Thursday, January 24, 2013

VANITY, A CANCER TO THE SOUL


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       Ecclesiastes 2:11 (King James)

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do:  and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

 

       If ever there was a time when vanity is a sin now is that season.  The manger moment is such an outstanding example of humility. Not that vanity is something new to the 21st century.  Way back in the ancient Garden of Eden where the first woman, Eve, was tempted, Vanity only whispered in her ear.  It didn’t have to shout to get her attention, nor even speak up to be heard – we human beings are like that.  Being King on the Hill or Queen of the Realm sits all too easily in the our psyches.  So Eve, easily tempted, reached up, helped herself to the forbidden fruit and relished the idea of being as wise as God.   

       Almost 2,000 years ago in Cesarea Philipi, the 12 Disciples who sat at the feet of the Master lived under the same bondage. Me better – me best.  After all, they had given up so much to follow Him - wealth, position, time, community and family ties.         They had really given up so much by earthly standards.  And so now vanity made them pompous in their sacrifices. 

       Thinking that at the very least they deserved some reward, they asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And then they waited.  Each one hopeful that Jesus would give him the praise and recognition he felt he truly deserved.  They all had delusions of grandeur.  It is still an overwhelming fault of most of humanity.

       I can see the disciples now:  Peter fidgeting and hanging on to every word out of the mouth of the Lord - being sure that any minute Jesus would exclaim, “Peter, you know what I like about you?  It is your fire and enthusiasm.  You stand head and shoulder above all the others.”  Well, maybe not say it so blatantly but certainly implying it.  And Peter thinking, How could He do otherwise?

       Matthew?  He was no less in need of assurance.  Come on, Jesus, he possibly considered, Make sure all these other disciples know how lucky they are to have me as one of them.  What would they do without my logical thinking that so clearly makes me superior to other muddled minds?   I’m so thankful I’m not as dumb as most people.

       Nor was the disciple Thomas any different.  Looking around the room, it is quite likely he reflected, You clods never ask any penetrating questions, as do I.  What’s wrong with you?  Were you born without any curiosity at all?  Don’t you have any blanks you’d like to have filled in?  Oh, ye of too much faith.

       Oh, I have no doubt that each of the 12 suffered from various stages and degrees of vanity.  I have no doubt at all.  And neither did Jesus.  His faithful followers who were willing to be fishers of men had just shown they were also fishers for compliments.   “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And then each one salivating in hopes it would be he.

       Jesus?  Perhaps He sighed a little before He made His point in His own inimitable way.  Hit at the core of the thing, as only He could do.  A little child was standing nearby and the Lord simply called him over.  Called over this comely, dark-eyed youngster still with a heart pure and clear, not yet old enough to be permanently scarred by petty jealousies, hurts and imagined wrongs.  And cradling this little one in His arms, He looked at His disciples and said, “Verily I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of God.  Therefore, whosoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 

       In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in so many words, “If you work only for your reward on earth, don’t look for it the second time around in heaven.”  

       Too much vanity makes fools of men.  It puts a chip on their shoulders, holes in their heads, and becomes a thorn in their sides.  They want praise, and will not accept criticism.  There are those so vain in their faith that even when they pray, they probably remind God of their credentials. “Just remember, Lord, I’ve done Thy will, read Thy book, been a Christian not to be easily overlooked.  Indeed, if You will take the time to look closely You’ll find that my name must be written in gold on Your pages of heaven.”

“No,” you say.  “No one would actually pray like that.”  Probably not, but many when they pray have that kind of attitude, and the tragedy is that sometimes they don’t even know it.

       And we in church leadership have to be especially careful not to become flagrant fools, for the church is full of titles and degrees; preachers with their BD’s, PhD’s, ThD’S and DD’s; Bishops, laymen elected Elders, Chairman's of the Board, Clerks of the Session, Moderators of Presbytery, Deacons, the list goes on and one and on.  What again was it Jesus said? “If you work only for your reward on earth, don’t look for it the second time around in heaven.” 

       I tell you this.  The devil makes Vanity for everyone but he keeps the largest doses for the hardest workers.  In church he takes those who give the most time, share the best talent, sacrifice the greatest dollar, and he tries to make them vain.  He constantly reminds them of what they have done.  He builds vanity on the foundation of their accomplishments, whispering in their ear, “You are the greatest in this church.  This church could not survive without you.”

       You know, and of course this is pure supposition, there are going to be a lot of people in the church, all churches of all denominations, who on that appointed day when they walk through the pearly gates are going to be terribly disappointed.  They will have spent years in the church working – not for God – but for praise.  And at that golden moment Gabriel isn’t going to step forward to blow his horn in a special salute.  No one of official heavenly status, even perhaps from the lower ranks, is going to enthusiastically shake their hands, or offer them a key to special places in the heavenly city. 

       They will have done a host of good deeds, performed a multitude of kindly acts, given energy and sacrifice in copious amounts….all for the praise of men and women.  And since that is what they only worked for, they got it and kept it and embraced it and were burdened by it, and therefore swept the gates free of any welcoming committee because time and time again they asked, “Who is the greatest…”

       All of us like praise.  There is nothing wrong in the liking of it – but there is everything wrong if we cannot be satisfied or happy without it.  To demand praise, to quit if we don’t get it, to give up on a task if we feel unappreciated, is to one day find out that “pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
(to be continued next Thursday)

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