B, Post Pentecost 15 Proper 17 - James 1:26-27 "The Heart of the Matter"

The texts before us today seem to be a strange mixture from sexual love, to being doers of the word, and to ceremonial washing according to the tradition of the Jewish elders.

The first is the Song of Solomon, with its characters, a man and a woman, yearning to be with each other, physically and emotionally — sexually. 

The epistle of James, appears to dive into a justification debate where James seems to contradict Paul in saying, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24 ESV) James claims that just being a hearer of the word is insufficient for those who have been brought forth by the word of truth.

Finally, we hear Jesus engage with the Pharisees who question why Jesus’ disciples do not wash but rather eat with defiled hands. To which Jesus gives a list of evils that comes from within the heart and defiles a person.

One might ask, “What is the heart of the matter?” in these seemingly random texts here before us today.

However, these texts can engage us in what is arguably one of the most confused areas of the Christian life, which surround two of the simplest words, “be” and “do”!

What is it to be a Christian?  What is it to do Christian things, or activities?  Does your identity, who you are, come from what you do?  Or do your deeds happen because of your nature?

If you were to ask someone, “why don’t orange trees produce apples?”  I suspect after strange looks they would reply, “because orange trees produce oranges and apple trees produce apples!”

In the same way, we are called human beings!  Therefore, from our being human we do human things! 

Who upon waking up, had to tell themselves to wake up?  That’s the job of an alarm clock, or a full bladder!  Who here having woken, had to tell themselves to breathe?  No! You were breathing already before you thought about doing anything.  The doing of human things occurs  because we are human beings, being human!   

So why is it we get the being and doing of Christianity so confused and back-to-front? How do you hear the following?

“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  (James 1:26–27 ESV)

What do you make of the word “religious” here in the text?  Are you religious?  What is your religion?  Most of us would think of religion as what is our denomination; our religion is Lutheran!  Or failing that; our religion is Christian!  But is this what the text is asking of religion?

Let’s hear the statement again, but with a variation.  If anyone thinks he is Lutheran and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s Lutheranism is worthless.  Or, if anyone thinks he is Christian and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s Christianity is worthless.  Is Lutheranism or Christianity, the same as religion, as being religious?  Understanding, what is being religious, will remove the confusion of the doing and being of Christianity? 

Many people are religious, but most are not Christian.  Then again those who are faithful Christians are not necessarily religious at all.  Those on the fringes of the congregation are often heard saying, “Pastor, I’m not very religious!” And they’re surprised by my standard response, “that’s good I’m not religious either!”

So, what is the heart of the matter?  What is religion?  What is Christianity?  Is there a difference?  I believe there is!

This is where we can look at the relationship of the man and woman in the Song of Solomon.  Not just the physical/sexual relationship but the spirit of the relationship that blesses the proper workings of a relationship in marriage.

The yearning of the couple to be with each other is exactly that… to be with each other!  This is more than just sexually but to be a part of each other’s lives.  The blessings of doing things in the relationship are in addition to being in the relationship!  The spirit of a healthy marriage is to be with each other.

Or picture a poet, a writer and reciter of verse.  How dysfunctional would it be for a professional poet to never publish what he’s written.  Or, to never recite it in the hearing of others.  The heart of a poet, the spirit of a poet is to produce poetry for public pleasure.

What is the spirit of religion, and is it the same spirit that’s found in Christianity?  The reality is Christianity is religiously extreme.  Christianity and religion are similar but they’re spiritually different and it’s what brought Jesus into conflict with the Pharisees.  The same similarity but spiritual difference is where we find it difficult to differentiate between being religious and being a believer in Jesus Christ.

At its heart the spirit of religion is a yearning to transit death into an afterlife of sorts.  All religions have some set of works for this to occur, be it Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and the various new age religions in vogue today.  However, Christianity is different in that at its heart only one man was ever religious, in the true sense of the word, and that man is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Greater than the yearning of a man and woman is the spirit of Jesus’ love for humanity and for God.

Jesus came into conflict with the Pharisee party, not because they and he were different, but because they were the same.  Although the same, their spirit, their yearning, was for a very different purpose.  Remember that Jesus said at the sermon on the mount, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:20 ESV) To put it in terms of religion, Jesus wants you to realise that unless your religion or deeds exceeds that of the Pharisees, you won’t be going to heaven!

