What does food have to do with theology?

I recently got invited to “Theology on Tap” by my pastor at The Oil Horse Brewing Company in Longview, and the topic was food. Makes you wonder what in the world food has to do with theology? That is an intriguing thought isn’t it? God created food… does food say something about God? It’s interesting when you read passages like this in the Bible: 

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20 NIV)

This passage has been on my mind a lot lately, and I began asking God what creation is telling me about Him? I began looking at the plants, and the animals, the soil, the sun (I didn’t look directly at this one… ouch😂). Ultimately this is where our food comes from. Our food is the building blocks of our bodies. Without food we don’t have life. Without the right food we don’t have quality life. What you eat determines how well your body functions. All food starts from light… soil transforming the seeds into plants… which you can directly eat, or feed plants to animals to turn into meat… thus all food comes from plants which ultimately comes from light. Isn’t that crazy! 

Now, what does food have to do with theology? Theology is the study of God. God documented what He wanted us to know by inspiring men to document and compile their history in the Bible. This series of verses is my summary of the gospel message of the Bible on how to come to know and live with God. 

“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light (Jesus) that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He (Jesus) was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he (Jesus) gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:1-5, 9-13 NIV)

Is Jesus literally light? What if we don’t automatically take Jesus as the light of the world as a metaphor… what if the Bible literally means what it says? Talk about Jesus busting out of the box we always put him in! What if He is more intimately connected with this physical world than we give Him credit for? If He is literally light, He is literally in all things and through Him, all things that are alive are made… because all life comes from plants which come from light!

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again…” Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”” (John 3:3, 6-8 NIV)

You must be born again? What does that mean?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Sounds like a germinated seed!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

I no longer live, but Christ lives in me!

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7 NIV)

I was once like this, but now I’m totally different? Sounds like the transformation of seeds!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Transformation, transformation, transformation…

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 NIV)

I don’t know about you, but what I hear is when we are born, we are sinful and separated from God. We are like seeds just waiting to be planted. If you want to truly live, you must spiritually die. The definition of eternal life is knowing God… and God knowing you! That doesn’t start when you physically die… it starts when you spiritually die to yourself and ask God to live in you and through you.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:24-27 NIV)

You must surrender your entire heart, mind, and body to God. You must die to yourself so that Christ can live in you. Your part is repenting of your sin and surrendering your entire being to God… it’s just like burying a seed in the ground… never to be seen again. But having faith that God will transform you into someone totally new and your entire life will be built on and for God’s glory. 

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” (Acts 2:38-39 NIV)

And when God sends His Spirit in you, you will transform into someone new, someone with the character of God and the ability to live for Him. You will grow, and mature, ultimately bearing fruit.

““Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”” (Matthew 13:18-23 NIV)

You mature and bear fruit by staying rooted every day in the word of God. You read the Bible like it is food to be eaten.

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” (Matthew 4:4 NIV)

You talk to God like he is right beside you. He is literally all around you… His Spirit lives in you.

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him (Jesus) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him (Jesus) all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17 NIV)

You don’t just read and pray, but you do.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead… As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:14-17, 26 NIV)

Faith without action is dead? You must live the way you believe! You must do what God says.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25 NIV)

You must do what God’s Spirit tells you to do. That can be scary sometimes. But, when God is your Father, whom shall you fear, what shall you fear?

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39 NIV)

You are not to fear anything… even death. We will all die one day… bittersweet! But death for the believer is just a continuation of the life we’ve already been living in Christ. 

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 1:20-24 NIV)

When you are a Child of God, you are God’s heir and co-heir with Jesus… the Creator of the Universe! If all of it is His… all of it is yours!

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:14-17 NIV)

You are not poor… the entire universe is at your fingertips. God will give you what you need, when you need it, when you are doing what God tells you to do.

““Therefore I (Jesus) tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34 NIV)

So what does our food say about God? A whole bunch! Not only is it a good gift for the nourishment of our bodies, but it is an amazing metaphor for our life in Christ. God uses all of creation to point back to himself as Creator and Savior, including our food!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.” (Psalms 19:1-4 NIV)

Did you hear what your food said? I think it just said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”” (Isaiah 6:3 NIV)

Do you know Him?