1 Timothy 6:9 – The Bait We Contemplate
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare… 1 Timothy 6:9, New King James Version
Screwtape is not prone to optimism. The fictional elder demon in CS Lewis's correspondence is actually prone to whine that demonic forces are unfairly overmatched by the goodness of God, but there is at least one spot in his narration that excites him. He clucks, to his nephew of the new Christian they are targeting, "Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing."
Lewis may well have had texts like 1 Timothy 6:9 in mind. There, Paul, the veteran, cagey apostle is coaching Timothy on what to avoid as this first letter closes out. Inspired, Paul has steered Timothy away from the spiritual pride that comes from engaging in endless, useless arguments. Now Paul is equally serious that Timothy avoid the lure of chasing after riches. As we have seen with the verse's opening, the desire to be rich is already trouble. If we fail to inspect our passions and motivations honestly and to confess them before the Lord, we walk without circumspection. With a strange kind of obtuse pride, we give the enemy of our souls time and opportunity to take advantage of untoward desires.
With the next phrase, Paul assures Timothy and us that the enemy will do so. The desire which is not supremely after Christ and Christ-likeness will, abided long enough, find an unworthy secondary object. Paul calls these snares, and the picture is of a trap involving something that a bird desires, something the file so wants that he is oblivious to the instruments around that bait which can lead to his capture. The bird thinks he can get the object of his momentary desire and escape on his terms. He can quit, he thinks, anytime he wants.
We are right there, Christian, maybe especially equipped with a persuasive veneer of God's Word. If that Word has not penetrated our hearts, if it does not course through our affections, we are in danger of using it to build a following and craving after the following rather than Christ. The old apostle is, after all, talking to Timothy devoted to the ministry about the perils of material gain. So far as I can tell, Timothy is not at a fork in the road choosing between the pastorate and real estate. He is, Paul believes, as a minister of the Gospel, still in danger of chasing after bottom-line results that please his eyes rather than strengthen his faith.
Again, brothers and sisters, where are our desires resting? What we allow ourselves to contemplate for very long well, then, surely be ours. Do we trust the Lord enough to ask Him to give us discernment for the snares around what we think we want? Do we trust the Lord enough that we would hear Him speak through the more cautious, cranky people around us about the dangers inherent in what we are considering? Would we listen to the tales of their experience that we might, by contrast, find out where the good way is and walk in it with our good God?
Screwtape is not prone to optimism. The fictional elder demon in CS Lewis's correspondence is actually prone to whine that demonic forces are unfairly overmatched by the goodness of God, but there is at least one spot in his narration that excites him. He clucks, to his nephew of the new Christian they are targeting, "Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing."
Lewis may well have had texts like 1 Timothy 6:9 in mind. There, Paul, the veteran, cagey apostle is coaching Timothy on what to avoid as this first letter closes out. Inspired, Paul has steered Timothy away from the spiritual pride that comes from engaging in endless, useless arguments. Now Paul is equally serious that Timothy avoid the lure of chasing after riches. As we have seen with the verse's opening, the desire to be rich is already trouble. If we fail to inspect our passions and motivations honestly and to confess them before the Lord, we walk without circumspection. With a strange kind of obtuse pride, we give the enemy of our souls time and opportunity to take advantage of untoward desires.
With the next phrase, Paul assures Timothy and us that the enemy will do so. The desire which is not supremely after Christ and Christ-likeness will, abided long enough, find an unworthy secondary object. Paul calls these snares, and the picture is of a trap involving something that a bird desires, something the file so wants that he is oblivious to the instruments around that bait which can lead to his capture. The bird thinks he can get the object of his momentary desire and escape on his terms. He can quit, he thinks, anytime he wants.
We are right there, Christian, maybe especially equipped with a persuasive veneer of God's Word. If that Word has not penetrated our hearts, if it does not course through our affections, we are in danger of using it to build a following and craving after the following rather than Christ. The old apostle is, after all, talking to Timothy devoted to the ministry about the perils of material gain. So far as I can tell, Timothy is not at a fork in the road choosing between the pastorate and real estate. He is, Paul believes, as a minister of the Gospel, still in danger of chasing after bottom-line results that please his eyes rather than strengthen his faith.
Again, brothers and sisters, where are our desires resting? What we allow ourselves to contemplate for very long well, then, surely be ours. Do we trust the Lord enough to ask Him to give us discernment for the snares around what we think we want? Do we trust the Lord enough that we would hear Him speak through the more cautious, cranky people around us about the dangers inherent in what we are considering? Would we listen to the tales of their experience that we might, by contrast, find out where the good way is and walk in it with our good God?
Comments
Post a Comment