That disqualifies every one of you, and me too!  The righteousness of the Pharisees was exceptional, but it was not good enough!  Similarly, if you seek to be doers of the word like a Pharisee, that too, is not good enough either, despite what James seems to tell us!  However, Jesus’ righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees!  What he did as the Word incarnate in flesh was, a deed, “a doing of the word” second to none.

The heart of the matter is the spirit of desire that dwelt in Jesus is different to all others who seek to be doers of the word, or doers of anything for that matter!  Jesus tells us the heart of every human produces evil things and these defile every person.  The heart of the matter is the spirit of a person is not a doer of what pleases God. 

In this way Jesus is the only one whose religion exceeds that of the Pharisees.  He not only exceeded their righteousness, but it was done in the spirit God intended it to be done.  Unfortunately, all pharisaic righteousness done in Jesus’ day, right through to today, is a righteousness or religious activity that glorifies the self, and says, “Look how good I am because of what I’ve done!”

The spirit of Jesus’ religiosity or righteousness says, “Look at what I’ve done for you, because I love our Father, and seek to do his will!”  Yours and my religion or deeds are worthless, whereas Jesus’ religion or deeds are worthy!”  His deeds gift us and grace us with our Christian being!

But what of James’ command to be doers of the word and not only hearers?  This is where we are to know the heart of the matter.  To not only be hearers of God’s word but to believe the word is  implanted within.  The Holy Spirit works in you, so you allow it to work.  The Holy Spirit wills you to believe in the one the Father has sent, namely Jesus Christ, implanted within.

The heart of the matter is not your human heart, that’s the heart of all your trouble.  For us to be doers of the word, requires us to believe, allow our human being to be daily drowned in repentance, so a heart of faith in Jesus might be lived in us by the Holy Spirit. 

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17a ESV)  What are these gifts?  Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, in Jesus Christ.

In the weeks to come, James continues to differentiate, in following chapters, between the dead deeds of unspiritual religiosity and the deeds of those who trust in the implanted word, which allows us to endure in the gifts of God that lead to eternal life!

Humans do sinful human things because we’re being human. But you do Christian things because the Holy Spirit is making you holy, having heard and received the implanted word, Jesus Christ the word made flesh.

The heart of the matter is: you not only do the works of faith; that is, believing in Jesus Christ (John 6:29).  But trusting in Jesus, you do even greater works than the works he did while on earth (John 14:12). Amen.

B, Post Pentecost 14 Proper 16 - John 6:57,63-64a & Ephesians 6:12 "To Truly Live in this Life"

Jesus Christ lives and reigns with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Trinitarian variants of this conclude the prayer of the day, the Collect!

If we are to truly live in this life, we do so by allowing the Holy Spirit to give us life in Christ, in his Word.

In John chapter six Jesus says, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.”  (John 6:57 ESV)

The life Jesus lives occurs because of God our Father.  In turn, whoever feeds on Jesus Christ lives, because Jesus’ life is eternally begotten from our Father in Heaven.

All life occurs and continues to occur because of God the Father.

Here there's a natural progression of being fed. Jesus is living because of the Father, and we are living because of him, because Jesus is the living bread. Without Jesus the living are the walking dead.  They trust in their own flesh for life!

The Holy Spirit gives us life in the resurrected flesh of Jesus because Jesus didn't trust in his flesh.  Or any other flesh for that matter! He trusted in the Father. That's why Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (John 6:63–64a ESV)

In his flesh, Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit, and we are called to do the same, and conquer as Jesus conquered in the weakness of his flesh!

Saint Paul speaks to the Ephesians about heavenly places.   There was confusion, as to where this heavenly place was.  This was because the Ephesians were listening to and being indoctrinated by the works of those whom John refers to in Revelation as “the Nicolaitans”.  Literally their name means (nikē) conquering Laodiceans.   And the name, Laodicea, breaks down into two words (laŏs) people of (dikē) (law, judgement, punishment, or vengeance). (Revelation 2:1-7)

The Nicolaitans were folk who conquered and coerced the Ephesian Christians with laws of judgement, punishment and/or vengeance.  These Nicolaitans could have been migrant Jews from whom we hear of the sons of Sceva in Acts chapter nineteen verse thirteen to twenty.  Or pagan Ephesian tradesmen, from the latter half of Acts chapter nineteen, whose idol making trade was put in peril by Paul preaching Jesus Christ as “the way”.  Judgement, punishment, and vengeance was sought against those who made converts to “the way” and took customers away from buying their idols.  

