Chocolate Cake?

Chocolate Cake?

            I walked into the fellowship hall in the church basement eagerly anticipating the “pot-luck meal” that was spread before our hungry souls!  I really enjoy fellowship meals  -- trying new offerings, returning to old-favorites, breathing in the aromas, watching the children laugh, enjoying my chance table mates in chatter and sharing.  It is a wonderful time of bonding, sharing, eating, talking, laughing, …

            But, this one was different.  I walked into a loud, noisy crowd of dirty-faced fatties gorging on chocolate cake.  And, the kids were loving it!!  Everybody was stuffing into their gaping mouths devil’s food cake with double chocolate icing.  They were not even taking single slices on their dessert plate, but were hogging whole cakes; and with their bare hands smashing it into their faces.  It was pure bedlam.

            Looking around the room, at the service tables I saw whole dishes of wonderful vegetables completely ignored – steamed cabbage, fried squash, green bean casseroles, home style fries, sweet potato casseroles, …  And, then I looked at the other end of the table and somebody had brought grilled, marinated rib-eye steaks!  And next to it was smoked salmon.  All of this was completely untouched.

            On the sidelines, around the edge of the room, a few concerned mothers seemed to be shamed into silence.  The pastry chefs had won?!

Proverbs 23:6 “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats"

1 Corinthians 3:2 “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Hebrews 5:12 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

1 Corinthians 12:29-31  “²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the higher gifts.  And I will show you a still more excellent way.”