Social gatherings always seem to bring out all sorts of odd
but familiar human behaviour. From the guest who stands close to the food and
drink station, hoovering up as much as they can before others have had a chance,
to the clichéd small-talk questions that
are all about figuring out your importance, relevance and proximity to the
host: “What do you do?”, “Where do you live?” and “How do you know X?”
On one level one could argue that such questions have an
important role to play; they are about discovering common ground, finding
topics to talk about further, even
potentially cementing future friendships and indeed that might be the case. But
all too often they are about assessment and judgment, the two forces that reign
in our modern world we live in. I laughed inwardly when for a joke, I declared
myself unemployed and living in penury in a very bad neighbourhood at a
terribly posh event only to see one guest gasp audibly and another excuse
themselves from our group never to return again! But the responses speak much
to what our true concerns are, what we put the most importance and trust in and
on a deeper level what motivates us to do what we do in our lives.
This week’s Lectionary for Lent, features a passage from
Isaiah that is at odds with much of what preoccupies us today:
“Come, all of you who
are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come,
buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is
not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and
eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” Isaiah 55:1-2
The invitation to be in Christ is the best one we all get.
We are called to come not once or twice but four times in these two verses
alone. The call is plaintive, God knows that his people are thirsty, he knows
that they are poor too; not necessarily because their finances are shredded to
pieces due to spend-a-thons of a gargantuan scale, but they are poor in spirit,
as it him alone that can satisfy the depths of us. The invitation is open, God
does not force anyone to follow him, but he does implore that we listen, but what
an invitation, the choicest and in ancient times when Isaiah was written, the
most costly items - wine and milk – are
available at no cost at all and the richest of fares are promised if we choose
to consume what is good and in him.
Also of note is the question at the centre of the verse: “Why
spend money on what is not bread, and labour on what does not satisfy.” This
particular sentence is a tough one for those of us who have worked diligently to
get to a certain point in life. Yes, it
is fantastic to be able to enjoy life’s luxuries, to dispense generosity of a
mammoth scale on those we love and to be acknowledged for our hard won
achievements. But none of it truly satisfies. The money we have in our life be
it the physical kind that we store in banks is finite. Toiling in the earthly realm is not the point
of our lives at all. It is essentially a zero sum game. There will always be
someone who will surpass what you have achieved, and those moments that are
great? By their very nature they are fleeting and will fade into the horizon of
memory faster than you may think.
What all of us believers should consider, is that Jesus, our
Lord and saviour laboured in his ministry and on the Cross so that we could all eat and drink our spiritual fill.
Our spiritual fill is infinitely more important than what is happening today
because by its very nature it is BEYOND today. It is forever, and it is freely
given, our own part is to merely agree to participate.
As I write this, slightly peckish (fasting does not come
naturally to me!), I am comforted that in spite of all of my earthly wants and
desires the pivotal point of my life is to Come to Christ (which I have done
already – hurrah!), Listen to him (which I am definitely still a work in
progress), and labour as he did, thinking not of what I will receive today, but
what is in store in heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment