The Proof In The Pudding

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village voice

“Proof in the Pudding”

            There are a multitude of sayings in the English language.  One such phrase, first spoken in 14th century England by a gentleman named William Camden is the phrase “The proof is in the pudding.”  We’ve heard it spoken in our modern times, but exactly what does it mean.

            The original uttering of the phrase was not those words you are reading in this article.  While the meaning or the intention of the phrase remains the same, Mr. Camden’s  original words were these: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating!”  His intention in coining the phrase was to say the value, quality, or truth of something must be judged based on direct experience with it—or on its results. It makes perfect sense when you know the intention of the original phrase.

            One summer day when I was a young boy I was traversing through my grandparent’s house, through the kitchen to exit the back door.  Some wonderful smells emanated often from that room, and this day was no different.  “What ya cookin’ Granny?” I asked.  She said, “Butter beans.  You like them?”  “No,” I replied.  She asked if I had ever had any, and I replied, “No.”  She then asked, “How do you know you don’t like them if you never tried them?”  She then made me sit down at the table with a bowl of butter beans in front of me.  “You can’t go out and play until you try them,” she commanded!  I sat there for what seemed like hours, my grandmother’s will and mine locked in battle.  She would peer over her shoulder to survey the battlefield, seeing I was not budging.  Then I succumbed to the thoughts of playing and tried a butter bean.  That led to two, then another and another until the bowl was empty.  I requested another bowl to which my smiling grandmother, knowing she had once again prevailed lovingly served up more butter beans.

            Many people had heard of Jesus and the great things He was doing.  They flocked to Him to see if the wonderful rumors were true.  The Pharisees too flocked to see Jesus, but for a different reason.  Their motivation to see this man was the threat to their authority and position.  The majority of the “religious elite” had the mindset Jesus would destroy the lofty positions they had spent centuries building, essentially pulling them off of their ivory pedestals.

            What was true with my kitchen encounter is the same as the pharisees.  They knew they didn’t like Jesus, yet had no prior interaction with Him, other than those where they directly confronted Him.  Their minds were made up and they were not about to change them, regardless of the proof that was set before them.  There were dead set in not trying the butter beans!!!

            We believe in Jesus because of faith.  We follow Him and His teachings through faith.  His goodness can only be experienced with a relationship with Him – there is no other way.  It is God’s will and His love which offers the goodness set before us.  I promise you, try Him, and like the butter beans, you will crave more of Him!