The waitress hands you a menu. So many choices... and there are specials too? I think, What do I feel like eating? What is the chef's reputation? Or maybe I'm dieting, so I trend toward the broiled fish... What are my fellow diners ordering?
How to think like Jesus when scanning that menu? I can recall that the Bible says my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), which either complicates or enriches things as I think about putting food into myself. I think about the goodness of God, creating the vast array of foods and flavors. I pause and recall those who cannot afford such a meal, or any food at all, and I'm not prideful but humbled.
I remember how many of Jesus' memorable moments were when he was out dining. Accused of gluttony, he ate with people others despised. At one lovely dinner party he said "Don't invite those who can invite you back to a dinner, but invite the poor, lame, and blind" (Luke 14) - and I wonder why I always eat with people pretty much like me. I recall that Jesus chose to spend his last night on earth with his friends over a long, sumptuous meal (Mark 14).
A blog by Rev. Dr. James C. Howell, senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina