Spiritually Lactose-Intolerant

There is a great story about Martin Luther, which I love to remember.  He was the pastor of a certain church, and all the people began to complain.  Martin Luther had been preaching "the gospel" every single week at church.

I suspect much like Christians today, his congregation was frustrated.  So they went to him with their frustration (likely after several weeks of bickering behind his back).

"Pastor Luther?" they said.

"Please!  Call me Martin."

"Okay! Martin?  We're pretty frustrated with this week after week presentation of the gospel you got going on here.  We already know this stuff.  Can we move on please?"

"Nope!"

"For crying out loud, Martin!  Why do you have to preach the gospel to us week in and week out?"

Martin, having probably practiced his response for weeks in his bathroom mirror, says,

"BECAUSE DAY IN AND DAY OUT YOU FORGET IT!"

I love that story!

The 3rd Chapter of 1 Corinthians reminded me of that story today.  Paul had to do the same thing for the Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 reads: "And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.  I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.  Even now you are still not ready..."

There is no such thing as a spiritually lactose-intolerant person.  I think we all need milk from time to time, if not every single day.  I, for one, could use a daily reminder of the gospel, because I certainly forget day in and day out.  I need to be like an elementary school lunch.  Every lunch comes with milk.  Yes, of course give me the meat and let me chew on it, but always make sure I have my little carton of milk to go along with it.

Meat out your nostrils

"but a whole month [you will eat meat] until it comes out your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you." (Numbers 11:20)

These people were complaining that what God had provided for them was not enough. They complained so much they became a burden to their leader and drove him to complain to God about how much of a burden their complaining had become. They all asked for meat because the manna was not enough.

So God, tired and angry at all the complaining, gives them the meat they asked for. He gives them so much meat it is going to come out of their nose. Getting more than we actually need will hurt our bodies. God is giving them what they asked for, but so much that it is going to hurt.

This is a punishment for rejecting Him as all they really needed.

Be careful what your heart and mind greedily wants. When is enough not enough for you? When is God and his love and his provisions not enough for you?

Our greed reveals how little we trust God, and I fear I trust God far too little.