Sometimes many of us
who pursue a life of spiritual growth and discovery wonder if it is necessary to give up
the physical pleasures we have enjoyed. Must we give up those pleasures in order to grow
spiritually? Does soul growth require physical denial? There are certainly many examples
throughout history—and in various world religions—of spiritual seekers who gave
up all physical comfort and pleasure believing that their denial was necessary for greater
understanding. Two different ways of being in the world are certainly evident in the
gospels. And they are as opposite as you can imagine.
The
first is demonstrated by John the Baptist, son of Zacharias the priest and his wife
Elisabeth. John was also Jesus’ cousin and was about six months older. The third
chapter of Matthew gives us a view of the life John lived out in the wilderness. "Now
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his
food was locusts and wild honey." (v. 4) There are some who believe these
"locusts" were the pods of the carob tree because of the tradition that has
designated the tree Saint John’s bread. Unfortunately, this idea is incorrect.
He actually ate locusts which were common food for the poor from ancient times to today.
They were considered an acceptable food under Mosaic law. "Of them you may eat; the
locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according
to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind." (Leviticus 11:22) A good
reason to have a "previous engagement" if John invites you to dinner.
John’s life was
simple, without more refined foods and wine, the attractions of city life and fine and
comfortable clothing. The picture we get of John is of one avoiding life’s physical
comforts and pleasures—an ascetic life. During the last two-thousand years there have
been many who followed his example seeking spiritual enlightenment. What a contrast this
is to Jesus’ Life!
Jesus was a city-boy
and world traveler—if confined to the region of Israel. He had friends in
government—publicans or tax and revenue collectors. He
recruited Matthew from the tax office where he worked as well as friends from the lowest
and poorest levels of society. He dined with many publicans and sinners which caused great
concern among the Pharisees who thought that this was improper. John and Jesus were
contrasted in Matthew’s gospel: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and
they say,‘He has a demon’; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they
say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
(11:18) This passage also reminds me that no matter what we do, we can’t please
everyone.
Jesus stayed many times
at the home of the two wealthy sisters, Martha and Mary, who eagerly waited upon him and
provided him with the best they had. During one of his visits with them Mary took a pound
of fragrant ointment and applied it to Jesus’ feet. Judas, the financial officer for
the band of disciples was not pleased with what he thought of as extravagant waste and
thought it better to have sold the ointment and given the proceeds to the poor. That pound
of ointment would have brought enough to cover the wages of 300 laborers for a day. At the
wedding feast in Cana, when the wine ran out, Jesus provided an enormous quantity of the
finest wine. And when it came to clothes, there was no camel’s hair for Jesus. His
seamless robe was so valuable that the Roman soldiers gambled for it during the
crucifixion. It was extremely fine and expensive. In Jesus’ life he lived by his own
words, "it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke
12:32)
Obviously there are
great differences in the ways John and Jesus experienced the physical aspect of living in
this world. As biblical characters, both of them represent aspects of ourselves. John, as
the forerunner of Jesus, represents the enlightened intellect and an intellectual
perception of Truth. It points to and prepares the way for real spiritual awareness which
Jesus represents. And John does represent a form of denial, but not of physical things. He
represents the process of mental denial—letting go of all the foolish and limiting
intellectual concepts we have had about ourselves and about life. He represents the
process of emptying the vessel of consciousness that it might be refilled with the finest
wine of life. We are the clay vessels at the wedding feast in Cana. Our limited, human
beliefs based on appearances and "common knowledge" fill us with inferior wine
and this is the wine which runs out and leaves us depleted and empty.
The
important lesson for many of us to learn in this life is how to think and to discover what
is real. Giving up material things and pleasures has no benefit in itself. Of greater
importance are the thoughts and concepts in back of our use of physical things, joys and
pleasures. The absolute reality of life is that this is God’s world and all things
are created for us to use. Jesus understood the purpose of physical things and pleasures.
They are to be used and enjoyed as gifts of God without making them the object
of our existence. Unity’s co-founders—Charles and Myrtle
Fillmore—understood this principle very well when they wrote their Dedication
and Covenant. In this written statement, they agreed to give all they had of
money, time and energy to God’s service and in turn they expected an abundant return
of life, love, substance and health—all good and necessary things for life here and
now.
If
you ever question whether soul growth means physical denial, remember not only the example
of living Jesus demonstrated, but also Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9-15. During a
journey to Caesarea, Peter stopped at a house along the way. While alone on the roof in
prayer, Peter became hungry and experienced a vision. In his vision, he saw heaven open
and a sheet descend by its four corners covered with all kinds of animals and reptiles and
birds. A voice told him to eat but he replied, "No, Lord; for I have never eaten
anything that is common or unclean." The voice answered, "What God has cleansed,
you must not call common." God has created a rich environment in this world of
physicality. It is all intended for good and for us to use. But the things and pleasures
are not the object of our existence. Our real purpose is to express God-ness in our lives.
In order to do this we must give up useless, negative beliefs and thinking. The receptive,
open soul is ready to be filled with the new wine of life and the joys of living.
But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. —Matthew
6:33