How Do You Feel About Eating The Fruit Of Another’s Labor?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we look at a little shock and awe scripture and the combination of the lectionary selections gives us some interesting insights. But we must dig for them, for they are not immediately obvious. Today we explore how Paul (Roman name) also known as Saul (Hebrew name) imitated Christ in giving away the labors of his life so God might be glorified. Here Paul/Saul is being prepared for his role as an intermediary to the Gentiles as a reflection of Jesus Christ being an intermediary to the world. Today we look at eating the Word made flesh so we as a Communion might produce fruit worthy of giving to God even as we eat the fruit and bread of life giving to us by Christ. So today we explore a theme that extends through the entire Bible and it is about putting God first and understanding symbols. So, How Do You Feel About Eating The Fruit Of Another’s Labor?
Scripture: Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Acts 9:1-20 (NRSV)
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
Exodus 16:11-14 (NRSV)
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
John 6:52-59 (NRSV)
Message: Let’s get something straight from the start. The Ananias in today’s scripture is not the same as the one who married Sapphire. However, the stories are connected as it relates to what we are to take and what we are to give away in the labor of our life. So today we explore how some things are forgiven and how justice is served. In the middle of it is this idea of labor. Labor generally signifies heavy duty tasks, work or effort. Lazy people can work amazingly hard at being lazy. Oftentimes labor is something we would rather not do but because of some inherent benefits we continue to do it. For men, it usually relates to money and property and for women, and a lesser extent men, it also means the labor of bringing forth the yield of the fruit of the womb. But in a spiritual sense it carries a deeper meaning. Eating this fruit is a metaphor, it is not to be taken literally. Eating is like enjoying the fruit. What Christ offers in today’s scripture from John and Paul/Saul eats in the scripture from Acts, is the fruit off a new tree that changes the nature of the forbidden fruit chosen in the Garden of Eden. The passage from Exodus shows us the foundation of what Jesus is sharing in the scripture from John. Here Jesus models Moses in memory of the Passover and the giving of manna in the desert as a reflection on his very life given to us to eat. So, think about this in a new way. If your labor yields monetary fruit, then your desire is not to eat the money but using the money for your enjoyment. If your fruit after years of studying as a student is a degree, then your goal is not to eat the diploma but use it to get a better job, business or something that will bring you much delight. Eating the fruit of one’s labor is an insightful concept as it relates and connects the Eucharist and the Passover and the freeing of the captives. Paul and to a greater extent Jesus labored in a way that put God first in regard to the fruit they produced. So, we are not really supposed to just eat the fruit of our labor but really, we are to give it away and instead eat the fruit of Christ. Here the wine is symbolic of the spilled blood of Jesus. Here the bread is the symbol of Christ’s flesh which was sacrificed on the cross, that we should have eternal life through him.
Pray our experience of God brings to light the reality of Jesus and how in relationship to this and the gift of the Spirit we discover our true selves. Pray that every word we utter becomes a seed of hope that God desires to bring to fruit. Pray God empower us as agents of grace. Pray
we marvel at the mystery of Christ. Pray we produce good fruit in our labors and honor God in our gifts received and given. Pray we remember Jesus in our labors of love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 