Full Tables or Full Lives?

Many years ago, as the wise men of Jerusalem observed the flow of life in and out of their city gates, as they listened to the daily petty disputes of the common people, and as they considered their own experience as part of the panorama of life, they coined a wise proverb, which is found in Proverbs 15:17: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” They recognized that a humble meal with love was far better than a fatted calf with hatred.

As we anticipate the bounteous dinners which will grace our tables on Thanksgiving Day, we shall do well to heed the message of this proverb. As we enjoy the fruits of our labors, we will be wise to remember that more exists to life than an abundance of food and clothing and to guard lest we become self-satisfied.

The undeniable truth of this proverb is illustrated in two episodes of history.

The first such incident occurred in ancient Egypt during the reign of the Pharaohs. In order to construct a memorial to their national greatness, the Egyptians had enslaved a colony of Hebrews, forcing them to toil many hours daily. Despite the persecution, the colony continued to multiply and threatened the numerical supremacy of its masters. These ordered the death of all male children at birth.

One family tried to protect its infant son. By chance the baby was discovered by the princess, who raised him as her own son in the palace of the Pharaoh. Thus the boy grew up a prince and shared in all the splendid advantages of the Egyptian court—its education, its regal dress, its bountiful delicacies. Gradually, however, the prince’s heart was stirred by a deep sense of injustice at the slavery of his people, their overwork and their poor diet. Eventually, God used Moses to become the deliverer of his people and to lead them out of Egypt into Canaan. Summarizing his life, the epistle to the Hebrews notes,

By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

May this be the clue to solving some of the social issues of our day? Are we, like Moses, unafraid to make the personal sacrifice of giving ourselves to a needy humanity? Christians must earnestly seek to know, to understand, and to love the downtrodden people of the world. We must give a practical demonstration that “better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”

A palace is the setting for another episode. In the days of the Babylonian empire, the finest young men of Judah were selected for government service. Part of their training included dining at the king’s table, enjoying the king’s meat and the wine which he drank. For many youths this was a great honor, but four young Hebrews knew that the fulfillment of this requirement meant religious defilement. The Bible says, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” He and his friends cherished their purity and personal integrity; they would not sacrifice it by eating at the king’s table. They believed that a dinner of pulse and water with moral purity was better than meat and wine with moral compromise.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asked one of the most profoundly simple questions of his ministry—simple because its answer is obvious, profound because its practical implications are so far-reaching. Addressing the disciples, Jesus asked, “Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?”

What more obvious question could Jesus have asked? Anyone can compile a list of things which he values as highly as meat and raiment—such things as health, friendship, integrity, and a vital faith. But scores of people live as if food and clothing were all there is.

As we give thanks this year, let us earnestly consider what our bounteous dinners have cost us. To enjoy them, did we tolerate social injustice and exploitation? Did we have to sacrifice our moral purity on the altar of expedience? Does our conscience smart because of failure to stand for what is true? If we have full tables and full lives, then we can be thankful indeed.

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