I am a bumbling buffoon who has an inability to be able to discern what food I should eat versus what food I should avoid at all cost. That is exactly what the government seems to be saying lately. Over the years the “food police” have been more active requiring all kinds of nutritional information to be posted on the packaging of foods, banned food, and established the amount of food I should consume because I am this bumbling buffoon. There is a proposal now that would require this information on the menu boards of fast food restaurants which could be extended to movie theaters and even drive thru menu boards.
This “policing” effort has gone so far that a Chicago area school has banned parents from giving their children a sack lunch. The principal has said, “Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,”. Needless to say many parents are upset about this edict. But why are they upset? This form of forced and coerced food restrictions has been practiced for centuries without many having anything to say except “Oh, it’s Friday”.
The Catholic organization has routinely over many years commanded abstinence and fasting which at least date back to Pope Nicholas I (858-867). This pope declared abstinence from flesh meat on Fridays. The Catholic organization has many such prohibitions that are imposed on its adherents.
In the Catholic Sunday Missal, published in 1956, there are 9 rules for fasting and abstinence. There are rules on complete abstinence and partial abstinence, on the age and health of the participants, the days of the week and year, how much meat can be eaten, and even snacking in between meals. The caveat to these rules is that they apply to those in the United States and that there could be some difference in regulation of these laws according to the desires of the bishop of a particular diocese.
It has become a sad state of affairs when man discounts the knowledge given by God for his own attained knowledge.
When it comes to food if we read the Bible we can get some very insightful knowledge that is easy to apply.
In Exodus 16 we read of the children of Israel as they complained about the lack of food. God provided bread for them in the morning (verse12); the quail mentioned in verse 13 were not a daily provision but one that would be given occasionally. They were given commands concerning this bread, This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’” (Exodus 16:18). These commands continued, And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” (Exodus 16:19). The lessons here are simple take what you need for each person and eat what is put in front of you.
Another lesson to be learned is found in Numbers 11. The children of Israel are complaining about food, again, and desiring meat. They were also longing for the days in Egypt when they had a variety of food. They were not thankful for the food that sustained them day after day but wanted something else. God said He would give them meat until it was coming out of their nostrils and loathsome to them. The quail came and the least of gathered ten homes (verse 32), which is about 11 bushels. Their greediness and gluttony showed as they complained against God and then gathered much more than they could eat. A lesson here is evident in that we ought to be thankful for what we have. We all have stories about growing up and the food that we had to eat. Those older than myself might speak of a diet of beans and potatoes, while I remember Spam, beets, and sauerkraut. While it may not sound appealing and we got tired of the same meal it is what we had and we didn’t starve.
The lessons continue.
In Proverbs 23:1-3 we are warned about gluttony and craving the delicacies of the rulers. In verses 20 & 21 we are warned the glutton will come to poverty. When we put our stomach as our lead and guide no good thing will come. There comes a time when the stomach rejects any more food but the glutton is such a slave to his appetite that he rejects the warnings sent by the stomach. The warning given in Philippians 3:19 simply says, whose god is their belly. Again, these serve their physical appetites without regard for spiritual things.
As far as the banning of foods the Old Law is rife with laws concerning the foods that can be eaten and those which cannot be eaten. With the understanding that the Old Law has been done away with those regulations are no longer binding (Colossians 2:14). So we must look to Jesus and understand what He has commanded under His law.
In Matthew 15:16-17 Jesus said something that foreshadows what will be under His law, 16So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? Jesus was under the Old Law and He kept in perfectly, but this verse gives an indication of what will be. In 1 Corinthians 6:13 Paul wrote, Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods and from the context of the passage Paul exhorts us not to come under the power of any of our physical desires and urges whether it is food or any other yen.
It is good to remember the vision that Peter had in Acts 10. God used the vision of the beasts on the sheet and His command to “kill and eat” as a sign to Peter that the Gentiles were to be taught the Gospel also. Peter did not understand the vision at the time but later when he met Cornelius he understood. The additional lesson to be understood comes from the fact that God cannot and will not tempt man to sin. It was not sinful for Peter to eat any of the meat presented to Him first because God had cleansed it, (verse 15) and second because the Old law was past.
When the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem met to discuss the conflict over circumcision in Acts 15 they determined that the Gentiles should not be burdened with the things of the Old Law (verse 10). When the letter was written that was sent to the disciples among the Gentiles in Antioch the commands were simple and clear; abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, and from things strangled (verse 29).
As if that example was not enough the apostle Paul also wrote to the Colossians, 20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh (Colossians 2:20-23). He also wrote to Timothy, 1Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3). From these passages we learn a simple lesson that self imposed religion such as abstaining from foods is useless, of no value, and are from the deceiving doctrines of man. What is the purpose of these doctrines other than to enslave its adherents to the will of others?
Paul also wrote to the churches at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 8, and Rome, Romans 14, specifically about the eating of meats offered to idols. He did not prohibit the eating of these meats but cautioned that they should be sensitive to the consciousness of those who were weaker in the faith. As a part of the Gentile’s idolatrous worship practices the eating of these meats was a continuation of the sacrifice that was made at their temples. If a weak brother or sister in Christ saw another eating such meat they might consider it as a part of idol worship, not being able to discern that it was just meat fit to consume for the nourishment of the body. The stronger in the faith were cautioned not to put a stumbling block in front of their weaker brothers and sisters in Christ by eating this meat in their presence. It didn’t matter if they ate the meat or didn’t eat the meat; it didn’t matter if the meat was offered as a sacrifice to an idol or was fresh off the hoof, but food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse (1 Corinthians 8:8), what mattered was the example and influence they had on each other and whether they would be causing one to stumble by their eating.
When it comes to the wisdom of man it is a foolish and futile path that man walks down. While his knowledge has profited him greatly he ignores that wisdom and knowledge that comes from the one who gave him the ability to think in the first place.
Many have decided that they must make decision for the masses because they really know what is best. Whether it is a principal usurping the authority and responsibility of the parents or a pope, or any religious leader, demanding adherence to man-made traditions and regulations over the simple teaching of the Gospel; we must read and apply the Bible in our lives, be the Christian example for those around us, and teach others of the folly of following man over obedience to God.
What can I eat? Anything I want within the confines of the doctrine of Christ, with thankfulness, ignoring the edicts and bulls of man; not craving more, being a glutton, and not wasting out of abundance.