Whoever it was that tempted the Ephesians away from their first love, Paul calls the Ephesians back to the heavenly place in which they stood in Christ, and to cover their weakness, by standing firm in  the armour of Jesus Christ. 

The heavenly place was not with the Jews, nor was it the spectacular heavenly looking temple of Artemis that loomed large and ignited Ephesian emotions.

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul quickly cuts to the chase.  He says to the troubled church in Ephesus, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”   (Ephesians 1:3–5,10 ESV)

He continues, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. (Ephesians 2:5–6 ESV)

Paul defends his apostleship against the Nicolaitan type rulers and authorities in the “heavenly places”, saying, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:8,10, 14-16 ESV)

This inner being is the New Man, Jesus Christ, worked within by the power of the Holy Spirit against all other powers and principalities.  Paul reminds the church in Ephesus that they are united by the Holy Spirit and not by human spirits.  It’s no different for the church today, nor was it for the nation of Israel before Jesus Christ came. 

There might not be division amongst the people, but if they are divided against God, his word, and his way, if the body is divided from the head, Jesus Christ calls the faithful to separate from the body that refuses to recognise evil, nor accepts the healing pierced hands of Jesus, for their sin and error.  When there is division those who are genuine can be recognised. (1 Corinthians 11:19)

Jesus calls for division from the world and its powers and principalities to be united with him.  In being divided from the world, Paul reinstates the power and principles of true life as one with the Father and the Son, in the Holy Spirit, saying, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV)

The division of the faithful from the world, from those who through reinvestment in the powers and principles of the human spirit, individual or corporate, allows the Holy Spirit through the faithful to once again demonstrate the genuine true life of forgiven and fed disciples. Those who become like the nations are once again discipled with God’s word, so the Holy Spirit might bring them back to the word of forgiveness needed for true life.

Paul glorifies Jesus over all heavenly places, so all trust is returned to the powers and principles of Jesus Christ, saying, “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:10 ESV)

Jesus is the only true source of life having been raised from the dead and seated over all powers and principalities, physical and spiritual, good and evil.  He is the head of the church.  The church is his body. Wherever Jesus is, there, is the one true heavenly place.  The fullness of true life comes from Jesus and glorifies Jesus.

The Master of all things is in this heavenly place. God is impartial!  Those of the body who partially remain under Jesus Christ using his word to justify their partiality and lead others away from God, tempt God in a way that’s dangerously close to sinning against the Holy Spirit.  As we heard last week, Paul warns us to, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV)

Those who want to be with Christ in this life and the next, don’t use foolish gut instincts!   But rather acknowledge the need to clothe themselves in him to protect themselves, “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

Paul uses a play on the words “heavenly places” in his letter to the Ephesians.  Any heavenly place not bound to Jesus and his word is not heavenly but a deadly hoax.  You’re called away from them all!  The sinful self, the self-destructive world and the evil one, to the heavenly place Jesus has won for you in his victory over death in his resurrection. 

The clothing of ourselves with the armour of Christ is a Holy Spiritual protection from all spiritual evils that not only lurk out there within the unseen spirit world, but also from within us, in our flesh, and in the church where the devil works his hardest!

Many left Jesus when he called them to put off their flesh and feed on his true life-giving flesh that submitted to and conquered death.  Today many leave the church trusting in the idols of the flesh — their goods, their intellect, their abilities, and the pleasure of their senses. You are called to discern what the will of the Lord is, knowing that the flesh is no help at all.  Rather the flesh delivers one with their idols to eternal nothingness.  That’s eternal separation from God and his goodness.   

Jesus tells us that in the last days the antichrist will set himself up in God’s church.  Paul tells Timothy at Ephesus that many will be led away from the truth to suit themselves with itching ears, myths, and passions.  The seriousness of the situation is such, both pastor Timothy and the parishioners at Ephesus were called to be sober minded in God’s word. 

So too for pastors and parishioners today!

Just as Jesus put off his divinity, and trusted the Holy Spirit, making him nothing in the flesh, dead and buried.  He too calls us to true life, by putting off all deceitful divinity in ourselves which leads to nothingness and eternal suffering and death.

To put aside all powers and principalities — human, worldly, and evil spirited — and allow the Holy Spirit to clothe you and defend you with the armour of Christ, that’s been tempered and strengthened with the Holy Spirit in the testing fires of the cross.

