I have always liked tomatoes, except when they are rotten and thrown at the preacher. Today, you have to read the morning paper to know what you can and cannot have for breakfast. And then watch the noon “News” for the rest of the story. This month’s “tomato salmonella scare” reminds us that we must be aware of the recent danger in the produce department.
A few years ago we were scared by the “Red Dye #2” alerts, and then “Tylenol” became a danger because of some nice people who laced some of it with poison. Who knows what will be next? If it’s not “nature” that is dangerous, it is someone who has tampered with something good and made it deadly.
This is not a funny story, and it is especially worrisome when the cause is human error – or just plain meanness. Why would a person want to make a lot of folks sick? Why would someone want to risk the lives of others? The answer may not be a pretty one, and the results could have both your name and mine on the obituary page.
There are several herbs that grow spontaneously that can serve as a form of medication. Ancient man found ways to heal disease, control pain and stop the onslaught of infection by using herbs. There were dangers along the way, for some “solutions” were found to be more dangerous than the disease.
Now bear with me for a moment. There have been controversies about the tomato, even to the way we pronounce the word. Tomatoes are officially classified as a “berry,” a fruit. Rich in vitamin C, tomatoes contain other nutrients. How could we enjoy “fries” without the ketchup the lowly tomato provides.
It is commonly known that at one time tomatoes were thought to be poisonous. The acids in the tomato can cause some indigestion, but it is now recognized that they are not poisonous. In 1820, Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson put that idea to rest when he announced he would eat a basket of tomatoes in front of the local courthouse. More than 2,000 men and women came to watch the poor man die, and they were shocked when he did not. All that aside, there is a lesson for us today on this popular “fruit.”
People Can Be Mistaken
Just as in many other matters, we can get bad information. We can confidently believe someone who speaks with authority even though that person does not speak with sufficient truth. We humans often speak or make decisions on various subjects before we have all of the facts.
It will always be imperative that we obtain truth, find out what the correct information is before we make our decisions. Some vote for an individual because they like his or her looks, even though they have no idea about his leadership skills, voting record or the direction he/she plans to take us.
Is it possible for us to be honestly mistaken about something very important? Yes, it is. The Bible is perhaps the book about which more people are mistaken than any other. Some believe one thing, and others believe just the opposite. When contradictory views arise about the Bible, someoneis wrong. The Bible neither contains nor endorses contradictory views. By studying it objectively, honest people can and will understand it!
Some Mistakes Are Deadly
We know that some mistakes are more significant than others. It is one thing for me to think a man’s tie is green when it is really red, but quite another thing for me to think a traffic light is green when it is actually red. That can be deadly!
Regarding God’s word, the Bible, some mistakes can be especially dangerous while others can be less so. I may think Judas had dark hair while another thinks it was light. If the Bible does not say, we cannot know.
Many were mistaken in the first century when they rejected and had Jesus put to death. On the day of Pentecost, Simon Peter made it clear that their rejection was not a minor mistake, but the rejection of the very Messiah for whom they waited in anticipation.
Peter then gave the means by which their “mistake” could be made right with God. Read Acts chapter 2 for God’s solution.
“Behold, I thought…”
If you eat poisonous or “tainted” food you will not likely be pleased at the results. Many people are not fair, not wise in making important decisions – about life and eternity. A mistake on that subject, while honestly and sincerely made, can be eternally fatal.
Look up the accounts of men named Uzzah, Nadab, Cain and Diotrephes. Sincere or not, they made monumental mistakes that are recorded for our benefit.
Go ahead – put some tomato on your burger. Officials say it’s OK. I sure hope they know their business. We especially need to get our life
in accord with the Bible! It will be
right when “officials” are
wrong!
