Divine Blessing & Food, Physical and Spiritual

In Genesis, God blessed man and gave him the right to the plants and the animals for food (Gen 1:29; 9:3). Yet, should we not give thanks for the food and seek God’s blessing upon it as Jesus did (Matt 14:19; 15:36)? But what does it mean that He blessed the food? From a study I am doing on blessing, it seems that when Jesus blesses the food He is teaching us that we need to depend on God for our sustenance and strength. As John Calvin says in The Institutes, “But the Spirit declares not only that the produce of the earth is God’s special gift, but ‘that man does not live by bread only’ (Deut 8:3), because it is not mere fullness that nourishes him but the secret blessing of God” (1.16.7). Mere food molecules do not nourish man; God continually sustains man by His hand. The food is a tool which has no power unless God decrees it.

This leads to my second pondering. What does it mean when Christ showed us the example which Paul repeats of blessing the Lord’s Supper? As in the previous example, when Christ blesses, He does so directly (Mt. 26:26). As God, He can bless at will. Yet, when we come to the Table, the cup should also be blessed according to Paul (1 Cor 10:16). In our case, we bless indirectly.  We must come and ask God’s blessing on these simple physical elements, so that by His power they may give us the spiritual nourishment and strength which they are meant to. What a wonderful thing the blessing of God is, and how little sensitivity I find in myself to be grateful for His great goodness.

Other passages: Lk 24:30; 1 Cor 10:16; Mt. 26:26; Mk 14:22 [cf Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24; 1 Tim 4:3; Rom 14:6; Acts 27:35]