MARK 8:31-38|THE SEVEN “DEADLIES VS. THE SEVEN “LIVELIES”

THE SEVEN “DEADLIES VS. THE SEVEN “LIVELIES”

MARK 8:31-38

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

REMEMBER THE FIRST THING YOU DID, (AFTER PUTTING YOUR NAME ON THE TOP OF YOUR PAPER, OF COURSE), WHEN YOUR TEACHER HANDED OUT A TEST?

YOU’D SCAN IT TO SEE WHAT YOU WERE UP AGAINST.  TRUE OR FALSE; FILL-IN-THE-BLANK; MULTIPLE CHOICE; THE DREADED ESSAY QUESTION, OR IF IN MATH, THE EQUALLY DREADED WORD PROBLEM;

AND THEN THERE WAS, OF COURSE, MATCHING.  WHEN WE WERE REALLY YOUNG, MATCHING TOOK THE FORM OF DRAWING A LINE FROM ONE WORD OR PHRASE TO THE CORRESPONDING WORD OR PHRASE THAT WAS THE RIGHT ANSWER;

AND THEN, WHEN WE WERE OLDER IT WAS MATCHING THE CORRESPONDING LETTER WITH THE CORRECT NUMBER.

WELL, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE INSERT THIS MORNING, AND SHUTTERED FOR A MOMENT, THINKING WE WERE HAVING A MATCHING TEST, “THE SEVEN DEADLIES VS. THE SEVEN LIVELIES;

LET ME ALLEVIATE ANY OF YOUR FEARS BY TELLING YOU, THAT WE’VE GIVEN YOU THE ANSWERS, AND THE CORRESPONDING ANSWERS ARE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER.

IF YOU ARE MATCHING THEM UP THIS MORNING, SIMPLY DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF WORDS!

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, OF COURSE, IS, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF YOUR INSERT, WHAT ARE KNOWN AS THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS.

WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE, IS THAT THE CHURCH CAME UP WITH A CORRESPONDING LIST OF SEVEN CARDINAL VIRTUES, OR WHAT I AM CALLING THE SEVEN LIVELIES.  THOSE ARE THE WORDS LISTED IN THE RIGHT-HAND COLUMN ON YOUR SHEET.

FOR A MOMENT, THIS MORNING, COULD WE JUST FORGET THE IDEA OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS PERHAPS, COSTING US OUR MORTALITY, AND SIMPLY THINK ABOUT THE WAY THEY COST US LIFE?

AND EQUALLY, RATHER THAN THINKING ABOUT THE SEVEN VIRTUES SOMEHOW ASSURING US OF ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST, COULD WE SIMPLY THINK OF THEM AS THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT GIVE US LIFE – IN THIS LIFE?

WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THEM IN MORE DETAIL IN A MOMENT, AND IN PAIRS, ONE DEADLY VS. ONE LIVELY, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I WANT US TO THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT OUR CHOICES.

OUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE – FREE WILL – THE CHURCH HAS TRADITIONALLY THOUGHT OF IT.  IT’S SOMETHING WE CONSIDERED LAST SUNDAY AS WELL.

THE IDEA THAT GOD GIVES US, GOD CREATES US, WITH FREE WILL: WE CHOOSE HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES; WE CHOOSE TO BE SAVED; WE CHOOSE OUR FOREVER DESTINATION, IF YOU WILL.

THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE THERE ARE MANY TIMES WE SEE THIS IDEA OF FREE WILL IN PLAY – CONSTANTLY, AND CONTINUALLY, AS A MATTER OF FACT;

BUT THERE ARE A FEW BENCHMARK PASSAGES THAT HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR TO MOST OF US ON THIS SUBJECT.

