Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

“The Proof is in the Pudding”

“If you have good sense, it will show when you speak.” – Proverbs 10:13 (Good News Translation)

Most of us have heard the phrase/idiom, “The Proof is in the Pudding.” Like so many sayings we use, do we truly understand what this means? Here are a couple of the explanations I have found. First, the phrase is a shortened version of…'The proof of the pudding is in the eating', and is a very old proverb. The earliest printed example of the proverb that I can find is in William Camden's Remaines of a Greater Worke Concerning Britaine, 1605: "All the proof of a pudding is in the eating." The pudding in this description would not be anything near what you would find in a jello mix—but in this case a dish that contained meat—perhaps most likely a type of sausage. Given the lack of preservative and safe-guards, the consuming of this dish may not have been as savory as we like, but could cause sickness and even death. The true meaning is basically this: The quality of something is uncertain until it has been tested directly, sort of like: "You don't know whether you like it until you've tried it." Or, you will not know if it is good (meaning, fresh) until it is digested. There are two ways we can approach this. First, if our words are good—they will be refreshing, nourishing, good for building people up and lifting them up when they need it. Thus, it may be said, the proof will be in the results. Good words will (hopefully) produce good results. Second, the “good sense” that Solomon refers to could also be in reference to knowing when to speak, and when to be silent. There are times when the best words are no words at all—but a holy silence that could actually be more healing and beneficial. Forgive the cliché fest, but I have to use this: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” (Abraham Lincoln). I like this particular illustration that is proof that words do not have to be spoken to get a point across: A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, suddenly stopped coming to church. After a few weeks, the Pastor decided to visit. The Pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his Pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the Pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and lifeless. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the Pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sabbath." We live in a world today which too many try to say too much with too little power or purpose. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken. Just lived. And like the earlier example…the “proof” will be in the results.
Pastor J. T. Carnell