Word for Wednesday
And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. Luke 15:23
Northern Ireland (Belfast) has a catering business that specializes in elaborate and fine foods; it’s called The Fatted Calf. The same name is applied to an inn with an award-winning restaurant in the Irish village of Glasson. A restaurant in St. Louis, MO, that bills itself as a hamburger lovers’ heaven is also called The Fatted Calf. The term is obviously recognized as a synonym for a hearty meal. To a boy returning from starvation rations on a far-away pig farm, the prospect of generous portions of meat from his father’s prime fatted calf was about as close to Heaven as he could imagine. As a lad who appreciates generous quantities of good beef, I concur in the prodigal’s estimation. As prodigals who have returned to the Father’s house of salvation, we can all apreciate the bountiful spread of spiritual fatted calf we are served every day.
The fatted calf was a special animal that the father kept prepared and ready. There was work and cost involved. And yet, the father gladly ordered the butchering of the calf to provide the appropriate feast. God’s salvation also didn’t come cheap or easy, as far as God is concerned. He gave His own Son to pay for redemption, and for all the blessings that flow from our salvation. The Holy Spirit works tirelessly, as He comforts, exhorts, and guides believers in their life for God. The fatted calf is prepared, and is being served daily to you and me.
The Word of God is a portion of God’s fatted calf that is not only nourishing but necessary to the survival of a Christian’s testimony. Just as our bodies need meat for our daily energy and for maintenance of good health, so we need the Bible’s rich nourishment for our souls… and it’s all part of God’s fatted calf provision. We also need the fellowship of other believers, the regular worship, ministry, and Bible-reading meetings, and constant contact with God in prayer. All of these are included in God’s fatted calf. Precious promises, lovely hymns, we could go on and on because the fatted calf is far more extensive than any Christian has ever been able to access, let alone exhaust.
The fatted calf that God has killed for you and me is abundant in spiritual blessings. At that, it is just a hint of the bounty that is ours eternally in the Father’s house above. Rejoice and feast! -Jim MacIntosh