Lesson 90. What Is on Your Plate?

Jesus is in my home. What a joy it is to have such a Guest. Because of His presence, changes have taken place in all my rooms. Everything connected in any way with evil has been removed, and the rooms shine with cleanliness. I walk through them, admiring the new order. I have asked my Friend to enter wherever He considers necessary and to do whatever He desires so that He may feel at home.

Suppertime is approaching, and I go to the kitchen to prepare a great feast. My heart rejoices at the realization that the Lord Himself is sitting in my home right now, waiting to see what I will prepare. How skillfully my hands work, sorting through the ingredients and turning them into masterpieces of culinary art. I want not only to feed my dear Friend but also to surprise Him with the meal I prepare. I become completely absorbed in my work.

While I am working, I hear the familiar knock—this time on the refrigerator—and the question, “May I look inside?” This time I feel neither fear nor shame, but indignation fills my mind. Nevertheless, out of respect for my Guest, I consent. Jesus opens the door and quietly examines the contents, carefully reading the ingredients of the prepared foods and other products. I watch Him from the corner of my eye. A real storm begins in my thoughts. I want so much to tell Him not to intrude where He has not been invited, but remembering my shame during the previous inspection of my rooms, I decide to remain silent. When the Lord deliberately takes two attractive packages and throws them into the trash, I become indignant, yet try to ask calmly, “What are You doing, Jesus?” He smiles and indicates that He will answer later. Closing the refrigerator, He returns to the living room.

At last supper is ready, the table is set, and we sit opposite each other and begin to eat. I decide to impress my Guest with a prayer of thanksgiving for the food and solemnly ask for a blessing upon the meal we are about to partake of. I am surprised that Jesus does not say the customary “Amen” after the prayer, though He sits down to eat with me. Our friendly conversation begins. When I place on my plate what my eyes have chosen, I hear a quiet knock on the table and the question, “What is on your plate?” This is too much! I simply explode with indignation. All my resentment pours out, and I express everything that has been filling me. He listens silently and smiles modestly. When I run out of words, I begin to wonder why Jesus asked me this question. I decide to answer and start listing the foods on my plate. I do not understand why He is so interested in what I eat. Is it not enough that cleanliness reigns in my rooms? As I name the foods, I watch Jesus, trying to understand what He wishes to communicate to me. I ask the question troubling me: “Lord, why did You not say ‘Amen’ at the end of the prayer?” He calmly replies that He cannot bless what the Word of God does not sanctify as fit for food. I feel uneasy. I quickly try to remember what the Bible says about diet, and the Lord prompts me to consider Leviticus chapter 11. Unable to restrain myself, I immediately open Acts 10:15: “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” The Lord has been waiting for this answer and is not surprised in the least. But He says that Peter himself explained the meaning of the vision afterward in Acts 10:28: “Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” This verse appears in a new light to my mind. I look at the Bible, then at the table, and suddenly realize that before me lies what God has forbidden as food—and I want to feed it to Jesus. How ashamed I am. Nervously, I begin removing from the table everything the Word of God calls unclean. I ask Jesus, “But did not the New Testament cleanse everything? And is not the kingdom of God goodness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, rather than meat and drink?” He calmly replies that God does not change, and what He once designated as unclean and an abomination for food will remain so forever. I begin to understand and fall into thought.

But supper continues. I eat what remains on the table, and then we move on to tea. Our conversation proceeds as I think it should. I have many questions and receive answers. I cut myself a large piece of cake and am just about to eat it when I hear a quiet knock on the table and the question, “What is on your plate?” This time I feel sick with the premonition that something is wrong again. I do not become indignant, though it is very unpleasant to realize that my Guest is examining the contents of my plate. He should look at His own. But I ask, “Lord, what is wrong this time?” He replies with another question: “Wilt thou be made whole?” What a familiar question; I have heard it before. What does He mean? I nod.

He points to a book on my shelf about the principles of healthful eating and indicates that everything is written there and that success awaits me if I observe all these principles.

I immediately remember those who tried to teach me these principles—their attitude toward me, their sense of superiority, and their dislike of people who lived differently. I shudder at the thought that I must become like them. The Lord smiles and says, “My grace is sufficient for thee. When you approach these questions with love, you will see all the beauty of health reform. As a reward, you will gain health and a clear mind. Temperance in all things will become your way of thinking, and you will look cheerfully upon life. Disease will be removed from you. Happiness will fill your heart, and you will be able to share it with others.”

When I object that the Internet now contains so much information of this kind that one does not know what to believe, He says, “First study this message in its pure form. Then you will be able to distinguish the clean from the unclean even in the networks of the Internet.”

I ponder this. Can these things truly be so important and interconnected? I understand that just as the hand is connected to the body, health reform is very important for me. If my mind is not overloaded by an abundance and excessive variety of food, but receives everything necessary, it will also handle spiritual matters excellently and evaluate everything in the right light.

I look at my plate and think about how ignorant I am in this matter. But I decide to study what the Lord counsels.

I ask Him to give me love so that it may be the motivating force in my study of God’s message. I receive the assurance that love is now mine and that the Lord will teach me to perceive and share everything in its light. How fascinating and joyful this is!

In the spirit of love, I begin to see much more, and the understanding of how important proper nutrition is becomes a light in my home. Confidently, I open my refrigerator and am horrified by what fills it. Now I understand Jesus as He examined its contents and studied the ingredients of the products. He desires to give me the happiness of health, and this is so pleasant to understand. How good it is that Jesus sent me this light. I am beginning to understand that many illnesses come as a consequence of my ignorance, and I decide to change my habits.

1. What did you understand from this lesson?

2. What does Jesus see on my plate?

3. Why did God make a distinction between the clean and the unclean?

4. Do I need health reform? If so, for what purpose?

5. Will I be saved through knives and forks? Do I need righteousness through diet?

6. Do I glorify God by what I eat?

7. Please read Isaiah 66:15–17; 2 Chronicles 20:20; 1 Samuel 15:22; and Luke 21:34 in the light of our lesson.