Pigs' Brains, Scrambled Eggs, and the Eyes of Faith
By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker
When I was a young boy, my father prepared a hearty breakfast, placing before me a plate filled with “scrambled eggs,” toast, and bacon. It was delicious, and being a growing boy, I asked for seconds. In fact, if my recollection is correct, I ate three helpings of “scrambled eggs.”
When I had finished, my father asked, “Did you enjoy your breakfast?”
“Yes,” I replied enthusiastically and gratefully. “That was good!”
With a mischievous look on his face, he inquired, “Do you know what you ate?”
“Sure, scrambled eggs.”
He smiled. “Those were pigs’ brains. Would you like more?”
I felt sick. I am sure I turned green.
The moral of the story is that not everything is as it appears. Life is like that. We think we see things clearly, but appearances can be deceiving. There is often more than meets the eye.
This truth is illustrated by a fascinating story in 2 Kings about Elisha and his servant.
During a period of war between Syria and Israel, the King of Syria was repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to ambush the Israelite forces. Every time he planned a secret encampment to trap the King of Israel, the prophet Elisha would warn the king to avoid that route. Frustrated and suspicious of a leak within his own inner circle, the Syrian king became convinced there was a spy among his men. His servants informed him, however, that the “spy” was actually the man of God, Elisha, who possessed divine insight into the king’s most private conversations. Infuriated, the king ordered a massive force to hunt Elisha down in the city of Dothan.
And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:11–15).
All outward appearances told Elisha’s frightened servant that they were surrounded and were about to be taken prisoner or killed. Life looked very dark. There seemed to be no escape.
But there was more than met the eye. Things were not as they seemed.
Elisha said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisa (2 Kings 6:16–17).
Do you feel surrounded by life’s troubles? Are you afraid or anxious, struggling with illness, wrestling with a prodigal child, or weighed down by financial stress? Are you discouraged by the decline of moral standards in our country, by the relentless crises in the world, or by the difficult students, parents, and colleagues who preoccupy your day? Do you feel as though God has abandoned or is ignoring you?
Like Elisha’s servant, we too easily see our troubles and are quickly frightened, worried, angered, and sometimes overwhelmed. In the midst of our trials, our spiritual eyes are often blind to God’s presence and help. We see the pigs’ brains of life, but we do not always see or sense God’s invisible chariots or his guardian angels.
We may not see or sense God’s presence and his angels, but they are there.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11–12).
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them (Psalm 34:7).
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10).
Take Heart
No matter how dark the days, how silent God may seem, or how overwhelming life becomes, God is always present with his children. We are never forsaken, never abandoned, never forgotten. He is causing all things to work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
To reverse my story about pigs’ brains and scrambled eggs: when surrounded by life’s many troubles, remember that what appears like pigs’ brains is, by God’s sovereign grace, scrambled eggs.
When you are eating the pigs’ brains of life, remember these words of encouragement:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed … So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:7–9, 16–18).
We are also told:
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand (Psalm 37:23–24).
Life may cause us to stumble, but we will not fall headlong and be destroyed.
Life may look like pigs’ brains, but there is more than meets the eye. God surrounds us with his love, his wisdom, his guardian angels, and his good purposes. Take heart.
