Foretaste

There are very few foods that I don’t like.  Two of my most prevalent dislikes are olives and sauerkraut.  There was a time however, that this list was significantly longer.  Prior to 2010, the list would have included squash and split pea soup.  Propelling even further back in time, to the years of my childhood, the queue would have contained; onions, tomatoes, oatmeal raisin cookies, guacamole, sour cream, yogurt, celery, salsa, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, boiled potatoes, Chinese food, egg rolls, mushrooms, chili and cornbread. 

I am pleased to share that each of these previous disliked items has now found a special place within my broadened palate. 

In order for each of these provisions to transfer from repulsion to revered, one shared act of commonality needed to take place. Each element required tasting.  Had I never tasted squash, or mushrooms, or guacamole, or cornbread I would never have discovered my affection for them.

In an interesting similarity, my grandfather spent the first 70+ years of his life avoiding pizza, simply because of his loathing of tomatoes.  It wasn’t until he found himself living in assisted living where he came to discover his love for pizza.

In Matthew 12:14-32, we find Jesus once again confronted by the religious leaders.  In this case he is being accused of being influences by Satan himself.  It is quite clear that the Pharisees and the scribes have already made up their mind about Jesus. They hated him and yet, supposedly loved God.  If only these people could taste and see that Jesus is who he says that he is.  He has come bringing healing and restoration.  He is offering a foretaste of the Kingdom of God that has both come and is to come and yet these leaders are refusing to take the taste.  They are refusing to experience the truth about Jesus.

May we come to experience the real Jesus, to taste and to see all of his goodness.