Surely Paul could have made the gospel more palatable – and less dangerous – by saying it was about something else. Something cleaner and less ridiculous than the cross. Something more glorious. Less disgusting. He didn’t do that, though. “I decided,” Paul said, “to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). In the face of the worst cultural prejudice imaginable, he fixed the entire gospel squarely and immovably on the fact that Jesus was tacked to a stauros and left to die. If he had been trying to find a surefire way to turn first-century people off from his “good news,” he couldn’t have done better than that! So why did he do it? It’s simple. He did it because he knew that leaving the cross out, or running past it with a glance, or making it peripheral to the gospel, or allowing anything else to displace it at the center of the gospel would make it, finally, no gospel at all.

Greg Gilbert

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Fruits, Vegetables, Grains		Fruits, Side dish, Vegetables	6	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2	lb	Asparagus
2	c	Hulled strawberries
1/4	c	Strawberry vinegar
1	tb	Walnut oil
1/2	c	Peanut oil
1 1/2	ts	Honey

INSTRUCTIONS

DRESSING
Trim asparagus and cut each stalk in thirds.  Steam until tender but still
crisp.  (Thin young stalks took 5 minutes.) Plunge in ice water; drain.
Wash strawberries, then hull.  Cut strawberries in half; combine with
asparagus.
Combine dressing ingredients; toss asparagus and strawberries gently with
dressing. Chill well before serving.
The authors write: "What could be simpler - or more delicious - than
spring's first asparagus combined with spring's first strawberries?"
My notes: Good, and simple.
Tried 02/22/92.  From _The New Carry-Out Cuisine_ by Phyllis Meras with
Linda Glick Conway.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986. Pg. 252. From
Movable Feast restaurant/5504 Connecticut Ave., N.W./Washington, D.C.
20015.  (202)966-1657.  Typed for you by Cathy Harned.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord. #John MacArthur”