What does God say about health?
At Church of the Resurrection this June we are working through a sermon series asking what God has to say about five relevant topics (politics, health, money, our bodies, and how we spend our time). I am going to write a blog post about each topic as we work our way through each of them. You can read the post on politics by clicking here.
One thing we will come back to time and time again during this series is that the Bible is often misused by Christians. The Bible is not a guidebook for life, with sections on topics like politics, health, money, etc. To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism says, “Holy Scripture is “God’s Word written” (Articles of Religion, 20), given by the Holy Spirit through prophets and apostles as the revelation of God and his acts in human history, and is therefore the Church’s final authority in all matters of faith and practice.” We know God because he has made himself known to us. He has revealed himself to us many times and in many ways, and his most full revelation is his Son Jesus Christ. All this is found in the Bible, and because the Bible is God’s Word, it is our final authority on all matters of faith and practice. But there are plenty of things the Bible says little or nothing about. The Bible doesn’t give us stock tips. The Bible isn’t a science textbook. The Bible doesn’t address many things that we may have questions about, and the Bible most definitely isn’t a guide for healthy eating.
Yet, there is a whole cottage industry that sells biblical secrets for good health. Here are a few books for sale at Amazon:
· Healthy Eating, God's Way: Weight Loss Devotional and Challenge: Calm Your Cravings, Overcome Obsessing, Hone Healthy Habits, and Build Biblical Boundaries.
· What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook: Eat Well, Feel Great, and Live Longer.
· Miracle Food Cures from the Bible
· The food and feasts of Jesus: the original Mediterranean Diet, with menus and recipes.
· The Hallelujah Diet: Experience the Optimal Health You Were Meant to Have.
Each of these books presupposes that hidden in the Bible is the key for optimal health. But nowhere does the Bible claim to be a guide for healthy eating. There is no “biblical” diet. If we can take anything from the Bible about our diet it is that we are permitted to eat anything.
Let’s start there. Why are Christians permitted to eat food that was deemed unclean by the Old Testament? Well, first off, because Jesus said we could. Mark 7 opens with the scribes and Pharisees approaching Jesus and asking him why his disciples eat with defiled hands. Among the many “traditions of the elders” includes the washing of hands before eating (as well as the washing of cups, pots, copper vessels, and dining couches). Jesus responds at length, saying:
“Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Jesus came to fulfill the law. The civil and ceremonial law was fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, but the moral law remains. We have this further clarified by other parts of the New Testament.
Paul addresses this in Romans chapter 14. It’s clear that this freedom in Christ has been a source of division in Rome. While he says, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself,” he also urges those who enjoy this freedom to sacrifice it for the sake of the weak.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, he points out that just because we are free to do something does not mean we ought to do it. Someone made the statement to Paul that all things are lawful, but Paul points out that “not all things are helpful.” Sure, I am free to eat a thousand donuts a day. But should I? While all foods are lawful to eat, Paul warns us not to be dominated by anything. All you can eat shrimp put Red Lobster out of business, and it isn’t all that good for you and me either.
And while Paul is talking about the body in this passage he moves into sexuality when he makes this statement. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are significant. Self-control is urged in the Bible. But the human tendency to go from one extreme to another can cause us to make health an idol. Yes, it matters what we put in our bodies, but becoming obsessed with clean living can become idolatrous. For freedom we’ve been set free, yet some have become enslaved to the idea of purity through clean eating.
The reality is we feel better when we eat better. Should we eat well? Of course. Should we exercise? Of course. But to quote and old teacher of mine, “Be careful not to should on yourself.” Are you a victim of this? Do you find yourself frequently telling yourself what you “should” do? You should exercise. You should lose weight. You should order a salad instead of a burger. You should read a book instead of watching TV. Most often this doesn’t motivate good behavior. It makes you feel bad no matter what you do, because you can always do better.
Each of us are susceptible to body image issues. When I look in the mirror, I often expect to see a much younger face and am disappointed that age has affected me the way it has. Original sin has affected each of us in the way we look at ourselves and others. We listen to the voice of the accuser who says we aren’t good enough. Who says we are only lovable if we look a certain way. Believe me when I say that this is not an affliction the good-looking are immune from. Those who are beautiful have so tied their identity to being beautiful that they are among the most insecure. You and I must stop basing our worth on what we look like.
In preparing for this sermon (and blog post) I listened to a podcast where the hosts were addressing questions from the audience. One person wrote it saying that she struggles with body image, and this is exacerbated by comments her father and brothers make when she eats foods that are fattening. Her father and brothers mean well. They want good things for her, but the result of this is that she has come to believe a lie that is being reinforced each time they make a comment, that she is only lovable if she is skinny. So each time she takes a bite of a high calorie food, she feels guilt and shame.
Is this what God wants for us? For the Church to be the skinny club at the expense of contentment in Christ? This is not freedom in Christ. We should not believe the lies of the devil that says we are not lovable if we are overweight or have wrinkles or sun damage on our skin. Yes, eat well, watch your cholesterol, put on sunscreen, be healthy. But this is not what makes us holy.
When we ask the question, “What does God say about our health,” There’s another whole area we haven’t touched on, and this may be the most pertinent question regarding God and our health. Does God promise us good health? It’s interesting that in John 9, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Who sinned that this man was born blind? This man, or his parents?” They’re not asking whether God is up in heaven, sitting by the smite button, waiting for you or me to mess up so he can rain down plague and pestilence. Assumed in this question “who sinned that this man was born blind?” is that good health is a reward for good behavior and disease is a consequence of our own sin. Want to avoid cancer? Watch your p’s and q’s!
This is the lie of the prosperity gospel, a false gospel that promises health and wealth for those who follow the Lord. It’s a lie, and it misses the truth and beauty of the real gospel that promises grace and peace to those who suffer. Jesus, who chose the way of the cross does not promise a life free of pain for you and me. Sickness and disease are the way of the world since sin entered the world in the garden. Our hope is not found in a life of perfect health. Our hope is for the fulness of the Spirit in those low places (Luke 11:11-13). Our hope is in a God whose power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9).
God, who has good things for us (Rom 8:28), who has promised that even in the low places of life, he is working for good, has not promised that you will not suffer from health ailments, but has promised to be with you and lift you up in your time of need.
God’s promise for our health is not that we who seek the Lord would have perfect health, and health problems are not evidence of secret sin. Our hope is in a risen Lord who will raise our mortal bodies from the dead on the last day, when he returns in glory. So enjoy that bacon cheeseburger, but do so in moderation. If you feel that you’ve been dominated by your desire for food, maybe you should go on a diet. But “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).” So, if you eat, enjoy. If you abstain, do so with freedom. If you suffer ill health, go to our Father in prayer. Go to your doctor. Promote your health, but don’t hold it up as an idol. But whatever you do, do it in the freedom you have in Christ, knowing that God wants good things for you.