Readings for Pentecost 5C:
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
July 1, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
Paul said to the Christians in Galatia: “You were called to freedom brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that is how freedom grows.” [Galatians 5]
It has been 231 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence; a document that holds sacred the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This is the time of year when Americans remember the bold words of Patrick Henry: “Give me liberty or give me death.” It is a time when we appreciate the freedom granted by our democratic government by singing: “My country, tis of thee, sweet land of liberty.” The pursuit of freedom seems to be a natural part of human desire and striving. What exactly is freedom and how do we achieve it? How does Christian freedom differ from economic and political freedom? This will be the subject of today’s sermon and I will use the reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians as my text.
Political freedom is the right or the capacity for self-determination. This kind of freedom is closely linked with civil liberties and human rights, both of which are central values in a democracy. Economic freedom is the ability to pursue economic activities without interference from the government, one of the central values of capitalism. Christian freedom is somewhat different. Christian freedom is the ability to shape one’s life in accordance with God’s will. It is an inner freedom to choose the good over the bad, to love rather than to fear. Unfortunately, when it comes to “free” human will, there is a tension within each one of us; a tension between the ability to make good choices and the inability to resist those impulses which harm ourselves and our relationships. Freedom asserts that humans have the ability to determine the direction and shape of their lives; bondage asserts that humans are unable to free themselves from destructive impulses. The dynamic between inner freedom and inner bondage has been a focus of most major world religions. Christianity is no exception. The theology of St. Paul addresses this dynamic.
About thirty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul began to build up Christian communities, in a province of Asia Minor, known as Galatia. This province was located in what is now known as modern-day Turkey. Paul believed that a person could obtain inner freedom to choose the good, not by following a set of laws, but by living in the Spirit of Christ. Living in the Spirit of Christ meant cultivating an openness to God’s grace, a commitment to the path of love and service, and a surrendering of one’s own will to God’s will. A few years after these congregations were started, certain missionaries came to Galatia and challenged Paul’s theology of freedom as being misguided and idealistic. These missionaries argued that without the law, moral chaos would erupt. It was only by following the law (not the spirit) that could curb and discipline the unruly impulses from within.
In his letter to the Galatians (which is often referred to as the Magna Charta of Christian Freedom), Paul defends his position against these missionaries. He claims that the freedom given by living in the spirit of Christ does not leave us without moral guidance. Instead, living in the spirit of Christ, dampens the self-indulgent impulses and passions that motivate us to choose the bad over the good. Living in the Spirit of Christ is the one power that can overcome self-indulgent impulses that put us at odds with God. He calls these self-indulgent impulses, the flesh.
In our sexually over-stimulated culture, whenever we hear the word flesh, we immediately think of sexual scandal. But in his letter to the Galatians, Paul refers to flesh as the autonomous fallen humanity, selfish egos living at odds with God. This living at odds with God develops from being self-centered and trying to get our own way all of the time. While impulses of the flesh do include exploitive sexual activities, they do not originate from below the belt. Instead they arise out of a self-centered heart and a distorted mind. *Most impulses of the flesh include things like: an overwhelming accumulation of mental and emotional garbage, frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness, trinket gods and magic-show religion, paranoid loneliness, cutthroat competition, all-consuming-yet-never satisfied wants; a brutal temper; a refusal to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits. The vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions.’ [*The Message Bible: Galatians 5]
To move from being in bondage to these impulses, to being free to choose healthy living, Paul puts out a radical and inspiring vision. Instead of following the law as a way to discipline selfish impulses, Paul commends following the Spirit as the one power that can counteract the desires of the flesh. Living in the Spirit is a way of life that is seeped in prayer, committed to love, structured on servanthood, and based on the grace and power of God to make all things new.
The law cannot ultimately cleanse us from the selfish impulses of our heart. It can only guide us in the right direction. The Spirit of Christ on the other hand can cultivate the fruit which transforms the human heart. And what is the fruit of this Spirit of Christ? It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. These are not fruit that we cultivate. It is fruit that God cultivates within us when we are in step with God’s Spirit. Let me give you a modern day example of the freedom that comes about by living in this Spirit.
Two evenings each week, Food Addicts Anonymous meets in our church school building. This is a 12- step program for people with eating addictions. People who attend these meetings have difficulty with portion control and making healthy food choices. It is not that they do not know how to eat properly. They do! They have the information to make good decisions. In fact many of them could write a book on proper nutrition. And yet there are impulses from within, that drive them to eat in ways that harm their body. These bad choices result in poor body image, hormonal imbalance, and poor health.
To respond to this cycle of bad eating, Food Addicts Anonymous has a two-part plan. First are the guidelines for healthy eating. These include refraining from those substances that cause food cravings such as refined sugar, flour, and wheat. But knowing that guidelines and rules do not have enough power to overcome such cravings, the second part of the plan lays out a spiritual solution. The spiritual solution is a program that focuses on the power of God to heal and make whole. It is a spiritual path which reflects the spirit of Christ. These folks believe that there is a power greater than themselves that can and will assist them in developing a manner of living that will expel their obsession with food. This power is the power of God, the power which Paul speaks of in his letter to the Galatians.
Most of us already have all the information we need to make healthy choices in our lives. I know how to choose the good and yet at times, I fail to do the things I ought to do. For instance, in order to use the fitness center at DeAnza College, I was required to take a course in which I learned all about how to stay fit and well. In this class, I learned about good nutrition, weight management, physical fitness, muscular strength and endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and the benefits of putting together a complete fitness program. If I were to follow all of the rules that I learned in that class, I would be in fantastic shape. And yet, the rules can only point me in the right direction. They cannot get me up early in the morning to do my exercises or prevent me from eating too many french-fries. Paul offers the Galatians the following counsel: “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit&#É;So why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? [*The Message Bible: Galatians 5]
While only some of us have food-weaknesses, all of us have at least one erratic compulsion which limits our freedom to choose the good. You know what that compulsion is for you. Perhaps it is stinginess or hoarding or anger or resentment or vainglory or pride or consumerism. Whatever it might be, the origin is the same and so is the solution. So let me end with the Food Addicts 7th step prayer, asking God to remove our fleshly impulses: “God, help me listen to my Higher Self as You and I make the changes in my life that will allow me to live a free, useful, and happy life. Help me not to find fault with all that I do and with those who cross my path. As I continue to stay abstinent, help me be released from the cravings for food that are not in my best interest. Help me learn that food is to nourish my body so my spirit can carry out your plans for me. Help me be compassionate, trusting, forgiving, loving and kind to myself and others as I serve you and the people on earth. Amen.”
| Updated July 6, 2007 |
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