God is impartial, in holy justice and holy love!  Those who trust in themselves and place themselves at the mercy of powers and principalities other than God’s, do so to their own detriment.  Those who allow the Holy Spirit to remain and keep them repentant under the cross and in the word of God, will receive their due in Jesus’ holy work. 

To whom shall you go?  Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour!  His word is spirit and life, for this life, and for eternal life. Amen.

B, Post Pentecost 13 Proper 15 - Ephesians 5:15–17, 21 John 6:51-58 "Flesh Vs Flesh"

Ephesians 5:15–17, 21 (ESV)  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. …submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wisdom verses wisdom.  Understanding verses understanding. Feelings verses feelings.  Passions verses passions.  Human flesh verses the flesh of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, the Son of humanity, the Son of God, came to bridge the divide between the fallen flesh that dies and our Father in heaven who is the light and life of all creation together with his Son and the Holy Spirit.

John’s gospel begins with words written to remind us of Genesis chapter one. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1–5,14 ESV)

The flesh of God meets the fallen flesh of humanity at the feeding of the five thousand.  In the wake of this extraordinary meal, the Word of God made flesh, engages with the flesh of humanity, the understanding, the feelings, and the passions of humanity.

A Lutheran pastor on moving to a town was targeted by the local Jehovah’s Witness, who lobbed on the manse doorstep not long after the minister was installed into the congregation.  After the Witnesses gave their usual testimony of heresies and half-truths, the Lutheran pastor spoke about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Holy Baptism, and the body and blood of Jesus, that we’ve heard Jesus say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”  (John 6:53–55 ESV)

Once the pastor said this truth to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they erupted with scorn and contempt, at the implications of eating and drinking Jesus’ body and blood.  The Jehovah’s Witness don’t believe in blood transfusions, and these Witnesses construed the consumption of Jesus’ body and blood as cannibalism.

As Jesus taught this to those in the tabernacle at Capernaum, it’s understandable how the Jews and the disciples would have heard a similar message to that of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  After all, sense would have only been made of Jesus’ words in John six, after the resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  As well as through the lived experience of the early church as they were called, gathered, enlightened and made holy by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.

Similarly, we who have been baptised into Jesus’ death and resurrection have been drowned in his body and blood in the waters of Holy Baptism, fed on his Holy Word of life, and given his body and blood in the bread and wine of Holy Communion.  In all three of these holy elements, we continually receive the Holy Spirit who gives, sustains, and builds faith in those who do not reject the holy three — Word, Water, and Wine — of Jesus’ bread of life!  

Now that you and I have the Holy Spirit in the Holy three, faith is generated within, lighting up the darkness that needs lighting up with the fires of the Spirit within.  The battle that ensues within all of us is now the battle of… human wisdom verses Jesus’ wisdom…  human understanding verses Jesus’ understanding… our feelings verses God’s feelings…  our passions and desires verse the passion of Jesus Christ. 

The human flesh and spirit of our old Adam and its works is confronted by the Holy Spirit’s work to daily enflesh us in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!

But the human will is strong!  The old Adam seeks a resurrection of its own.  Our human spirit, in seeking a knowledge of good and evil from within the self, works within to push out the Holy Spirit, together with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This battle wears on each of us and makes one tired.  Eventually this battle leads to the breakdown of the self — mind, body, and soul — resulting in death. 

But the will of God is such, that even despite death this does not have to end in eternal death, and the separation from God, that the devil, the world, and the old Adam seeks!

What the devil wants the old Adam to hear in the world is a message of confusion.  That muddled message is loud and strong today!  It’s a deceptive message of unity while our way of living is one of disunited individualism.  We’re being taught to fight for the longings of identity, equality, and rights of the individual’s understanding and feelings over everything else.

Saint Paul reminds the Ephesians not to be driven by feelings.  He calls them not to be foolish!  Not to be moved by the will of what is within.  This is literally to not be driven by gut instinct!  To exchange faith in Christ with the desires of the self in one’s own knowledge of what one thinks is good and evil.

Paul’s command is just as important for the internal confusion of your learnt individualism, and the disorder in today’s creation!  Just as much as it was for the troubled church in Ephesus, existing between pagan female cultic worship and the witness of Judaism rejecting Jesus Christ.

