God's Platter
As we near the conclusion of this week, with one more day to go, we shall spend today and tomorrow, looking at one of the funniest nursery rhymes. May I hasten to quickly add that our Divine Lord has been quite serious and firm, in all that He has been teaching through this funny little rhyme. I must admit that of all the nursery rhymes which He has brought to me, this seemed most comical. The nursery rhyme is Jack Sprat and it goes like this.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean,
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean
There are many obvious truths or facts about the whole understanding of the image of platter, in this little nursery rhyme, which compelled me to think deeply, as they were pointed out to me. This exercise on faith and trust, brought me to some welcomed and unwelcomed realities. Will you share them with me? Here are a few.
The platter has edible food on it.
The platter is placed before two people, representing different dietary tastes.
The platter has food that all can eat something and be satisfied.
The platter is licked clean – no food remains on the platter.
But what is a platter? Many of us have platters in our homes, or we have been served from platters. Very simply put, a platter is usually a flat, larger dish of any shape, which is used to display, offer and serve food. Platters may contain one kind of food or several kinds of foods, arranged in appealing order.
The rhyme informs us that two kinds of eaters – a lean eater and a fat eater - have been offered one platter. It means that they are eating from the same platter. However, they eat as it suits them. In other words, each makes choices about the eating of the food on the platter. Each rejects something and none accepts everything. I did indicate that this exercise on faith and trust, had brought me to some welcomed and unwelcomed realities.
This is one reality, which totally stunned me, when I heard that Mr. and Mrs. Sprat, both rejected the platter offered to them. I was at a loss, for the rhyme specifically stated that, between them both, the platter was licked clean, not wiped clean. In my carnal thinking, they accepted the food on the platter. However, I was told that the platter was offered for them to eat, not choose, and it is the same responses we give to Father God and the Platter He has given to us. For the first time, I have been made to see the Food God has given to us as displayed, offered and served to us on a Platter.
May the Holy Spirit lead us on here. Amen!
We know that Jesus is our Living Bread, for He is the Living Word on which we are to feed, to feast and are to be filled and satisfied. God displayed Jesus to us in human form that all could see Him while He was on earth, in flesh. Jesus was not just put before the eyes of humans, but He offered Himself to all. He came with the one mission to serve and that He did. He served people, but people rejected Him. Now here is Scripture, God’s infallible Word which is here to instruct us and build us up in faith.
As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2: 4 - 5.
Peter is speaking to believers, people like you and me who have come to Jesus, God’s Living Food to us. He is also our Living Stone. Jesus, the Living Stone is our sure and firm foundation who guarantees every single life-builder who accepts Him, to be built up to the Father’s honour and glory. Peter tells us that Jesus, our heavenly Food or Platter, who carries every single thing humans need to build up themselves as a whole, in full, to the measure of Jesus Christ, has been rejected. This is where many like me, will be deeply stung.
Will you think seriously about all you have heard so far? Are you rejecting our Lord’s Food given to build your spiritual structure, your spiritual foundation, in Him?
We conclude tomorrow.
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