LIKE THE SIGN I SHARED WITH THE CHILDREN DURING THE CHILDREN’S MOMENT, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR OWN HOME AS A SIGN, A PICTURE, OR MAYBE EVEN AN EMBROIDERED PILLOW OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

“AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

AS YOU HEARD ME TELL THE CHILDREN, IT WAS JOSHUA WHO FIRST SAID THESE WORDS, AFTER THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND, AND SEEING THAT THEY NOW HAD CHOICES OF GODS – THE GOD OF ISRAEL, OR THE FOREIGN GODS OF THEIR NEW NEIGHBORS –

JOSHUA WANTED THERE TO BE NO MISTAKE ABOUT WHOSE SIDE HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE ON – “WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

SIMILARLY, OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING, INVOLVING JESUS AND HIS NUMBER ONE DISCIPLE – PETER – IS ALSO ABOUT MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE.

PETER, TO HIS CREDIT, IS TRYING TO SPARE JESUS ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING, THE REJECTION AND DEATH, HE SAYS IS COMING HIS WAY AT THE HANDS OF THE AUTHORITIES.

PETER PULLS JESUS ASIDE AND TELLS HIM NOT TO SAY SUCH THINGS; THAT THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY; A BETTER WAY; BUT JESUS CALLS HIM SATAN (FOR TRYING TO KEEP JESUS FROM PERFORMING GOD’S WILL) AND JESUS SAYS TO HIM:

“FOR YOU ARE SETTING YOUR MIND NOT ON DIVINE THINGS BUT ON HUMAN THINGS.” AND THERE IT IS; THE CHOICE; CHOOSE GOD OR CHOOSE YOUR OWN WAY.

“AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE,” JESUS IS SAYING, “WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

NOW, ALSO TO HIS CREDIT, JESUS IS HONEST WITH HIS DISCIPLES; TELLING THEM EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY’LL HAVE TO DO TO FOLLOW GOD, TO FOLLOW HIM; THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THEIR CROSSES – DAILY – AND FOLLOW HIM;

AND HE’S HONEST ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO COST THEM THEIR LIVES – FIGURATIVELY, AND FOR SOME OF THEM, LIKE HIM, LITERALLY;

AND THAT IT WON’T BE EASY; AND THAT WHAT WITH ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING, ON TOP OF THAT, THEY’LL LIKELY BE RIDICULED, SECOND-GUESSED, AND SHAMED BY OTHERS FOR THEIR CHOICE TO FOLLOW GOD.

“IT’LL BE NO EASY ROW TO HOE,” JESUS TELLS THEM, “BUT IT’LL BE WORTH IT IN THIS LIFE, AND FOR THE NEXT.”

ONE LAST BENCHMARK VERSE ON THIS IDEA OF CHOOSING, SEVERAL VERSES, ACTUALLY, IS THE SECTION IN PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANS, CHAPTER 7, WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT JUST HOW HARD IT IS, ALL THE TIME, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, TO KEEP MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE.

AND, HOW OFTEN HE FAILS AT IT.

“I DO NOT UNDERSTAND MY OWN ACTIONS.  FOR I DO NOT DO WHAT I WANT, BUT I DO THE VERY THING I HATE.  FOR I CAN WILL WHAT IS RIGHT, BUT I CANNOT DO IT.  FOR I DO NOT DO THE GOOD I WANT, BUT THE EVIL I DON’T WANT, IS WHAT I DO.”

NOW, REMEMBER, PAUL DOES PLENTY OF GOOD; AND PLENTY OF WHAT IS RIGHT; AND HE SERVES THE LORD; THINKING ON DIVINE THINGS; BUT HE’S HONEST ABOUT HOW HARD ALL OF THAT COMES AT TIMES.

AND WE KNOW HE’S RIGHT, AND THIS IS WHERE THE SEVEN DEADLIES AND THE SEVEN LIVELIES COME IN TO PLAY.

WHERE WE “SET OUR MINDS NOT ON DIVINE THINGS BUT ON HUMAN THINGS;”

AND THE STRUGGLE WE FACE TO CHOOSE GOD, TO SERVE GOD, RATHER THAN SERVING “FOREIGN GODS,” OR OURSELVES.

WE KNOW THE SEVEN DEADLIES (LOOK AT THEM AGAIN, IF YOU WISH): GREED, GLUTTONY, LUST, ENVY, PRIDE, ANGER AND SLOTH.

