I found myself at a kitchen table in Russia, staring down at a bowl of fish soup. A whole fish, eyeball to tail, had me wondering how on earth I was going to get through this meal with grace.
Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Luke 10:8 ESV
As missionaries in Russia, my friend Joy and I were visiting a women’s rehabilitation center to encourage and support the women there. But at that moment, I was the one who needed an intervention. My language skills were still growing along with my cultural knowledge. I knew that the women who hosted us prepared this meal with great care and sacrificial generosity, setting it before us as an act of love. Looking around, it wasn’t hard to figure out that this meal being served to us meant they would have less to eat. So there I sat, mentally negotiating how to handle this fish head. It absolutely could not go to waste.
Eat What is Set Before You
Before our host could ladle a portion for Joy, she glanced at me and made a plan. She graciously begged our host to let us share a bowl. Our host protested, as is the custom, but eventually put down the ladle and handed Joy a spoon. Since our host only spoke Russian, Joy leaned toward me and whispered in English, “Take care of the middle. I’ll eat the rest.” Two spoons. One bowl. Lots of bread. We ate what was set before us.
It sounds like a small thing. But in that moment, it was everything. Joy didn’t ridicule me or make me feel foolish. She just boldly stepped in, divided the burden, and we carried it together.
His Commands
When Jesus gave that instruction to eat what is set before you, He was being extremely intentional, deeply practical, and profoundly compassionate. Ministry is hard. Cross-cultural ministry stretches every personal boundary. And sometimes, what is “set before you” is not what you ordered, not what you expected, and not what you would have chosen. It might be an uncomfortable conversation, an unfamiliar place, an inconvenient need, or even a whole fish staring back at you from a plastic bowl.
The command is about surrender, respecting the culture, and trusting that God is present in the discomfort of it all. Refusing the meal would have built a wall of shame and rejection. Eating it built a bridge of grace and love.
What is in front of you right now? Who is with you to help you through it? I am so grateful I didn’t go to that rehab center alone. I am grateful for an experienced missionary friend who insightfully understood how to navigate that situation. And I am grateful for a Savior wise enough to know that we need each other to do what He calls us to do.
*For those of you who prayer walk, take time to ponder the question, ‘What is set before you?’ For your copy of this week’s screensaver, click here. And to access all of my YouVersion Bible App devotional plans, click here.