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Have you ever wondered where the expression "eating humble pie" came
from? Back in the colonial days of America, the English elite ate
only the best of meats. The poor folk ate the leftovers of the
slaughter--kidneys, intestines, heart, liver. Though the word
"humble" was a corruption of the French word for animal viscera, the
culinary genius of the poor produced "humble pie" out of this. It
was all boiled until tender, mixed with suet, apples, currants,
sugar, salt, and spices such as mace, cloves and nutmeg. It was
such an enduring tradition that cookbooks until the 19th century
carried the recipes.
It was a foregone conclusion, then, that humble pie would enter the
common vocabulary, and its meaning would be enlarged. When an
uppity person was forced to admit a wrong, it was said that he was
forced to eat humble pie. The implication was that now he was
eating like the rest of us common folk--a humbling experience for
the elite know-it-all.
As I mused on this, I thought of the spiritual implications. The
Apostle Paul came to mind--the apostle who called himself the least
of the apostles (1 Cor. 15:9) and less than the least of the saints
(Eph. 3:8). I also thought of his explanation for joy in
suffering--suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character,
and character, hope (Rom. 5:3-4). Then I remembered his bidding
farewell to the elders of the church at Ephesus, saying, "You know
the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the
province of Asia, after what manner I have been with you in all
seasons. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and
trials happening to me by the plots of the Jews" (Acts 20:19).
I wondered how a "spiritual recipe" for a humble pie filling might
go (store-bought crust permissible).
It might go like this:
* Using the largest kettle you have available, fill with fresh
hardships.
* Cover with tears.
* Add sorrow.
* Thicken with plots.
* Bring to a simmer.
* Add tears as needed to cover the mix.
Simmer until hardships are tender, sorrow palatable, mix thickened,
and you detect an aroma, as delicious as humility itself, rising
from this exquisite dish.
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