BUT, FOR MANY OF US, THE SEVEN LIVELIES, THE SEVEN VIRTUES, AT LEAST LISTED ALL TOGETHER THIS WAY, MAY BE NEW: PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, COURAGE, JUSTICE, FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.

I’M NOT SURE WE REALLY NEED TO SPEND MUCH TIME TRYING TO DEFINE THESE – THE DEADLIES OR THE LIVELIES – I THINK THEY ARE PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY; WE KNOW WHAT THE WORDS MEAN.

AND WE PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE MUCH TROUBLE DEFINING THEM OR FIGURING OUT HOW THEY ARE IN PLAY IN OUR LIVES, AND IN THE LIFE OF THE WORLD.

IT’S ALSO PROBABLY NOT TOO DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THE DEADLIES CAN ROB US OF LIFE, OF LIVING, OF LIVING HAPPILY IN LIFE.

THE SEVEN DEADLIES ARE ALL CONSUMING, AND WHAT WE REALIZE TOO LATE, SOMETIMES, IS THAT WHAT’S BEING CONSUMED IS US; OUR LIVES; OUR LIVELIHOODS; OUR LIVING.

LOOK AT THE SEVEN DEADLIES AND THE WAYS THEY EAT AWAY AT OUR LIVES.

WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE LIKE THIS – OR – AS THE SEVEN LIVELIES, THE SEVEN VIRTUES REMIND US, WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY.

NOW, IT’S NOT TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW BEING MORE PRUDENT, MORE TEMPERANT, CAN BE CURES FOR GREED AND GLUTTONY, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER PAIRS CREATE AN EVEN MORE INTERESTING DYNAMIC WHEN PAIRED TOGETHER.

THINK ABOUT HOW COURAGE CAN BE THE OPPOSITE OF LUST.  THE COURAGE OF BEING FAITHFUL.  THE COURAGE TO HONOR ONE’S VOWS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE COURAGE OF RESPECTING ONE’S PARTNER.

COURAGE, AS A CURE FOR LUST, MEANS TO BE A STAND-UP GUY/GAL; TO ACT COURAGEOUSLY IN THE FACE OF TEMPTATION; AND TO HAVE THE COURAGE OF ONE’S CONVICTIONS TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS.

OR CONSIDER JUSTICE AS AN ANTIDOTE TO ENVY.  TO BE ENVIOUS IS TO BE JEALOUS.  TO BE ENVIOUS IS TO FEEL DISCONTENT AND HAVE ILL WILL TOWARD WHAT OTHERS HAVE.  IT IS TO BELIEVE THAT YOU DESERVE WHAT OTHERS HAVE; WHAT THEY HAVE WORKED FOR; WITHOUT DOING WHAT’S NECESSARY TO GET THERE YOURSELF.

BUT TO PRACTICE JUSTICE IS TO BELIEVE THAT ALL ARE DESERVING.  TO ACT JUSTLY IS TO SEE TO IT THAT THINGS ARE DONE RIGHTLY, PROPERLY, AND NOT JUST FOR SOME, BUT FOR ALL.

JUSTICE SEES EQUALS; PRACTICES EQUALITY; EVERYONE DESERVES JUSTICE; “JUSTICE FOR ALL,” WE SAY;

TO BE ENVIOUS IS TO BE DESIROUS; ENVY PRACTICES A KIND OF INEQUALITY; A DIFFERENT SORT OF GREED, IF YOU WILL.

A WANTING WHAT OTHERS HAVE, AND MORE THAN JUST WANTING IT, IT IS BELIEVING THAT WHAT THEY HAVE, YOU DESERVE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU’VE WORKED FOR IT.

ANOTHER PAIR: INSTEAD OF PRIDE, FAITH.

HERE WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT BEING PROUD, AS WE OUGHT TO BE AT TIMES, BUT THE SIN OF PRIDE; OF BEING OVERLY PRIDEFUL – THE KIND OF PRIDE THAT DEVALUES OTHERS, LOOKING DOWN ON THEM, AND THINKING OURSELVES SUPERIOR, BETTER THAN THEM.

IT’S BUILDING YOURSELF UP BY PUTTING OTHERS DOWN.

