Choice?

As you may know I go to Tesco a lot. I shop with many people, I shop for many people. If you thought it was bad enough going for yourself… trying going for others!

Sometimes there is choice, sometimes there is no choice and often there is too much choice.

What do you choose? How do you choose it? What happens when you make the wrong choice?

Apparently the situation we find ourselves in is made all the more challenging, not because we can never make our mind up as to what to choose, but because in our  very nature we are Syncretists.

(??)

Syncretists want to have both… we want to have our cake and eat it too…We want the best of both worlds.

One person has commented

“It's only an expression. But someone who wants to have their cake and eat it, is someone who wants to take more than they already have. In life we all have choices to make and choose to live our lives a certain way. There are some people that have their cake, but still want more. Or live their lives by double standards. You can't have your cake and eat it.”

I don’t know whether you have spotted something interesting about the disciples in recent weeks according to John, but they have been doing quite a bit of complaining. They have tried to mob him, Last week they complained and this week they complain again and some simply walk off completely disgruntled.

(have disciples changed?!)

The reason for this is syncretism… we want it our way, and all our way. We find it difficult to choose because we want it all..

John puts something interesting into the words of Jesus today, when he is reported as saying “The Flesh is useless”

The greek word here is Sarx and though it is often translated, as it is here, as “Flesh” it  more particularly point to “human nature”.

Our basic humanity cause us difficulties.

[[In short, flesh generally relates to unaided human effort, i.e. decisions (actions) that originate from self or are empowered by self. This is carnal ("of the flesh") and proceeds out of the untouched (unchanged) part of us – i.e. what is not transformed by God.]]

It is not because we are created and bodily (fleshly) that is the issue it is that we have learnt that we can live if you like “without God”

When we live as God intended with him alongside rather than “in our own strength”  then we become again as in the wonderful image of God walking with us in the Garden.

Jesus tells us today that the Spirit (as opposed to the flesh alone) gives us life.

As elsewhere in Johns Gospel Jesus says he came to bring us life and life in all its fullness…. In other words life with God.

Joshua too faces the humanity of his people when he gathered them together and told them they simply could not have it all their own syncretistic way but they had to make a choice.

On balance after they reflect on what God had proved to them along the way they proclaim.

“‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; ¹⁷ for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; ¹⁸and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.’

It is perhaps not difficult to realise that some of the disciples wanted to complain about what Jesus seemed to asking of them. After all inviting someone to carry a cross in those days was never going to be a popular choice. Many probably still wanted to serve God and Mammon too.

We too might take exception about having to forgive our enemies, or even to love and serve those we despise and hate (like the Samaritans)

But Jesus never did suggest that being his disciple or of following His way was going to be an easy choice……. However he did say it was life giving and a way of living as the people God created us to be.

The flesh may well be weak, it does not give what it seems to promise…. But we have the Spirit too to give us life, and to make us strong (er)