WHAT IS YOUR MESS OF MEAT?

We have a dog that can stay, come, turn around, roll over, beg and bark on command. It is clear that, with some concentrated efforts on our part, we could teach him things which might seem to be intelligent behavior.

The dog loves to roam the yard. He gets extremely mad when he is forced to return to his pen. He dearly cherishes this freedom.

However, take one little piece of meat out there and he will enthusiastically relinquish his liberty. He gulps the chunk down so fast that he wonders where it went. Yet no matter how many times this trick is played upon him, he never fails to comply.

This is the difference between instinct and intelligent behavior. Surely the human would never be subject to such trickery -- or would he?

"Follow after peace ... looking carefully lest ... there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears" (Heb. 12: 14-16). Apparently Esau fell for it!

One definition of intelligence is the ability to know the effects of our actions. According to this definition the dog, as "smart" as we might think that he is, does not qualify as being very intelligent. But then, neither do some of the most educated humans amongst us.

All of us tend to sell out our long-term interests for short-term pleasures. The reversal of this tendency takes spiritual maturity. According to 2 Peter 1: 5-9, having "escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust," we should add (to our faith) virtue, knowledge, self control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. The progressive nature of these additions implies a concerted life-long process of maturing.

Peter goes on: "For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins." The animal images get uglier, but we will let you examine this for yourself (2 Pet. 2: 20-22).

God created man separate and distinct from the animals, after His own image (Gen. 1: 27). With the ability to perceive the difference between the physical and the spiritual, man has generally chosen to ignore his spiritual and emphasize his animal nature.

This was Esau's problem: he could "see" no further than his stomach (Gen. 25:32). What is the limit of your vision? What is your mess of meat?