THE SIN OF PRIDE IS THINKING SO HIGHLY OF OURSELVES THAT WE NO LONGER EVEN NEED GOD.

IT’S HERE THAT FAITH, OUR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD, OUR LIVING IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND WITH OTHERS BECOMES THE ANSWER TO PRIDEFULNESS.

FAITH IN GOD RESTORES A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHERS, WHILE PRIDE OFTEN CONTINUES TO SEE OTHERS AS LESS THAN US; AND THEREFORE, LESS WORTHY THAN US.

AND THINK OF HOW ANGER AND HOPE ARE OPPOSITES.  AGAIN, WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANGER THAT IS WARRANTED IN A GIVEN SITUATION, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SIN OF ANGER;

ANGER THAT SEEKS TO HURT AND DESTROY; ANGER THAT POLARIZES AND DIVIDES; ANGER THAT ATTACKS AND BELITTLES OTHERS.

THOUGHT OF IN THIS WAY, IT’S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW HOPE IS THE OPPOSITE OF THIS TYPE OF ANGER.  IT’S EASY TO SEE HOW OFFERING HOPE RATHER THAN ANGER IN A SITUATION WOULD BE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE; MORE PRODUCTIVE.

HOPE PROVIDES BETTER RESULTS; HOPE ACHIEVES MORE FOR THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE THAN ANGER EVER CAN.

IF, INSTEAD OF RESPONDING IN ANGER, WE OFFERED HOPE IN A GIVEN SITUATION, CHANCES ARE, WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO A SOLUTION, RATHER THAN BEING DIVERTED INTO A DEEPER AND MORE DIVIDING ANGER.

IT IS JUST THIS SORT OF HOPE AND NOT ANGER THAT PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET BACK TO IN DIALOGUING WITH THOSE WITH WHOM WE DISAGREE, RATHER THAN JUST CHOOSING UP SIDES AND BATTLING IT OUT.

FINALLY, I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT SLOTH WAS APTLY NAMED.  I DON’T KNOW WHICH CAME FIRST, THE TERM OR THE ANIMAL, BUT EITHER WAY, THEY EPITOMIZE EACH OTHER.

IS THERE ANYTHING LAZIER LOOKING THAN SLOTH – THE WORD, AND THE SLOW-MOVING CREATURE?

SLOTH SUGGESTS DISINTEREST; CARING ABOUT NOTHING; CARING SO LITTLE AS TO DO NOTHING, ABOUT ANYTHING!  BEING A “LUMP.”

COULD THERE BE ANY BETTER WORD AS AN ANTITHESIS TO SLOTH

THAN LOVE?

EVEN HATE AS AN OPPOSITE TO LOVE SUGGESTS A PASSION FOR SOMETHING, BUT SLOTH AS AN OPPOSITE TO LOVE SEEMS TO SUGGEST NOTHINGNESS.

LOVE IS AN ACTION WORD.  LOVE IS BETTER UNDERSTOOD AS A VERB THAN A NOUN.  LOVE IS SOMETHING WE MUST NOT ONLY FEEL, BUT WORK AT, IF TRUE LOVE IS TO BE MANIFEST.

LAZINESS HAS NO PART IN LOVE.  TO LOVE WE MUST ACT; BE ON THE MOVE; SHOWING LOVE; GIVING AND RECEIVING; SHARING IN IT TOGETHER.

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT: THE SEVEN DEADLIES VS. THE SEVEN LIVELIES;

AND THE CHOICE; SO, WHAT WILL WE DO?

WHICH WILL WE CHOOSE?  LIFE OR DEATH?  LIVING OR DYING?  OR WORSE, SLOTH!  NOTHINGNESS!

WHOM WILL WE SERVE?  WILL WE SET OUR MINDS ON DIVINE THINGS OR HUMAN THINGS?

WILL WE DO WHAT WE DON’T WANT TO DO, OR WILL WE DO WHAT WE DO WANT TO DO?

THE CHOICE… CHOICES… ARE OURS!

AND LIKE THAT TEST WE MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SERMON, THERE ARE RIGHT AND WRONG ANSWERS.

NOW, FOR OUR ESSAY QUESTION…!