Observation: As John's ministry begins, we are told of only two details. One detail is his very simple message, 'repent for the kingdom of God is near'. The other detail is the most basic elements of his lifestyle. John wears a rob made of camel hair, and eats locust and honey. Regardless of the version of the Bible, or the book that discusses John, these are core elements of the description of John ... this one robe, and these two 'food' items.
There is not an immediately obvious lesson or message involving this diet of locust and honey. However, there may be a message intended. Throughout the Old Testament, locusts occur in two ways. First, they are a vague unit of measure, effectively meaning that something is beyond being able to count (as in an army so large it is like a swarm of locust). Second, locust are specifically on the list of curses the Lord may bring upon Israel, as an invading species that destroys crops and causes famine. As for honey, it is most commonly a component of blessing. Multiple times, the promised land is referred to as a land of milk and honey. Furthermore, honey is referred to as a source of pleasurable sweetness, and a food source that provides energy.
In this manner, by eating only locust and honey, John symbolizes both blessing and curse. As proclaiming the impending coming of Messiah, it is time for everyone to make a definitive choice about which life-sustaining nutrition they wish to consume. One may take a little effort to find and collect it, but it is a sweet blessing; One may be easy to find because it so abundant that sometimes you cannot even avoid it, but it certainly is an unsatisfying curse.
Application: The college student version of me - the English Lit honors student - realizes I could write a major paper on this topic and the symbolism found throughout the Bible that reinforces the metaphor of John's meager existence.
Honey is challenging. It is sticky. It is found in bee hives, and thus with potential pain to harvest. When eaten, it doesn't seem very filling. However, it is one of the purest foods ever. It never spoils. It can even be used to purify and clean wounds. And it is so rich in natural sugar that it is an amazing source of energy.
Where locust occur, they are everywhere. Within a swarm, they could be captured by the bucketload. As an insect, they are almost pure protein when eaten, and similar to related insects (like grasshoppers) there are ways of preparing them that make them more palatable. However ... of my goodness ... they cannot be good no matter what. They are too large to just 'pop' and swallow. They are ugly, and there is nothing appealing about eating them other than the fact that, if one were just out in nature in the desert, they would seem like a plentiful source of solid nutrition.
And this is exactly the choice every human has when confronted with Jesus. The gospel - that Jesus, as the son of God, died for our redemption, and total forgiveness and eternal acceptance is available through faith in him - is ... challenging. At first, it may seem difficult to access, a little messy, and with an unclear value in our earthly life. However, it is so good, so pure, so amazing, so life-giving ... it never spoils, never fails, never lets us down. Meanwhile, the rest of earthly life offers us plentiful and easy-to-access 'stuff' to consume at every turn. This items align to the 'needs' we are conditioned to believe are necessary for survival, and even comfort, in our daily existence. However, when you take the time to examine them, there can be no other conclusion than these elements of life are ... ugly and gross, at best lacking any satisfaction other than fulfilling some base-instinct need.
As for me and my house, we choose honey.
Prayer: Lord, the things I take into my life are often so ugly, so gross, so unfulfilling, while I fail to take the time to find the sweet, wonderful, pure energy available in you. May I eat honey today, and just as importantly, may I reject locust. Amen.
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