EATING AND DRINKING.—Eating and drinking are occasionally referred to in the Gospels as acts expressive of men’s ordinary life. The simple natural life of Jesus was thus contrasted with the austere ways of the Baptist (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34). The servant waits till the master has eaten and drunken, and afterwards he eats and drinks (Luke 17:8); in the days of Noah men went on eating and drinking, heedless of the coming flood (Luke 17:27-28); and the rich fool still says to his soul, ‘Take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry’ (Luke 12:19). The careless self-indulgence of the servant who, in his lord’s absence, began to eat and drink with the drunken (Matthew 24:49, Luke 12:45) is condemned on the one hand; and so, on the other hand, is that over anxiety which keeps saying, ‘What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ (Matthew 6:24-34, Luke 12:22-34). The scribes and Pharisees complained that Jesus ate and drank with publicans and sinners (Luke 5:30), which was His glory; and it will be the glory of those who continue with Him in His temptations that they will eat and drink at His table in His Kingdom (Luke 22:30). See Bread, Cup, Fasting, Food, Lord’s Supper, Meals, Wine.