Food for Thought
by Laurence Windham

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed." (II Thessalonians 3:6-14)

What is paradise you may ask? Paradise is working and eating.

So it was with mankind in Eden. God created an entire world to cultivate and populate. He created man in His image and gave that man the noble responsibility to reflect what his Creator did in six days.

Consider the huge task before Adam; he was to take dominion of the whole earth. Just thinking about the assignment can make one hungry. Not to worry, there was food everywhere. And life was good. Living for God, getting stuff done, and eating well.

Then came the Fall and sin changed the world. But mankind's reason for being remained the same. Because of sin, living for God had to become a deliberate focus, work became difficult, and though eating also continued we could have no shrimp on the bar-bee. Even though worship, work and eating all remained, because of sin, men are apt to worship everything but God, try to get out of work, and have such rapacious appetites, they are known today by the term, consumers.

Since this sinful condition distorts and distracts the church from its marching orders, as you might imagine, the Bible has much to say about it. Paul's admonition to the Thessalonians was, "if a man doesn't work, he shouldn't eat."

Hmmm, work first-then eat. Obviously, you must first earn the right to eat by labor, "In toil you shall eat", "In the sweat of your face you shall eat." This is a First Principle, a Basic Fact for mankind. But for Christians there is a prerequisite to this order. Worship comes first doesn't it? Obedience to the requisite of eating (work) is first the lordship of Christ. So, as in the Garden, before the Fall, the order is worship (living for God), working, and eating. Ain't life grand?! I think so. This side of heaven our paradise is being in Christ, doing what our hands find to do with all our might, and enjoying the fruit (and steak) of our labors.

Evidently in some of the early churches there were those who did not share this ideal. They used the excuse that they were waiting on the return of Christ to stop working while they waited. Funny thing, they didn't stop eating. The apostle Paul said to let them starve. Really, he did. He said for the church to withdraw themselves from such people. That means no communion for them. No bread and wine. In addition: no compassion, and no welfare and no sandwiches. Let them starve both ways. Paul was stating that, by nature, baloney doesn't beget bologna. If they were truly thinking that Jesus was coming back soon, why didn't they also fast?

I love Paul's example here. He reminds the church that while he and his companions were with them they worked two jobs. They did the ministry and they got a job to support themselves. If Paul can work two jobs, then everyone who names the name of Christ in Thessalonica could at least work one!At issue here is the imago Dei, God worked, and he created man to work. This is basic: Humanity 101—everyone is to labor.

The lazy person's conduct in this text is called disorderly—out of order. They are not working so they are not truly worshiping. Yet they still want to eat. In case there is any question as to their status in the covenant community or if the session needs any apostolic counsel as to how they should handle this situation, Scripture says to withdraw physically and communally and culinarilly from such people. All they are to receive from the church is exhortation and admonishment. Note the text regarding what these types do when they are busy. They are meddling in the affairs of others. These people may be idle in the area of production, but they are active in disruption. The church doesn't need to support and sustain such people. That would be foolish. Like, oh say, selling wheat to Russia. Or something like that.

Consider the Work of Christ. His whole life was to do the will of the Father. Anytime food is mentioned in any context with Him it is always in association with worship and work. Feeding the 5000, then telling them what He is really offering is His body and blood. After His witness to the Samaritan woman He tells the disciples that He has eaten of meat they know not of. When the Pharisees charge Him with eating and drinking with sinners, Jesus answers with the parable of the prodigal son and the feast of fatted beef, with which the story climaxes. He eats in front of the disciples after the resurrection, that they might believe. He prepares breakfast for the disciples; fish and bread. The same menu He refused to repeat for the unbelieving 5000. This provision is only for those, who by faith, eat His flesh and drink His blood. And on it goes. Jesus worshipping, Jesus working, and Jesus providing a table for us, where we sit and eat. We who worship God and do His work. This is Paradise in the Here and Now. This will be Paradise in the Hereafter.