The Knowledge of Good and Overdue Chores

By Amie May

My life has been unusual this year (2008). I can't put my finger on exactly why - maybe it's that it has been pretty "normal".

Have you ever felt like a bad mother because the house is trashed? Okay, maybe not exactly "trashed", but something other than you want it to be? Like, I would so like the laundry to finally be caught up but that seems elusive to say the least. And, dishes also - where do they come from? I don't remember buying so many dishes but they keep coming out of the wood work like a bad bug infestation.

Other than the digital camara that I so sorely want for my b'day this year (so I can show my family off out here in cyberspace), an automatic litter box would be a dream. For now, there's just me. I'll spare you the full list of my chores, not only am I sure that you've got the idea but I'm also pretty sure that you have your own list.

Many of us have our vision of Utopia. The house sparkles, the children are well behaved - and beyond that there are no mortgages, sickness, bickering, empty pantries, etc. If you think about it, it would make a good "Twightlight Zone" episode...

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone."

You might ask, "How do I look in these jeans" - but everyone has the same answer. You drink and drink your coffee, but the CUP NEVER EMPTIES! Everyone has a perfect body and the same opinion - so we all own the same dog, have the same houses, cars, and newly planted trees in the front yards. In "Utopia", there's not even a need for a mind.

So WHY do we hope for or wish for that? Just sit with it and imagine it as a reality for a while.

In Mark Twain's "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven", a man who recently passed away is being led up, in the afterlife, into the clouds by somone else.  As they walk, they pass several piles of harps and angel's wings. As the story unfolds we learn that newly dead people first look for what they expect, and so that they will be comfortable, they are given that. It isn't long before they tire of playing the harp on a cloud with their wings and halos on, so they walk back down and ditch them.

I would so get tired of my own Utopia. As a matter of fact, it would quickly become a nightmare. That in mind, I am going to rethink the whole idea of Jesus wiping away tears when many believe will be the end of this world and of the universe containing it.

It wasn't that long ago that I was crying. I couldn't keep up. The chores would eventually overwhelm me and tell me just how much of a failure I was. I could assure myself, but I wasn't fooling anyone. I could look with my eyes and see the truth. I couldn't be assured for that very reason - my eyes showed me the truth.

In the garden, Adam and Eve also saw the truth with their eyes, and drew the same conclusion. They had done exactly what God told them not to do, so they were failures. They feared God, and were ashamed.

I can relate to that also. I didn't fear God and hide my face in shame simply because of overdue chores. They stood for all of the other failures in my life that my eyes attested to.

The truth of what was before the eyes of Adam and Eve spread like wildfire, and God magnified it purposely. He handed down a law which he fully expected would be kept, as any flesh and blood human being would interpret it.  That's from a sort of limited perspective to say the least.

At this point, I hear the words "flesh and blood is not able to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven" (1 Cor 15:50) echoing in my mind. I do believe that the Kingdom was "inherited" by the first century church, yet actually seeing the reality of it being here is a challenge for flesh and blood as well. As far as I was concerned, this world more closely resembled my then idea of hell.

Paul said though, that sin became known through the law, and that grace became known in contrast to it (Romans 3:20, 21). How is that so? And what sin became known?

It is clear that the woman caught in adultery in John 8 was guilty of breaking the law as people had been interpreting it. Yet, Jesus threw a twist in and spoke to their hearts saying, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone". So though there was a sin in lawbreaking, Jesus reveals a greater sin in those who were ready to throw stones. They had been guilty of interpreting the law without taking their heart into consideration. Jesus points out the sinful heart in saying, "Everyone looking at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Good thing Jesus would save the world from sin, and declare sinners (and the term "sinner" is universal and knows no distinction) cleansed.  He died bringing that message to the world.

Jesus often contrasts the flesh and blood interpretation with his interpretation - which was the righteous interpretation. His interpretation was love and heart inclusive, for love literally was the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8, 10, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8).

Looking at the Mosaic Law through the lens of love, none was able to keep it - nor could anyone ever. Surely in flesh and blood they were keeing it and did keep it. They could gage who was righteous, who was clean, and who were outcasts. Who they would allow to come within 50 feet of the Holy of Holies, and who they would not even allow touch a Priest of God (whose function initially mind you, was to mediate God to humanity).

Yet the law itself made sin known that "all have fallen short" (Romans 3:23). You can't get anymore inclusive than "all". Yet somehow, grace was made known and I don't think it is as simple as the idea that God forgives us for being exactly what he created us to be.

Paul was the Jew of Jews. He was the greatest law enforcer. Similar to how our systems work, he could see that people broke the law and he would pass judgement accordingly. Many people died at his hand. His eyes told him that he glorified God immensely in his great lawkeeping and enforcing. He was male, which in that day was a plus, and he held a high position. Those things among many that he could see attested in his mind, to God's favor of him.

That was really no different than it had been with Israel for hundreds of years, yet through the prophets God would foretell, even promise, of a time when he would actually be known (Jer 31, Hebrews 8 - describe the new promise/covenant).

Paul's world validated that that which was seen with flesh and blood eyes was truth, because the law was God-given. Yet, the law was only a tool in revealing the truth - a perfect tool. Where would the Israelites faith lie, with God, or with their system? It was a question answered long ago and Jesus practically begged for them to believe him in order to save them from the violent passing of their world.

Today, we are able to think like they did then, though there's no law to validate those beliefs. What happened with the law historically actually calls those beliefs into question.

Flesh and blood eyes would tell them that they were favored by God through the position they held in life. Yet, the heart that judged their interpretation found them void of faith and the fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22, 23: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control."). How could they cultivate any spiritual fruit when they were judging the world through the flesh?

The law of God is written on every heart. I think it always had been though the work of Jesus enabled us to see it. The system which invalidated the heart served its' purpose and has since passed.

What if I changed my currency? If I changed it from what I saw in my flesh and blood eyes into spiritual currency which is recognized by the heart?  There was a time that the currency determined by flesh and blood evidenced who or what was "good" and who or what was "bad".  Similarly, I could see the things in my life and convict me of failure - and stamp myself with the word "bad".

Unlike Adam and Eve though, love has been revealed. God has made himself known. Love's currency is defined spiritually. Fruit of the Spirit in and of itself is the reward, and it is without condemnation or self righteousness. For example, bringing myself or others more joy does not deem me "good". It just deems me joyful and contagious. No longer does what I do even matter. I just am joyful, or am not joyful.

The saying, "If at first you don't succeed, redefine success" couldn't be more true. And truth by the way, is revealed and is within us - it is not external. The truth is that my children feel loved and accepted. Judging by spiritual currency, I'm a dang good mom. Now THAT TRUTH, wiped away my tears my friend - save for the tears of gratitude. The story that our eyes tell as truth isn't always truth.

As for Utopia, oddly enough, I think we've already arrived. If you doubt it, I'll leave you with this visual (press the arrow to view the video):




Like Moses, may you remove your sandals as you are standing upon Holy ground.