In my day-to-day role at my corporate job, I work with a lot of cooks, recipe developers and chefs. I also work with food stylists who prepare food for photo and video shoots. Now, I’ll preface this by saying, our corporate legal team is very adament: when we portray food on packaging or advertising and claim that it was made with our kitchen appliances, it really has to be authentic, the “real deal”. And it is.
There are other times that we might have an array of food in the backgrounds on a set, either to create ambiance or for propping, when certain dishes are made with food (and other fillers) but they are not really what they appear to be. For instance, we make beautiful ‘faux’ ice cream out of shortening (lard) with additional non-edible ingredients so it doesn’t melt quickly under the lights or through multiple takes. A cherry pie might actually be filled with a thick, dense oatmeal, and cherries are carefully sliced and pinned into the edge where the slice is cut, or a holiday turkey might be quite raw inside, painted and finished with a blow torch for a stunning crisp, mouth-watering skin.
As I look to Jesus, there is such a powerful analogy here.
Jesus told Peter three times, “Feed my sheep.”
This begs me to ask, what are we cooking? What are we serving? What are we eating?
Do you settle for the almost-good instead of great food, the nearly-satisfying for the satiating? Is your relationship with Jesus like a drive-up window? On my own I can create pretty appetizers to tease the palate, but only my intentional time with Jesus produces filling meals.
At work, I’ve also enjoyed collaborating with award-winning restaurant and celebrity chefs; actual meals taste far better than the styled food…and too, are visually stunning. The chefs know that the most flavorful meals incorporate the finest ingredients.
Our spiritual journeys can be flavored with all kinds of commentaries and opinions, books on leadership, discipleship, serving, multiplying, purpose and challenge…but the core ingredients on your menu have to be the finest…God’s Word, prayer and the disciplines that lead you into His inner courts. Without them you’ll only taste cheap meals…fast food… junk.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus first told Peter to “feed”, then “tend”, then “feed” again. You can’t serve one meal, one time. “Tend” requires care, work, stirring, marinating, turning up the heat or maybe turning down the burner to allow the care to simmer…not always taking action, and allowing the aroma of the best food draw you back to come and eat again.
It takes time and attention, learning from the Master Chef every next step or ingredient.
“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
~1 Samuel 16:7