Taste and See

1. Food is God's original language for connection and deep satisfaction.

The meal nourished my soul in places I didn’t realize I was starving.

Food connects us. God designed humanity to be dependent on food, not just for survival but for pleasure and connection. Meals often reveal our deeper hungers for belonging, understanding, and love. Sharing food creates sacred spaces where hearts can still and time becomes irrelevant.

God's original foodie. From the Garden of Eden's bounty to the Promised Land's abundance, food plays a central role in the biblical narrative. God handcrafted us with taste buds to delight in eating, showing food is a source of pleasure, not just necessity. Food is often sacred and symbolic, a physical representation of God's grace.

More than physical hunger. Our hungers extend beyond the physical appetite, yearning for meaning, purpose, recognition, and community. God uses food and gathering around the table to meet these deep needs, connecting our bodies and bellies to our spirits and souls.

2. Taste and see God's power in the everyday moments of life.

Not only do the wind and the waves cater to Jesus’s command, but the fish also.

God's power is everywhere. The biblical story teems with fish, from creation to miracles. Jesus displayed power over creation by commanding fish and calming storms on the Galilee. His disciples witnessed His might in their daily work, like the miraculous catch.

Don't miss His might. We can become so focused on our limited perspective or meager results that we miss God's expansive power. Like the fishermen on the shore, God sees what we cannot from a heavenly vantage point. Relinquishing control makes space for God to move in unexpected ways.

Awaken to the miraculous. God wants to show up in our lives—here, now, today. The fish symbol reminds us to be alert for Christ's power invading our daily routines. Look for His extra provision, might, and grace in the ordinary moments.

3. Find satisfaction by paying attention to God's subtle presence.

Just as the figs ripen slowly on the tree, so Scripture ripens with new discoveries as we study.

Figs teach attentiveness. Figs don't have showy blossoms; their ripening is subtle, requiring close observation. Jesus used figs to challenge our notions of attentiveness, urging us to look closely for His return and everyday presence. Our expectations can blind us to God's work.

Beyond outward appearance. Like the fruitless fig tree Jesus cursed, outward religious appearance without inner vitality is barren. True satisfaction isn't found in external accomplishments or seeking it apart from Christ. Personal or professional feats offer only fleeting satisfaction.

Abiding yields fruit. Spiritual fruitfulness comes from being rooted in Christ. God works in every season, even difficult ones, to yield Christlikeness in us. Like the fig tree producing for decades, God's vision is for us to bear fruit and find satisfaction in Him throughout our lives.

4. Bread invites us into the community our souls crave.

Bread welcomes us into the community for which our souls were made.

Bread is communal. Ancient breadmaking was a shared labor, from planting and harvesting to grinding and baking in communal ovens. This contrasts with today's often solitary food procurement and consumption. Bread inherently calls us into relationship.

Bread of Life. Jesus is the Bread of Life, the center of our fellowship and community. He calls us to pray for daily bread and instituted communion, using bread and wine, as an act of remembrance. This meal is not meant to be consumed alone.

Feast on spiritual bread. From manna in the wilderness to the Eucharist, bread symbolizes God's provision and presence. It invites us to refuel, remember, and feast on spiritual bread together, sharing our lives and nourishing each other in Christ.

5. Be the salt: Preserve, flavor, and foster flourishing in the world.

Our purpose is to bring the taste of heaven to earth wherever we go.

Salt's vital role. Historically, salt was a prized commodity essential for preservation, trade ("salary"), and even military strength. It's crucial for human life, found in our bodies and necessary for cellular function. Salt also enhances flavors and aids in fertilization.

You are the salt. Jesus calls us the "salt of the earth," revealing our divine purpose. We are agents of preservation, protecting Christ's ways. We are agents of flavoring, bringing heaven's taste. We are agents of flourishing, like fertilizer, fostering new life in difficult places.

God uses your uniqueness. Biblical salt contained trace minerals, giving it unique properties. God uses your specific upbringing, gifts, and experiences—your "minerals"—to sprinkle you throughout the world. Even easing 1/60 of someone's pain fulfills this salty purpose.

6. Olives remind us of God's healing power and empathy.

Olives and their oil remind us to stay hungry to what’s possible and coming with God.

Olives symbolize healing. From Noah's dove returning with an olive branch (peace) to Elisha multiplying oil for a widow (provision/healing), olives represent restoration. Olive oil was used for anointing priests and kings, illuminating the temple, and literal healing practices.

Healing from the inside out. Olive oil has physical healing properties, acting as an anti-inflammatory and aiding skin health. Anointing with oil and prayer is a biblical practice rooted in compassion and an invitation to healing, even when immediate results aren't visible.

Crushed for our sake. The olive press process—crush, knead, extract—mirrors Jesus's experience in Gethsemane ("olive press"). He was crushed for our sake, yielding grace and healing. God, through Christ, offers not just sympathy but empathy, having experienced our pain.

7. The Lamb's sacrifice offers ultimate rescue from pain and sin.

He became the type of God that no other religion claims to believe in: one who can offer his children not just sympathy but empathy.

Sacrifice for rescue. From the first animal skins covering Adam and Eve to the Passover lamb saving Israelites, sacrifice is central to God's rescue mission. Animal sacrifices in the temple atoned for sin, representing a high-cost offering of precious resources.

The perfect Lamb. The prophet Isaiah foretold a suffering servant, a lamb led to slaughter. John the Baptist identified Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Jesus, the perfect, unblemished sacrifice, offered himself once for all time.

Empathy and action. Jesus's death wasn't just atonement; it showed God's empathy by experiencing our pain. His sacrifice revolutionized history, ushering in empathy for victims. We are called to follow the Lamb, entering others' pain with empathy and action, bringing God's rescue.

8. Every meal is an invitation to taste God's goodness and presence.

Every table is a doorway, an entrance into a holy and sacred communion with God and those around us.

Meals are sacred. From the Passover seder reenacting freedom to the Eucharist commemorating Christ's sacrifice, meals are meant to be full sensory experiences that connect us to God's story. They are opportunities to remember, reenact, and receive spiritual freedom.

God waits at the table. Whether in a grand banquet or a simple meal, God is present because all food comes from Him. He waits to satisfy our deepest hungers for connection, understanding, and love in community.

Savor the divine. In a busy world, slowing down to savor meals is a spiritual discipline. Recognize food as a gift, be on the lookout for Christ's surprising revelations, and pause to thank the Provider. Every meal is a foretaste of the feast to come.

Last updated: June 19, 2025