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Pentecost+13 – Living Our Best Life
Rev. Dr. Les Martin
Head of Christ by Rembrandt (1645-1650)
Pentecost+13 2025
Rev. Dr. Les Martin
Deuteronomy 30:15–20, Psalm 1, Philemon, Luke 14:25-33
O Lord God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you – From the Collect of the Day
In the Name of the Living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I stood before you on August 3rd to inform you that the doctors had determined I had a bad heart. Briefly, I am happy to tell you today that the procedure I had some 17 days ago now seems to have been a success. I’m grateful to God for a new lease on life.
In that same announcement, I also alluded to the fact that I have a bad heart in other ways- spiritual ways. Truth is, we all do. Today in Deuteronomy 30 verse 15. God tells the people of Israel about their options, moving forward. He says that he has set before them life and good, evil and death. In verse 19, he pleads with them to “choose life.” In truth, that’s not just their choice, it’s my choice, it’s the daily choice of all of us, really. Problem is, we have bad hearts. Verses 17 and 18 of the same passage read as follows:
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. (Dt 30:18-18, ESV)
We know from the history of Israel, that their hearts did indeed turn away, again and again, and they did indeed perish in their idolatry, again and again. So do we.
Proverbs 14:12 says the following “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” (CSB) That, friends, is both the heart of the matter, and what’s the matter with our hearts. You see, we don’t have to be particularly actively evil or wicked people to wind up in a mess. Rather, it’s simply the case that what seems naturally right and good to us leads to death. This is because our hearts are not neutral territory. Absent the truth of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, they are deceived- fatally so. Our Collect this morning reminds us that they are constantly subjected to “the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Throughout history, the church has said that the work of Christian living is to renounce- to decide that we will no longer give allegiance to- those temptations, to that way that seems so right to us but actually deals us destruction.
The world, the flesh and the devil. These are the “three foes of man” – as they were called in the medieval Church. They are constantly seducing our hearts, enticing us to go off in a way that seems appealing at first glance, but actually only reaps a harvest of painful consequences. Let’s consider them in reverse order.
The devil is at the heart of the problem with our hearts. Back in Genesis 3:4-5 he offers us the original lie, the original temptation that humanity swallows hook, line, and sinker. Regarding eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, he whispers:
Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God (NET)
You will be like God. Yours will be the kingdom the power and the glory. Everything you desire is within your grasp, and it is your right. If it feels good, do it. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it. Have it your way. Building our lives on this lie is indeed the way of evil. Believing this lie, we no longer love God above all things and our neighbors as ourselves. We are God, and our neighbors- like Onesimus in our Epistle today- are our slaves, to be used for our pleasure and cast off when they don’t meet our needs. Self-idolatry, self-worship- it’s so subtle, so common place. We place ourselves at the center of our universe so easily.
The desires of the flesh are always the next logical next step. Having declared ourselves masters of our own universe, the question is: What do I want? What am I hungry for? What do I desire? Rather than being satisfied with the daily bread provided for us, we begin to listen to the internal voices of our cravings. This may cause us to look backward to either the cucumbers and leeks of Egypt, or just the freedom of youth. Cravings may also be more fantasy-based, imagining a life of physical pleasure, unlimited financial resources, or some form of fame, esteem or even physical appearance that would make us feel better about ourselves. Whatever our particular desire is somewhat irrelevant. What’s universal among broken humanity is the unfolding process: we first declare ourselves God, and then we seek to satisfy our cravings.
Enter the world. The culture waters we all swim in-those of decadent, end-stage consumer captialism-provide for our cravings, either with real things and people, or with the illusions of virtual life and digital intimacy. Like the people in Pixar’s 2008 film WALL-E, it is easy for us to grow fat, indolent, and lazy as we fill ourselves with all the stuff our society says will make us happy.
“If your heart turns away… I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.” They did, we do, obsessed with self-worship, consumed by our wants, buried under our mountains of things.
