A Feast of Love / 爱的盛宴
Dexu Xia
A Feast of Love
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. John 6:51
In the Danish film Babette’s Feast, a French refugee appears in a coastal village. Two elderly sisters, leaders of the community’s religious life, take her in, and for fourteen years Babette works as their housekeeper. When Babette comes into a large sum of money, she invites the congregation of twelve to join her for an extravagant French meal of caviar, quail in puff pastry, and more.
As they move from one course to the next, the guests relax; some find forgiveness, some find love rekindled, and some begin recalling miracles they’d witnessed and truths they’d learned in childhood. “Remember what we were taught?” they say. “Little children, love one another.” When the meal ends, Babette reveals to the sisters that she spent all she had on the food. She gave everything—including any chance of returning to her old life as an acclaimed chef in Paris—so that her friends, eating, might feel their hearts open.
Jesus appeared on earth as a stranger and servant, and He gave everything so that our spiritual hunger might be satisfied. In John’s gospel, He reminds His listeners that when their ancestors wandered hungry in the wilderness, God provided quail and bread (Exodus 16). That food satisfied for a time, but Jesus promises that those who accept Him as the “bread of life” will “live forever” (John 6:48, 51). His sacrifice satisfies our spiritual cravings.
How has God satisfied your hunger? What might it look like for you to give sacrificially?
Jesus, thank You for giving Your body and blood for us.
爱的盛宴
我是从天上降下来生命的粮。-约翰福音6章51节
丹麦电影《芭比的盛宴》描述，在一个偏远贫苦的滨海村庄，住着一群生活严谨简朴的清教徒，因长期压抑而充满抱怨。一天，来了个叫芭比的法国难民，身为当地教会领袖的两位年长姐妹接纳了芭比。此后14年，芭比一直做她们的管家。后来，芭比无意中赢得一大笔钱，便邀请12名会友享用一顿极尽豪奢的法式料理，从鱼子酱到派皮鹌鹑，不一而足。
随着一道道佳肴被端上桌，宾客们从不安到放松。有些人得到饶恕；有些人重拾爱心；有些人想起见过的奇迹，儿时所学习的真理。有人问说：“记得以前老师怎么教的吗？”有人回答：“小朋友，要彼此相爱！”等到这场盛宴接近尾声时，芭比才告诉那两位姐妹，她为了这宴席已耗尽所有。她舍弃了一切，包括放弃回去当她的巴黎名厨，为的是要使她的这群朋友可以享受美食，可以再次敞开心怀。
耶稣以异乡人也是仆人的身分来到世上，祂舍弃了一切，为要使我们饥渴的心灵得饱足。在约翰福音，耶稣提醒众人，从前他们的祖先在旷野漂流忍饥耐饿时，上帝赐下鹌鹑和吗哪（出埃及记16章）。这些食物能暂时让人得饱足，但耶稣应许人若相信祂是“生命的粮”，“就必永远活着”（约翰福音6章48、51节）。祂的牺牲能满足我们心灵的饥渴。
上帝如何满足你的饥渴？
你如何毫无保留地付出呢？
耶稣为我们舍身流血，让我们得着生命的粮和活水。