Man or Rabbit
Lewis gives a telling illustration to demonstrate the difference between Christians and Materialists. In the illustration of how to nurse a starving man back to health, Lewis exposes the fundamental differences between the eternal and the temporal. In short, the illustration is that a materialist, the temporal man, will stuff a starving man with a large meal to fulfill is immediate appetite. For the starving man, his appetite is filled, but he ends up dying. This end to the materialist’s help shows an important side of the spiritual end they face. True, their appetite may be fulfilled temporarily by the instant gratification of yoga, meditation, feng shui, and others facets of peace. But, the sad reality for these new agers is that the quick fix is just that, quick. It will fade, and their souls will be all the worse for it. As an opposing illustration, the Christian who feeds a starving man understands his need for everlasting food. Particularly, the Scripture that comes to mind is, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4.
As the illustration eludes, the difference between a Christian and a Materialist is clear. Lewis admits that to a point both of these approaches have roots in compassion and love. The materialist does not come to a starving man with the intent to kill; in fact, they feed the man to cease his suffering. Lewis also points out, Christians and Materialists can agree on many things, like education, health care, and the judicial system. However, sooner or later the differences will be blatant and undeniable. The Christian lifestyle will never support or tolerate the materialist lifestyle. And, the difference lies with the source of their joy.
The Christian’s source of joy is far deeper than the Materialist’s source of joy. For the materialist, joy comes from superficial source and fails to withstand the trials of life. When life takes a turn for the worst, the Materialist wallows in self-pity or rebels even harder against God. When life takes a turn for the best, they take the good for granted and self-indulge where they should not. This, I would argue, is not joy at all. It is merely a delay of the inevitable.
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Thank you Mary, for this post. "It is merely a delay of the inevitable" is a perfect summerization. People who believe in man saving himself forget of what material they are building their dreams. Man is a giddy thing, and, if history is to be believed, inherently selfish. Your post reminded me of Jesus at the well in Samaria, offering not a temporary fix, but enduring living water.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI like how you mention the that, although Christians and non-Christians can agree on many things, they cannot simply agree to disagree, because not all beliefs can peaceably mesh. Additionally, we need to avoid slipping into a materialist mindset; we need to continually search for joy in Christ alone.