He Who Dips
Do you remember how wonderful things are when experienced while sitting around a warm inviting campfire on a cool summer evening? Remember the good trips? Remember the nights when the moon was full and high in the sky and there was always a slight breeze blowing through the camp; when you could hear the crickets chirping and the coyotes howling in the distance? What an amazing feeling we experienced when we all passed around the tin of Copenhagen and then took turns spitting into the fire. It doesn’t get any better than that folks. That is fellowship that is intimate and close. Already, I can hear you groaning, “Where the hell is he going with this?” Well, it’s not about that kind of dipping.
The one who has dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me ~ Matthew 26:23
I recently heard a sermon in which the speaker quoted from this particular verse from Matthew and it quite literally woke me up from a dead sleep – or was that a wake up call?
This was the last supper. Jesus knew that his time was up and he was spending his last hours with his best friends. It was common to dip bread into a bowl of sauce made of fruit and when you “dipped” with someone, it was an act of friendship and love for that person. The last supper was intimate and it was close and the disciples still didn’t “get” what it was all about. When Jesus announced the betrayal, all of his disciples thought to themselves, “Lord, is it I?” I have to wonder if Jesus didn’t purposely leave that statement vague as an example. All of his friends now feared that they might be the one to betray him; they all feared the possibility of failure.
Well here’s what grabbed me by the throat; I’m the one that’s going to betray him. I have dipped my hand in the bowl with him and I fear that I might fail him. In reality though, this is simply about logic. If one has not dipped their hands into the bowl with Jesus, there is no chance that they can betray him. That’s good news because it means that I have dipped my hands with him and I am sitting at his table. I can think of no place I would rather be. You bet I’m going to screw up occassionally but I shouldn’t worry about it, I shoudn’t wait for it and I shouldn’t pine over it when it happens.
Who of us has not forgiven a friend when they have wronged you? Would Jesus do any less for us?
Now pass the chew….
Dipping…
Ok, I know this post isn’t about chew…but since you brought it up, I tried my husband’s once (way back when we were dating) and it really didn’t go well. Ugh! 
Forgiveness has been on my mind lately. An old hurt was brought to mind as I found someone online who did me wrong almost 9 years ago. She doesn’t know I came across her yet, and I’m trying to decide what to do. I shut her completely out of my life after those events, and though I think I’ve forgiven her, how can I know without a restoration of our friendship? Sigh.
HW ~ I know a woman who dips regularly and when I lived in Texas about 12 years ago, I dated a woman who dipped. No worries, it takes getting used to. I don’t even like doing it now and I used to when I was playing ball.
Adam ~ Not knowing the extent of the hurt, I can’t say as I know how hard it would be to do. Having said that, I think that you should at least try. If she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, that is still a burden lifted from you because you tried to reconcile.
I say go for it!!
Mike,
I have her e-mail address, and I can reach out any time. I probably will, but I’m really thinking and praying, seriously, about how and when to do this.
We were engaged, and she dumped me the night before my birthday for someone else and lied to me about why she was dumping me. She’d been cheating on me for months. She was in Brazil and I was in college studying for ministry. The other guy, who is now her husband, was a short-term missionary in Brazil who knew she was engaged. There’s more to it, but I’ve probably said too much already.
Well that certainly explains the trepidation. It kind of reminds me of the break up between me and my first wife so in a way, I kind of understand. I will also pray for your decision.
Yeah, I remeber feeling like I was going to puke from the copenhagen. Good times.