At
the University of Chicago Divinity School each year they
have what is called "Baptist Day". It is a day when all
the Baptists in the area are invited to the school because
they want the Baptist dollars to keep coming in.
On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors
in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day" the school
would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the
theological education center. One year they invited Dr.
Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours
proving that the resurrection of Jesus was false.
He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He
concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical
resurrection the religious tradition of the church was
groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based
on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact, never
rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked
if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher
with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood
up in the back of the auditorium. Docta Tillich, I got
one question, he said as all eyes turned toward him. He
reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and
began eating it.
Docta Tillich ... CRUNCH, MUNCH My question is a simple
question, ....CRUNCH, MUNCH...Now, I ain't never read
them books you read...CRUNCH, MUNCH...and I can't recite
the Scriptures in the original Greek CRUNCH, MUNCH ...I
don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger ....CRUNCH,
MUNCH...He finished the apple. All I wanna know is: This
apple I just ate,------was it bitter or sweet?
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary
scholarly fashion: I cannot possibly answer that question,
for I haven't tasted your apple.
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple
into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich
and said calmly, Neither have you tasted my Jesus.
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves.
The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich
thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.
Have you tasted Jesus? Please pass this on Saints! God
has risen... and he's coming back one day!
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man
who takes refuge in Him. If you have, rejoice in the hope
of the resurrection that your faith in Him brings.
Psalm 34:8
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