! What about a Flesh salad. You know: with idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, and heresies! This will never do! Let me see what’s in your pantry and in the refrigerator.
There’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ; there’s Truth; there’s the Word of God;
there’s Righteousness; there’s the Peace of God; there’s prayer and
thanksgiving; there’s things honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtue - Is this all
you have? Where’s the good stuff? I can’t eat any of this! What are you trying
to do - starve me to death? Give me my favorite dishes; I can’t live without
them. They give me energy, strength, to overcome Spirit. I love to fight against
him when he’s weak, you know! Spirit saw Righteousness on the table. “Spirit, said Christian, if you’re hungry
and thirsty after Righteousness, then by all means, eat until you are filled!” And
you may have extra helpings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Don’t forget to share
with others! There’s plenty! Wait a minute! You’re not being fair, said Flesh. You shouldn’t show partiality!
Why don’t you compromise your menu - let Spirit eat what he wants - and let
me indulge in those things that suit my fancy! Can’t we just try to get along?
But Flesh is not interested in “getting along.” He would defeat Spirit, that he
might enthrone himself in the heart of Christian. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that
ye would” Gal. 5:16-17.
