In Texas, smoking meat—i.e. barbecue—is a relished form of art.
It can be enjoyed by the common man, who is just hungry and knows deep down that Texas can’t be beat when it comes to smoked meat. On the other hand, barbecue can also be enjoyed by the most refined of palates, the type of taste buds that pick up on hints of pecan smoke, and marvel at how the brown sugar complements the dash of paprika. Either way, every Texan knows barbecue’s modus operandi: low and slow—low heat and a slow cook process.
In Texas, brisket is the king of barbecue. A short butcher’s lesson: Brisket comes from the front pectoral muscle of the cow. That’s the strongest and most used muscle in the cow’s body, supporting the majority of its weight when walking and standing. Brisket is the toughest and most stubborn cut of meat you can find in a cow. Go too high in temperature or too fast in cook-time, and brisket will end up like a chewy rubber band. Thus, the only way to prepare brisket is low and slow. This allows the meat’s connective tissues to break down and for the fat to render.
In an unsurprising act of providence, smoked brisket also helps us to see how God brings about salvation in the hearts of men.
As brisket is a real tough cut of meat, so too our unconverted hearts are hardened by sin and struggle to see the goodness of God (cf. Rom 2:5). If you’re anything like me, we can be pretty darn stubborn when it comes to allowing God’s grace to operate fully in us.
As brisket is covered in wood-smoke, so too are our hearts completely enveloped in divine-smoke when the Lord comes down upon us in the sacraments (cf. Ex. 19:18). The Holy Spirit is sent to fill the inner-temple of our hearts “with the smoke from God’s glory” (Rev. 15:18) in order that no worldly thing would have hold on us.
As brisket is cooked low and slow by smoke, so too does the Holy Spirit work low and slow on our hearts, in little “God-moments” over the course of our whole life. Over time, smoke renders the inedible fat of brisket into savory-meaty-goodness, similar to how God transforms our sins into a greater good by his mercy. Our forgiven sins and healed wounds actually give us a most perfect way of glorifying God—for the power of Christ is made perfect in our weakness (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
As a cloud of smoke billows out from a smoker during the brisket cook-process, so too does the Holy Spirit pour forth from our hearts in love, worship, and adoration of the Father (cf. Rev. 8:4; John 7:38-39). Without the Holy Spirit, no man can be saved (cf. John 3:5); conversely, by the power of the Spirit dwelling within us, we are able to call God “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).
Just as a Texan knows that there’s a right way to make a brisket for a backyard get-together, so too does the Divine Smoker know the right way—a special and unique way for each of his children—to heal us from sin and prepare us for that more heavenly gathering: the wedding feast of the Lamb.
The next time you walk into a church with a tabernacle, stay and just sit a while in God’s presence. Know that the Divine Smoker is at work, the Holy Spirit envelops you like a cloud of smoke, uniquely preparing your heart with grace to be tender in love towards Jesus, taking away all impurity and sin from your heart.
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Image: Photo by Dina on Unsplash.
