Sunday Sermons
A Mind on Things Above
Helen Keller wrote, “people dependent upon their eyes and ears seldom understand the wealth of life that is tangible” (The World Through Three Senses, p. 223). The book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, we learn about a man who lost his sense of smell and the magnitude of this loss caught him off guard. “Sense of smell? I never gave it a thought. You don’t normally give it a thought. But when I lost it—it was like being struck blind. Life lost a good deal of its savour--one doesn’t realize how much ‘savour’ is smell. You smell people, you smell books, you smell the city, you smell the spring. My whole world was suddenly radically poorer” (p. 159). We fail to realize that smell is the rich background to everything else. Yes, it is so easy to take the simple but priceless gifts of life for granted, the joy of the senses and the joy of movement. Yet, as I ponder Helen Keller’s point that people dependent upon their eyes and ears are missing so much, I wonder, if as Christians, we are depending too much upon the material world around us and missing God’s spiritual blessings. When Jesus sent the apostle Paul to the Gentiles, Jesus noted that the heathen were blind and in darkness (Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light”). Such people were completely blind to spiritual realities, and they were busy living and thinking that this world is all there is. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord noted that many people on this planet send all their thoughts, time and energy racing after material things, “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things” (Matthew 6:32).
Chamberlain made the excellent observation that at times people feel that something is missing from their lives or that they are incomplete. Instead of running towards some sinful or foolish desire when we feel this way, we need to realize that the feeling is normal. We are finite and imperfect beings, God created us, and of course we are going to feel incomplete and unfulfilled from time to time, as long we are not finally at home with Him! (Philippians 1:21-23; Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 5:4).
2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight”
There are many applications for the above verse, but the one I want to ask is, “Are we walking by sight in our daily lives?” In the context, Paul notes that walking by faith means that one would rather be absent from the body and at home with the Lord (5:8). Even Christians can get caught up in this material world, especially when:
· We are laying up far more earthly treasure than spiritual treasure (Matthew 6:19).
· Our heart is far more tethered to this earth than to heaven (6:21).
· We are devoted far more to earthly things and pleasures than to God (6:24)
· We worry (6:25), especially about earthly things (6:27-31).
When are we going to realize and accept the truth that even if we acquired every physical blessing that we ever wanted and had it all right now, we still would not be happy? Walking by sight means trying to derive happiness solely from earthly things and it is acting like everything really important is happening here and now.
Independent of raw material
The Bible does not say that there is something wrong with material blessings; in fact God is the giver of all such blessings (Acts 14:17 “He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with good and gladness”). In fact, Solomon noted that wealth can be handy and does serve as a hedge against some of the ups and downs of life and neither is there any inherent virtue in being poor (Proverbs 10:15). Despising wealth is not spiritual and there is nothing morally superior about being poor. “Don’t despise it; don’t embrace poverty out of laziness or romanticism” (Kidner p. 87). Though wealth should never be placed above honor (28:20) or trusted in (11:4; 23:5), it can provide a hedge against some disasters. Yet we need to be reminded that the true source of our ability to enjoy life is not inherently tied to raw material. Mark Chamberlain writes, “Perhaps the most meaningful differences between people can be found in their varying levels of enjoyment. In this regard, there are undeniable gaps. Some seem able to lead lives of happiness and fulfillment, while others drudge on in boredom, meaninglessness, and misery. We have been exploring the possibility that the true difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ in this regard is not to be found in any of the places we have always looked for it. The key gap is not financial prosperity, social influence, athletic prowess, or physical attractiveness. Once we recognize that enjoyment does not flow from the outcomes we so often pursue, we will no longer be so surprised when we see rich people who are miserable, or gifted athletes or entertainers who are addicted to drugs” (Wanting More, p. 64). He further observes that it is not the view itself that brings enjoyment, because in a certain frame of mind I can be delighted by the plainest of scenes. Jesus taught the same thing, what is far more important than your earthly surroundings is how you view such things.
