Life Matters - May 31, 2023
Narcissus did not start out as an idol in Greek mythology, but only as a hapless youth consumed with admiration for his own reflection in the pool of a certain fountain. So overtaken was he with love for himself that he ignored all others, including Echo, who pined away to a mere voice because her love for him had found no return. As a result of his passion for himself, the mythological Narcissus pined away and the gods transformed him into the flower that still bears his name. His name also lives on in the psychoanalytical world where narcissism has come to mean an intense degree of self-love and according to Dr. Sigmund Freud (who taught that all human activity revolves around libido) the sexual instinct is directed toward one’s own body or psychological attributes. Narcissism has also come to mean one who is indifferent to other persons, unless by attracting their favorable attention one’s self-admiration is proportionally enhanced. That latter does sound like a rather human problem, does it not? Jesus addressed it as if it were a common problem in his day and methinks the temptation hasn’t gone away from then to now. And I suspect that thought is more than just an exposé on myself. Dat (my dad), in agreement with Jesus, often warned his family about “der gross ich” (the big I) as if it were a danger to guard against, particularly in ourselves and generally in the world. Jesus put it this way, recorded for us in Matthew 6:1 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” And in that same chapter, verse 5, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” These people’s reward, then, was the admiration of their fellow way-farers which they sought at the expense of seeking God. Their problem was not in giving alms. Jesus, the apostles, and natural law encourage, nay rather, command us to give, as we are able. Their problem was also not praying, not in private, nor in the assembly as Jesus taught us to pray and taught us how to pray, in fact, was grieved with His disciples (three of them) in the garden of Gethsemane when they could not “watch with me one hour” (pray with Him) but became drowsy and went to sleep. Jesus gave us what we refer to as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and John 17 is an entire chapter, recorded by John, of Jesus, praying for His present disciples and for those of us coming after. Jesus praying for us! That is exciting!
It follows then, that He was not seeing a problem with praying in the assembly or wherever and whenever the need arises but the problem was/is in the heart; the reason for doing so. Does the prayer flow from a heart desiring to connect with God? Or is it perhaps “attracting the favorable attention of others to enhance one’s self-admiration?” Jesus is teaching us again that it doesn’t just matter what we do, it also matters why we do it. The beauty of it is that He is ever ready to receive our repentance and then to change us from the inside out. Even those of us who were born with decidedly narcissistic tendencies!
This temptation of indifference except to enhance one’s self-admiration by attracting the favorable attention of others, ie, narcissism, is a common human problem – and I would venture to say is likely the force driving much of today’s ESG (Environmental Social Governance) and now EEE (Envisioning Environmental Equity) hype where certain investment corporations are now supposedly concerned, not just about their own small (some not so small) “neck of the woods” but this entire globe and everyone on it. It has proven very lucrative indeed for the corporate and government elites who, according to estimates, increased their wealth by 53% during the pandemic and continue to profit from “climate change.” By the way, I got that estimate from somewhere on the ever trustworthy (not) internet. Whatever the case may be, we have no convincing history of “climate change” since the world-wide flood of Noah’s time from which the ice has been slowly receding ever since, which sounds like Biblical science: does it not? Jesus also advised the rich man on what to do with his overabundance of wealth…”sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me.” (Luke 18:22)
Life Matters!