Jesus Ate Perfectly

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." --John 4:34

Read: John 4

Jesus ate perfectly. Does anyone find that amazing? Whether during a hearty celebration meal with friends or while eating sparingly on the road as He traveled, He never sinned. In fact, nobody ever ate better. Now, that's food for thought.

Some of you may be sitting back in your chair thinking, "Wait, what? Surely you don't mean perfectly?" Well, in fact, yes. That's exactly what we mean. See, we believe Jesus was perfect in every imaginable way and that includes how He ate. It's easy to think of Jesus as the healer or speaker but perfect eater? Well, while we know He never ate for vanity or gluttony, that truth is easier to digest when we realize that nothing He ate or didn't eat would prevent Him from reaching the cross for your sins and mine. Knowing that, it's tough to argue that He ate perfectly, wouldn't you agree?

So what can that teach us? For one, it should remind us that God looks at the heart, so we might as well get out of the mirror. But it also means that neglecting the body and eating without purpose is a heart issue. On one hand, we can't be so focused on our waistline that we fail to see the needs around us, nor can we eat in such a way that we can't function with abundance or fulfill our potential.

But isn't it liberating? See, like you, I believe Jesus enjoyed a good meal with the disciples and I like to imagine Him leaning back and being the first to doze off. But humbly, I can also see Him going days without food, fasting for Heavenly wisdom for you and for me. Oh my friends, it's when we see food through His eyes that the table clearly comes into focus. Enjoy food, respect food, and learn how it allows you to serve Him. After all, He was the perfect example. Everything He ate or didn't eat, helped Him save us.

--Jimmy Peña

FUN FACT: As we strive — and struggle — to live more like Jesus, it’s important to immerse ourselves in God’s word on a daily basis. But an extension of Christ-like living, whether we realize it or not, is exercise (1 Timothy 4:8) — because Jesus did a lot of it, mostly through walking. Sure, most of that was out of necessity but you can bet that He was pretty fit. Would you believe that Jesus walked over 3,000 miles during his ministry?

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