Christians as Chafing Dishes and Serving Platters
“In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.”
[As rendered in “The Message] “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” (II Timothy 2:20-21)
My son Peter likes serving dishes. There are few things he likes better than when we dine formally with all sorts of serving dishes. He takes great delight in matching the serving dishes to the food that needs to be served; and each serving dish needs to have its own appropriate serving utensil. It is pretty unusual for a guy who in all other aspects of life is pretty casual and informal. But we love him and indulge him as often as possible.
And I have to admit even the most mundane of meals becomes a little more special when we use well-appointed serving dishes. Great chefs have said presentation is everything. An ordinary dish becomes special with the right kind of garnish. Bland vegetables become quite tempting when arranged and arrayed. Fruit becomes a special dessert with a bit of garnish and topping. And ice cream becomes a tasty treat when drizzled with some sauce or topping.
While these verses do not allude to garnishes and sauces, one can image the courses of the meal served up on platters and in bowls that sparkle and glisten. So who could resist putting ‘finishing touches’ on the entrees before serving them. Certainly the Lord of Hosts (yes, pun intended) would not stint on this!
May you be polished and glistened, readied to be used by the Lord of Hosts to God’s own purposes. Selah!
