Garnish by Robin Densmore Fuson

 

Do you like the garnish on the plate? What do you do with it? 

An upscale restaurant makes a presentation of their meals. Smaller portions are works of art with a splash of sauce and a flourish of a garnish on the side. A garnish is a decoration—an embellishment—not necessary for nourishment but for eye appeal. 

A lemon slice, sprig of parsley, mint leaf, or any pungent green herb, sits on top or to the side of the main fare. A visual tease to what you hope is a scrumptious dish.

What do you do with the garnish? Take a picture? Do you eat it? Move it out of the way? While pretty, it isn’t the main part of the meal.

We often think of Jesus as a garnish. We know He’s there. We pray occasionally in Jesus’ name. We may refer to Him in an anguished swear.

Jesus should be the whole meal. He should be our sustenance, not a decoration or the part we shove over to the side of our life. He should be the centerpiece.

Jesus is the reason for everything. The whole Bible talks about Him. The Old Testament pointed to Him. Verses describe His birth and His death. The first four books of the New Testament tell of his birth, life, death, and resurrection. The remainder of the New Testament tells us why He came and how to accept Him as our Savior and live a life pleasing to Him. The last book, Revelation, shows Him as the conquering Redeemer and Judge.

How do you see Jesus? Who is He to you?

Jesus is God. He is the second in the Trinity. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He willingly came to earth to be born of a virgin and lived among us, as he grew. He taught His disciples and then He willingly laid down His life for our sin.

He took your place on the cross. He paid for your sin so you wouldn’t have to. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior?

If so, how do you treat Him? Is He Lord of your life? Or is He placed in the back corner of your mind, like a garnish? Do you only talk to Him when you need something? We should praise Him. Thank Him. Reverence Him. Love and obey Him. He desires to be the center of your life.

Jesus Christ wants us to be His disciples. To do that, we need to love Him more than everything.

In the following verse, the word hate means that those people are not as important to you as the Lord. Our love for the Lord needs to be so great it seems like hate for others in comparison. 

If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27 nlt)