As I mentioned earlier, our baptismal life in Christ necessitates the renunciation of these three foes of mankind. If, as the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states, “Selfishness – self-centeredness… is the root of our troubles,” (Big Book, p 62) then the answer to renouncing “the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy) lies in what Christ commends in verse 26 of our Gospel reading today: we simply must choose God first, above even self. For John Calvin, self-denial is the way Jesus offers us freedom from what he terms the “deadly pestilence of love of strife and love of self.” Denial of self- turning instead to God and our neighbor as the focus of our attention- is the escape from selfishness. Self-denial is the gift Christ gives us that enables us to dedicate ourselves to God and to seek the things which “are of the Lord’s will.” This is not to ignore a healthy self-identity, mind you, nor overlook legitimate self-care. It is, however, the work of “right-sizing” ourselves- recognizing that the Lord is God and we are not. Like that old saying says: it’s not about thinking less of yourself, it’s about thinking of yourself less.
What of “the sinful desires of the flesh that draw you from the love of God?” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy) Jesus teaches in verse 27 that we must bear our cross. In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul writes:
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NLT)
We always need to remember that as fallen humans we have our wants and our needs confused. We do not really know what is good for us, only what we desire. When we can come to trust in the Son of God and in his provision of what is truly necessary- for our daily bread- it becomes easier, if not exactly easy, to crucify our internal cravings for immediate and never-ending pleasure and soothing.
The world, it seems to me, wants to give us that pleasure, those wants- on credit. We buy now, pay later. Thing is, what we buy neither lasts nor satisfies- the point is the acquisition that never ends: there is always some new thing, some new dream that we are encouraged to go after. And the costs- the consequences of this way of living- are so very high. Addiction, broken homes, damaged and discarded relationships, a life of stress driven by the anxiety to either get ahead or just pay off our financial debt, a life of illness driven by quick-fix consumption of unhealthy foods, substances, and ideas. Hence our baptismal liturgy calls us to “renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God.” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy). The things of this fast-food, single-use, disposable life do indeed corrupt and destroy us. Jesus, in verse 27, urges us to “count the cost” of the kind of lifestyle we are building. To have the discipline to walk closely with him in the life he has given us to live, as opposed to grasping for some kind of fantasy lifestyle that was never meant to be ours, despite what the world suggests.
Some thoughts about this life of renunciation. First, it is not so much about doing something different- although it entails that- as it is about seeing something different. Its about seeing how much peace there is in not trying to be God anymore. Its about understanding that the commandments of the Lord really are the best way to live- that they provide freedom to live, not restriction of life. It is about seeing that this altar, this font, these relationships, our spouses, families, friends and work are the place in which God is making us holy and transforming us into his likeness. In the givenness of our lives is where we find grace. We don’t have to search for it anywhere else. In fact, such a search may well lead us only to the dead-end consequences that are always the result of rebellious self-seeking. Just to see this- to confess these truths- is to allow God to begin the re-fashioning of our bad hearts into hearts that delight in him. And as our hearts learn to delight in him, our mind will be renewed, and our lives will follow suit.
Secondly, remember that we won’t always get it right. We will still quite often err, siding with the world, the flesh, and the devil. When we do- when we have wandered far in a land that is waste, with the consequences of the choices we have made weighing us down- then we have come to the place of hope. Remember this: discipleship is not the Gospel. And the Gospel is this: that when we were still far off, Christ loved us, died for us, and brought us home. There is always forgiveness for the repentant heart. The way of renunciation, the way of discipleship is fruit that grows out of our rooted relationship in Christ, not the other way around. We can always find mercy and forgiveness in Jesus, even when we have been too much with the world, the flesh, the devil.
This past week, I began cardiac rehab three days a week. You know- the diet, the treadmill and the weights. Why? Because the fact is this: the doctors have fixed my heart, have given me a new life. But what I do with that life is up to me. Effort is required to make sure I use it to the fullest, and in the best way possible. In his mercy, Jesus has given us all new life through his shed blood and the waters of Baptism. What we do with it is up to us. The life of renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil, of giving allegiance to Christ and him alone- that is our spiritual cardiac rehabilitation. It enables us to live the kind of lives that the children we are are invited to live. The very best way of living there is. May God give us the desire to pursue it.
