Daily provision

~Luke 11.3 Give us each day our daily bread. New American Standard
~Luke 11.3 Give us day by day the food we need. Good News Translation
~Luke 11.3 Keep us alive with three square meals. The Message
~Luke 11.3 Our appointed bread be giving us daily. Young's Literal Translation

The Lord's response to disciples asking him to teach them how to pray is short and to the point. It covers the basics, the foundations of our walk with him. One of those bottom line basics is depending on him for our daily provision. Food here, bread, is a picture I think of asking him for everything we need. What food do I need for stronger bones? I should be asking him for it, not just for the food itself, but for the knowledge and will to to choose to eat that.

God, give me today the food my body, your temple, needs for health and strength. And please help me not to put too much other junk in with it.

Priorities, My Dear

Jesus is welcomed into Martha's home as he travels. Here's Kenneth Wuest's translation.
~Luke 10.40-42 Martha was going around in circles, over-occupied with preparing the meal. And bursting in upon Jesus she assumed a stance over Him and said, "Lord, is it not a concern to you that my sister has let me down to be preparing the meal alone? Speak therefore to her at once that she take hold and do her part with me." And answering, the Lord said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and excited about many things, but of few things there is need, or of one, for Mary chose out for herself the good portion, which is of such a nature that it shall not hastily be snatched away from her."

Nothing here specifically about food, but Martha's yikes!-company's-here flurry as she works to prepare this meal is familiar to me. This thought of keeping the higher priority in mind even as we take care of physical needs is also beautifully stated in Matthew 5's Sermon on the Mount. Yes, of course! I know; I know. Still, a peek at that meal Martha was preparing would be fascinating.

Oil and Wine

~Luke 10:30, 33, 34 A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. . . . . But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

Oil and wine as dressing for a wound seems strange to us, but was probably not uncommon in Jesus' day. My literal translation Bible says "soothing oil" and "disinfecting wine." These substances also have symbolic meaning, the oil of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the wine of joy in God's kingdom. So these substances have other valuable uses besides just consumption. We can apply them liberally to our hurts.

Three Eggs: Prophetic?

In a short Spanish folk story a poor couple who has only five eggs for the day's food argue over which of them gets the extra one after both eat two. (They don't think of splitting it.) By trickery, the hungry woman wins out and gobbles down the third egg before her surprised husband can do anything about it.

In a native American story a lost woman hungry for love eats three Easter eggs offered by a stranger who she then goes off and parties with before wondering off into the dessert to die.

Different authors, different books, different cultural settings. Two women. Three eggs each in one meal. But the other thing these stories have in common is that I happened to read both of them in the same day. One book I stumbled on because Emma had it here for Spanish practice; the other I had picked up at the library. What are the odds that one person would happen to read about a woman eating three eggs in one meal in two unrelated books on the same day. Not high I think. That makes me wonder.

Kids here

Our kids from Mexico are here this week and next. Not only that, but we have other beloved family members coming in to see them. It's "happy chaos" to use Gwynne McQueen's term. I feel blessed and am thankful not to be distracted with lesson plans and essay feedback this summer. Yea! Heat so far has been intermittent and rain abundant. Greens are up in the garden and we're getting a weekly allotment from a "share" we purchased of a local farm. I've been going through fresh produce at an amazing rate, encouraged by the example of Ellen's midwife in January.

Water II

~John 7.37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

Overflowing water--a beautiful picture. If you're thirsty, go for the water.

Water

~Mark 9.41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

The Message version says: Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice.

Water: drink it; give it freely.