Paul warns, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15–21 ESV)

Paul speaks to the Ephesians concerning the powers and principalities at Ephesus (Ephesians 1:21, 2:2, 3:10, 6:12). Jesus confronts the powers and principles within each of us in his call to consume his flesh and blood when he spoke at the synagogue in Capernaum.  You are warned to look within, to oust worldly wisdom, and make way for the Holy Spirit who brings wisdom in the will of God. 

We are warned that the days are evil, contrary to what the world is telling us!  We’re to understand in what we’re taught in the Word of God that the unity with the nations that Israel sought was contrary to the will of God.  The church today is still being tempted into a unity with the nations against God’s will rather than God’s call for the church to make disciples of all nations.

In Paul’s warning there’s a caution for us to guard ourselves against consuming a worldly wisdom, of feeble flesh, fleeting feelings, and chaotic misunderstanding of what is good and evil.

When you heed this warning, you allow a repentance of the heart, to turn back to God.  You turn from being conservative and progressive.  That is turning back to Jesus Christ from conserving or progressing your sinful self-directed powers and principles, as well as conserving or progressing the world’s powers and principalities. 

Having been turned, we feed not on our understanding, feelings, wisdom, faith or flesh.  But like Jesus who said to our Father in heaven, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  (Mark 14:36 ESV) We too, allow the cup of salvation to come upon us as we allow the Holy Spirit to do the will of God within us.  To sacrifice our wisdom, understanding, feelings and faith in ourselves as we carry our cross too.

The Holy Spirit enables us to take up the faith with reverence for Jesus Christ and carry the cross we’re called to bear, rather than burden ourselves with a faith in ourselves.  Just as Jesus submitted to the cross for your forgiveness, the Spirit empowers you to submit to others out of reverence for the work Jesus Christ did to save you from confusion, chaos and death.

The light shines in your darkness, and your darkness has not overcome it.  So let the wisdom and understanding, the feelings and faithfulness, the power and passion, of Jesus’ Word made flesh, shine in your darkness.  The Holy Spirit seeks to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ from you into the places where God wills you to be.  Amen.

And the peace of God which surpasses all understand, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

B, Post Pentecost 11 Proper 13 - John 6:27&29 "Eat your Cake and have it too"

The desire to have something can be so strong.  So much so it can cause all sorts of emotions to occur, even physical reactions or mental torment.

Have you ever been shopping for groceries when you’re hungry?  Have you ever seen a fast-food ad on television when you’re starving?  You can almost savour the flavour of the herbs and spices in your mouth. 

The eyes sharpen the mind, the desire intensifies, your saliva glands prepare themselves, you want it, and you want it now.  Food glorious food, hot food — chips, burgers, chicken, a big juicy steak, with plenty of sauce or gravy!  It makes your stomach churns with delight.

Perhaps every time you past the car yard, the motorcycle centre, the bakery, the clothes shop, or the shoe store, your mind is filled with visions of sitting high in the seat of a shiny new machine, the best in the district.  Or you picture yourself stepping out in style with those new shoes or the latest outfit similar to what the movie stars are wearing these days.  Isn’t it interesting how desire works its way within!

As you salivate over these things from afar, your mind plots and your heart beats quicker, as you scheme how to make the imagination a reality.

Similar occurs when one is attracted towards someone else.   Most should be able to remember the time the blood rushed on seeing that someone for the first time!  You become sweaty, desperately seeking their attention!  The thought of separation causes you pain.  You want them, but for whatever reason you can’t have them!  You lie on your bed at night and desire fills your heart, you toss to and fro without satisfaction. 

You fanaticise over them; perhaps even let your mind become X-rated; you can get no satisfaction.  The fantasy only increases the desire, you burn with passion, and the pain is almost too much to bear.  

What we want, but for one reason or another cannot get, plays on our mind.  Have you ever noticed sometimes that the less chance we have of getting it, the more we want it.  The intense yearning debilitates our whole being — mind, body, and spirit. 

These strong feelings and desires make us do all kinds of things with our minds, our mouths and our movements.  From children throwing tantrums before their parents, to teenagers manipulating things to suit themselves, to God’s adult children growing more and more materialistic and self-centred, it’s all the same thing in God’s eyes.

King David burned with desire over someone he shouldn’t have been obsessing over.  In fact, he should never have let himself be in this position to do what he did.

As the saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.”  And so, while David should have been leading his armies in battle out in the field, he hangs about Jerusalem not doing much.

