What do you desire?

There is an old Greek saying for birthdays and feast days, “May you receive your heart’s desire.” On the surface this may seem trending toward the selfish ego with which we all struggle. I often write about leaving our own desires behind. Christ even says, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself...” We just hear that on Sunday? So why would today’s reading include, “A desire filled is sweet to the soul,” if we are supposed to deny our desire?

The truth is our desire in fact does fulfill our heart. The solution isn’t to avoid desires, but to have the proper desires. Today’s reading from Proverbs also says, “But to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools,” suggests that we are fool if our desires favor evil rather than God. Our heart will always think it has been fulfilled no matter what desire is met if the desire emanates from our ego. That sort of fulfillment though is short lived.

Fortunately for us God sometimes intervenes to keep us from fulfilling our heart’s desire. In today’ reading from Genesis we hear, “This is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” Once again, as God had done in the past, we were saved from ourselves when God destroyed the Tower of Babel. Since our desire would have been dangerous to us, God keeps our desires from being met. Yet another benefit we gain from fasting....we learn to step back from our desire. Have you been taking advantage of the Great Fast to learn to control your desire? Be warned....your desire filled is sweet to your soul.....you may just be headed to your own Tower of Babel.

Today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 28:14-22 (RSV) -  Thus says the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!  Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.'  And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."  Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it.  As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.  For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it.  For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; to do his deed - strange is his deed! and to work his work - alien is his work!  Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land.

Genesis 10:32-11:9 (RSV) -  These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.  Now the whole earth had one language and few words.  And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.  And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.  And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Proverbs 13:19-14:6 (RSV) - A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul; but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.  He who walks with wise men becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.  Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.  A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.  The fallow ground of the poor yields much food, but it is swept away through injustice.  He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.  The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.  Wisdom builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.  He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.  The talk of a fool is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.  Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.  A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.  A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.