Lettuce - what's the point?

I've never really been a fan of lettuce, or a number of other leaves that can be used to make up a salad. What's the point of eating something that needs to be covered in dressing in order for it to taste of anything? And what's the point of growing something that the snails and slugs will enjoy more than you?
The 'what's the point?' or the 'so what?' question is one of the most important questions we can ask whenever we read the Bible. If it doesn't make a difference, what's the point?

This last Sunday we reached Hebrews 10 in our series looking at the book of Hebrews, and the first part of this chapter is a conclusion to the things we've been looking at in previous weeks - things like sacrifices, the temple, the priests... And the second part of this chapter is a kind of 'so what?' If all these things we've said are true, then so what? What difference should it make? And the answers are to be found in a bowl of salad!

1) Lettuce draw near to God (verse 22). No matter who we are and what we've done it is possible, because of Jesus' death on the cross, to know complete forgiveness and a totally new beginning, and therefore we are able to draw near to God. Many of us, often because of less than perfect relationships with our own parents, bad experiences with our head teachers, trouble with the boss etc. have a real problem believing that we can draw close to God. And so although we may make it to the door, we don't have the confidence to burst in (see this post)

2) Lettuce hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (verse 23). Remember that this was a letter to Christians experiencing hardship and persecution. And the encouragement comes to hold on to the hope - the hope of forgiveness, freedom from a guilty conscience, new and eternal life... It is easy to hope when things are all going well. But when things are hard we need to hold on to hope, not because it is a crutch that will keep us going, but because the one who made these promises is faithful.

3) Lettuce consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds (verse 24). We're in this together. And although love and good deeds are the sort of things that should characterise the life of the Christian these things don't come easy. That is why we need to encourage each other in them. We can do this by continuing to meet together, by praying for each other, by being interested in each other's lives, by visiting, by calling, by sharing our stories... You may have other ideas - why not comment.