Did John the Baptist Eat Bugs, Beans, or Pancakes?
https://jamestabor.com/did-joh...s-beans-or-pancakes/
A fascinating blog entry by Dr. James Tabor, the respected New Testament Scholar
In short, the Greek word for "locusts" used by Matthew and Luke can mean all three.
From my Sunday School teaching point of view, I'd like to make a "meal" for my kids by making pancakes in the shapes of bugs and beans, and making some manna with honey. The "preparing" of these ingredients and cooking would make for some great teaching metaphors about preparing/ingredients of welcoming Christ into our lives.
More thoughts about Bugs, Beans, or Pancakes...
These sorts of investigations remind me to check my "interpretative bias" and Sunday School pre-conceptions about John at the door.
- There is an interpretative tradition and bias that wants to portray John the Baptist as a sort of "wild man" of the wilderness. These are often fueled by artistic interpretations. But is it true? Or is John simply willing to speak truth to power? By portraying him as a wild man, does it allow us to dismiss similar prophetic voices today?
There is a historic and modern tradition that wants to portray John (and Jesus) as vegetarians. Bugs are considered non-vegetarian. - There is the modern reaction to "eating bugs" which the Old Testament lists among "clean" foods (that's right, "clean").
- There is an artistic and interpretative tradition that portrays John as a loner, and yet he had disciples and crowds came to see him.
- There is a bias that wants to view all prophets as confrontational and yet he preached the forgiveness of sins and the hope of the coming Messiah.
- Archaeological and historical evidence reminds us that there were communities in the "deserted desert" we grew up imagining John wandering around in.
- His "hairy" coat not being scratchy, but rather, being a sign of this prophetic authority.
https://www.rotation.org/topic/295011598215947023
