Thursday, July 11

Luke 10:25-29
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 
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I watch cooking shows for no apparent reason.  After a while, a person with no kitchen experience picks up the lingo of the chefs.  My favorite is a "reduction."  It usually means boiling some fluid down to concentrate the flavor for a sauce.  When
asked by Jesus what it written in the law that leads to eternal life, the lawyer offers up a reduction - all the essence and flavors of the 10 commandments concentrated into one succinct delectable mouthful of words. Jesus approves. He declares it to be a feast for the soul.  But then the lawyer spits out  "neighbor" and questions the recipe.  Later, Jesus would tell his disciples to eat and drink, bread and wine - his body and his blood.  An "Amuse Bouche" - a foretaste of the feast to come.  We can question the recipe but no one can duplicate this eternal fare. 
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May we taste and see that the Lord is good. Amen.