Every "Baptist Day" the school would invite
one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological
education center.
The story is that one year they invited Dr. Paul
Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours "proving" that
the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after
scholar and book after book.
He concluded that since there was no such thing as the
historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was
groundless, emotional
mumbo-jumbo. because it was based on a
relationship with a risen Jesus, who,
in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense.
He then asked if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher
with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the
auditorium.
"Docta Tillich, I got one question," he said as
all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch
and pulled out an apple and began eating it.
"Docta Tillich"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... "My
question is a simple question," CRUNCH, MUNCH." Now, I ain't never
read them books you read..."CRUNCH, MUNCH"...and
I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek"...CRUNCH,
MUNCH..." I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger"...
CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the
apple. "All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate - was it bitter or sweet?"
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary
scholarly
fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question,
for I haven't tasted your apple."
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple
into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my
Jesus."
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain
themselves. The Auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich
thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.
Have you tasted Jesus?
Pass this inspiration on...
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
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