He gets off his bed, probably aroused, but if not soon finds himself that way as he leers over Bathsheba, fanaticising over her beauty and her nakedness.

Instead of using his power to lead his fighting men, he misuses his authority and takes Bathsheba, another man’s wife into his bed.  The sin cannot be concealed when Bathsheba falls pregnant.  And so, David summons the husband, Uriah, and tries to cover his sin, but it doesn’t work.  So finally, he resorts to ordering Uriah’s murder to cover his guilt.

Nathan, the prophet of God, goes to see David, and feeds him a story which surely takes David in.  This is a story about a poor man who loves a lamb but when the rich neighbour has visitors, butchers the poor man’s solitary lamb instead of preparing one of the many lambs he owns.  David burns with anger against the rich man.  But God had set David up, and Nathan says…

 “You are the man! You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. …Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’  …“Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.”  …Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Samuel 12:7, 9, 10, 11, 13)

David had free choice, but like us all who have free choice, the consequences are never free and so beginning with the death of the child he and Bathsheba conceived, his whole family begins to unravel.  And the ripple effect takes its toll on his family’s kingship and on every member of the kingdom of Israel.

Have you ever heard of the saying, “You can’t eat your cake and have it too.”?  David’s desire led him to eat his cake of desire, when he should never have had it in the first place.  He ate his cake in secret, but it soon soured in the belly.

The unravelling of David’s kingdom continued with a repetition of similar sorts when David’s son, Amnon, fell in love with his half-sister, David’s daughter, Tamar.  His desire led him to deviously set up a situation where they would be alone in his bedroom.  She is sent to him with bread as Amnon is apparently not well.  But once alone with Amnon he seeks to seduce her, but on her refusal, he rapes her. 

Amnon had his fill, then he treated Tamar as trash.  After such great desire and yearning for her, he ate his cake of desire and then he no longer had his idol of desire.  Therefore, the idol of desire turned into one of contempt and hatred. 

These are the results of David’s desire to not fulfil his kingship, leading Israel in battle, but rather, stay in Jerusalem.  Desire drove David’s delusion on that afternoon when he mused about Bathsheba; and desire continued to devastate in waves of consequence after the wake of Amnon pining over his sister.  Retribution came from Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, who kills Amnon, and then pits himself against his father, King David, for the kingdom of Israel.  In the sight of all Israel, he defiantly takes the concubines of his father into his bed.

Who would have known the twitch of David’s sexual desire would have led to this tangled mess of death and destruction?  We are always free to choose!  But the other half is choice always has consequences that are never free.  It’s why deception is a deception; because our desires delude and deceive us into overlooking the other half of the free choice reality.

Have you ever noticed that after coveting the new car, the new clothes, or whatever it is you just have to have?  That on receiving it, it loses its sheen extremely quick!  The new car smell disappears, and it gets dirty, the shoes and clothes end up wearing out and become rags, or they date and become relics in the back of closet.  This never seem a reality when we’re in the midst of desire.

What about those food ads on television, or going to the supermarket after you’ve had a big meal?  The smells don’t have the same effect as when you’re hungry.  The burgers might be better, but you can’t even bear to look at them!  You can’t eat your cake and have it too! 

Or more to the point, “you can’t satisfy your desires and have the desires too!”  The feelings of wanting, disappear the moment you devour what you’ve desired.  But then the mirage of desire soon pops up somewhere else, ready to deceive us all over again.

In the gospel of John chapter six, Jesus tells us,  “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:27 ESV)

Food that endures to eternal life!  This food is unusual!  We eat it, yet we still have it.  It’s the food which satisfies, really satisfies with lasting effect.  This food is unlike the food we crave one moment then reject once we’ve had our fill.  This is the food that gives us the sense of joy, but once eaten the sense of joy goes on and on and on, without ever becoming too much.  This is the food once eaten we still have it.  You can eat this cake, and have it too!

So, what must we do to eat and have this cake that endures into eternal life?  Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29 ESV)

God calls you to taste and see that the Lord is good.  Open your hearts and let God fill you with satisfaction that lasts into eternity.  Jesus really satisfies! 

So, what must we do to get the food that endures to eternal life:  Believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life!  He is the food of life; he is the only bread of eternal satisfaction!

Jesus is the cake.  Come and eat, you can eat this cake and have it too. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  Blessed are those who takes refuge in him!  Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!” (Psalm 34:8–9)

Amen.