Matthew 6:22-23
“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
“The argument seems to go like this: just as our eye affects our whole body, so our ambition (where we fix our eyes and heart) affects our whole life. Just as a seeing eye gives light to the body, so a noble and single-minded ambition to serve God and man adds meaning to life and throws light on everything we do. Again, just as blindness leads to darkness, so an ignoble and selfish ambition plunges us into moral darkness. It makes us intolerant, inhuman, ruthless and deprives life of all ultimate significance” (Stott p. 157). “The eye is probably to be identified with man’s intellect, his conscience, his moral vision, his viewpoint, his way of looking at things, his philosophy. The ‘body’ becomes that major part of man, which is affected by his outlook. The ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ then stands for the degree to which the man comprehends reality as it actually is” (Fowler p. 376). Notice that this whole section is about choices. If we are born depraved, then how could our eye never be good? If we are born depraved, then we are already in darkness and cannot do anything about it. There is a stern warning here. If we do not put God first, then our entire life will be affected by such a decision. Our entire perspective about everything, from money, to marriage, to the purpose of life will be perverted. One cannot dabble in sin and remain unaffected or unchanged. “If our vision becomes clouded by the false gods of materialism, and we lose our sense of values, then our whole life is in darkness and we cannot see where we are going” (Stott p. 158).
Throwing light
I love the above comment that putting God first (Matthew 6:33), and setting our minds on spiritual realities (Colossians 3:1), is in affect throwing light upon everything we do. Chamberlain observed his reward depends not primarily on the company he keeps (though that is important, 1 Corinthians 15:33), but on the eyes through which he sees them (p. 65). Many of us have observed the same thing when people can be around the greatest bunch of Christians and yet still feel miserable, unhappy and unloved. Sadly, some people think that happiness is found in some rare source or in having a very narrow range of activities, but the good news is that happiness for the Christian is found in doing all sorts of things, because the decision to serve God first, and put others ahead of self throws light, that is, significance, importance, meaning and purpose upon everything we do. People in the world often end up having a very narrow field of interest and thus feel that only this and that is enjoyable or important and everything else is boring. In contrast, the Christian knows that everything matters (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), from their words, to their actions, to every act of service, even the smallest act.
Enjoying the process
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
Chamberlain reminds us that it is easy to lose sight of the simple pleasures of eating, sitting, breathing, walking, resting and looking. Equally, it seems that many people can only enjoy the final product, but the problem is that most of life is spent in the process to a goal and the goal itself is often very short lived. Are we enjoying the process of parenting? Are we enjoying the process of maturing as a Christian? Do we enjoy the process of Bible study or the process of teaching someone the gospel?
Practical Observations
· If we have been trying to find joy in things or temporary pleasures then we must learn to tolerate some dissatisfaction if we are going to again enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and be sensitive to God’s spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).
· It is not the end of the world if you don’t get want you want right now. There are many benefits to waiting and yearning. Jesus encourages us to pray persistently even when it looks like nothing is happening (Luke 18:1). “Lasting enjoyment is like a crop that must be sown and nurtured before it can be harvested. Working and waiting are indispensable elements of enjoyment’s most successful pursuits, demanding of us discipline, patience, sacrifice, and effort. When we find ourselves in a state of wanting, we don’t have to try to satisfy it or run from it. There exists also the difficult but rewarding option of tolerating our wants and desires…this approach exercises and expands our true power, for when we refuse to be bullied by desire but instead respond to it as we choose, we are in control of our lives. Once we are willing to pursue enjoyment patiently and in a disciplined manner, even to the point of tolerating deprivation, an entirely new world opens up to our view” (Wanting More p. 73). Jesus reminded us that this life is far more than merely being occupied with physical desires (Matthew 6:25 “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”)
· Do not panic during times of suffering or hardship. There is actually a deep joy that can come from such times (James 1:2-4). “Once we have tasted the bitter, we can more fully enjoy the sweet…no special preparations or exotic spices can flavor a meal quite like hunger can” (p. 75).
· Do not give your children everything they want. “Children who always get what they want will want as long as they live”(Spoiled Rotten, Gosman p. 32).
· Have courage; stand up to your desires, and especially the temptation to satisfy your desires right now. Do not panic when desire hits, but rather bring all your desires under the control of Christ (Galatians 2:20). Remember, Christianity is not an escape from desire or wants, but the godly and proper fulfillment of desire.
