It Started in a Garden

The Bible, it is said, starts in a garden and ends in a city. The story moves from an earthly paradise to a heavenly Jerusalem. There is a tree in the Garden of Eden: eat the fruit of it and you will surely die, God warns (Genesis 2.17). But in the city, there is a tree of life, and “its leaves are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22.2).

Of course, Adam and Eve, having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, lose their innocence and die. Not physically – they are still alive – but spiritually; they are cast out of the garden and their relationship with God is broken. (Genesis 3:17-19) Not just that, their relationship with each other is fractured, as is their relationship with the good earth. From now on, the ground won’t simply give up its bounty, but it is by the sweat of his brow that the man will feed himself.

Food in the Bible

Have you noticed how often food is mentioned in the Bible?; that famine is a picture of judgement and feasting a picture of blessing?

Exodus

In the story of the exodus, God provides manna and quail to sustain the people of Israel in their journey. But they miss the meat and fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic of Egypt;

“but now our strength is dried up,
and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
(Numbers 11:4-6)

They preferred comfortable slavery to the demands of the journey to freedom. But God has promised them “a land flowing with milk and honey” (e.g., Exodus 3:8; Joshua 5.6) (which sounds like a health and safety nightmare!) They struggle now but are promised peace and plenty at the end of their journey.

Fig Tree and Vineyard

The prophet Micah, speaking of “the last days” when nations will go up to the mountain of the Lord, and swords are beaten into ploughshares, spears into pruning hooks (Micah 4:1-4), tells us what peace looks like:

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. (Micah 4:4)

Peace and prosperity – what God wants for his people – looks like that: a place where everyone has enough to eat and drink, and we may rest in the shade. Sounds good to me!

Parables and miracles

Jesus often tells stories which come from the everyday reality of agricultural life: the mustard seed; the sower; rising bread; and from the labours of fishermen.

His miracles are often done in the context of eating and drinking. He turns water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11); he feeds the multitudes with bread and fish (e.g., Matthew 14:13-21). He speaks of the abundance of God’s provision and shows what that looks like.

In fact, have you ever noticed how much of Jesus’ ministry takes place at meals? How much time Jesus and his disciples spend eating and drinking? (As John Bell, of the Iona community enjoys pointing out.) And what Jesus does is not incidental: it’s his signature move – to eat and drink with sinners, and in so doing, to suggest that that is what God is like too! That God welcomes sinners to eat and drink with him at his table. (Cf NT Wright, ‘Jesus and the Victory of God’, p264ff)

Unlike John the Baptist, who stood in the ascetic tradition, Jesus gets the reputation for being a drunkard and a glutton. At least, that’s what his enemies say about him (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). John practised abstinence. Jesus did not.

Heaven

What Jesus does provides a picture of the heaven that lies ahead. Heaven, Jesus says, is a feast, a banquet (e.g., Luke 14:15-24). His vision is like that if the prophet Isaiah:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines, of rich food filled with marrow,
of well-matured wines strained clear.(Isaiah 25:6)

Nothing but the best! The Psalmist says:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5)

We are invited to sit at God’s table, as his welcome, honoured guests.

Resurrection

After the resurrection, how does Jesus reassure the disciples that it is really him, not a ghost? He has breakfast with them (John 21:1-5; Luke 24:41-43). This is my kind of Saviour!

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’
They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Jesus reconvenes his community by eating and drinking with them.

Eucharist

And how does Jesus tell us to remember him? By eating and drinking. At the eucharist, Bread and Wine sustain us on our pilgrimage. We meet around the Lord’s Table to take bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus. And we look forward to eating and drinking with him at the heavenly wedding feast.

And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’  (Revelation 19:9)