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? In Psalms 34:8 we read: 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.