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By Rev. Doug FloydRev. Dr. Les Martin
Head of Christ by Rembrandt (1645-1650)
Pentecost+13 2025
Rev. Dr. Les Martin
Deuteronomy 30:15–20, Psalm 1, Philemon, Luke 14:25-33
O Lord God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you – From the Collect of the Day
In the Name of the Living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I stood before you on August 3rd to inform you that the doctors had determined I had a bad heart. Briefly, I am happy to tell you today that the procedure I had some 17 days ago now seems to have been a success. I’m grateful to God for a new lease on life.
In that same announcement, I also alluded to the fact that I have a bad heart in other ways- spiritual ways. Truth is, we all do. Today in Deuteronomy 30 verse 15. God tells the people of Israel about their options, moving forward. He says that he has set before them life and good, evil and death. In verse 19, he pleads with them to “choose life.” In truth, that’s not just their choice, it’s my choice, it’s the daily choice of all of us, really. Problem is, we have bad hearts. Verses 17 and 18 of the same passage read as follows:
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. (Dt 30:18-18, ESV)
We know from the history of Israel, that their hearts did indeed turn away, again and again, and they did indeed perish in their idolatry, again and again. So do we.
Proverbs 14:12 says the following “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” (CSB) That, friends, is both the heart of the matter, and what’s the matter with our hearts. You see, we don’t have to be particularly actively evil or wicked people to wind up in a mess. Rather, it’s simply the case that what seems naturally right and good to us leads to death. This is because our hearts are not neutral territory. Absent the truth of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, they are deceived- fatally so. Our Collect this morning reminds us that they are constantly subjected to “the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Throughout history, the church has said that the work of Christian living is to renounce- to decide that we will no longer give allegiance to- those temptations, to that way that seems so right to us but actually deals us destruction.
The world, the flesh and the devil. These are the “three foes of man” – as they were called in the medieval Church. They are constantly seducing our hearts, enticing us to go off in a way that seems appealing at first glance, but actually only reaps a harvest of painful consequences. Let’s consider them in reverse order.
The devil is at the heart of the problem with our hearts. Back in Genesis 3:4-5 he offers us the original lie, the original temptation that humanity swallows hook, line, and sinker. Regarding eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, he whispers:
Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God (NET)
You will be like God. Yours will be the kingdom the power and the glory. Everything you desire is within your grasp, and it is your right. If it feels good, do it. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it. Have it your way. Building our lives on this lie is indeed the way of evil. Believing this lie, we no longer love God above all things and our neighbors as ourselves. We are God, and our neighbors- like Onesimus in our Epistle today- are our slaves, to be used for our pleasure and cast off when they don’t meet our needs. Self-idolatry, self-worship- it’s so subtle, so common place. We place ourselves at the center of our universe so easily.
The desires of the flesh are always the next logical next step. Having declared ourselves masters of our own universe, the question is: What do I want? What am I hungry for? What do I desire? Rather than being satisfied with the daily bread provided for us, we begin to listen to the internal voices of our cravings. This may cause us to look backward to either the cucumbers and leeks of Egypt, or just the freedom of youth. Cravings may also be more fantasy-based, imagining a life of physical pleasure, unlimited financial resources, or some form of fame, esteem or even physical appearance that would make us feel better about ourselves. Whatever our particular desire is somewhat irrelevant. What’s universal among broken humanity is the unfolding process: we first declare ourselves God, and then we seek to satisfy our cravings.
Enter the world. The culture waters we all swim in-those of decadent, end-stage consumer captialism-provide for our cravings, either with real things and people, or with the illusions of virtual life and digital intimacy. Like the people in Pixar’s 2008 film WALL-E, it is easy for us to grow fat, indolent, and lazy as we fill ourselves with all the stuff our society says will make us happy.
“If your heart turns away… I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.” They did, we do, obsessed with self-worship, consumed by our wants, buried under our mountains of things.
As I mentioned earlier, our baptismal life in Christ necessitates the renunciation of these three foes of mankind. If, as the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states, “Selfishness – self-centeredness… is the root of our troubles,” (Big Book, p 62) then the answer to renouncing “the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy) lies in what Christ commends in verse 26 of our Gospel reading today: we simply must choose God first, above even self. For John Calvin, self-denial is the way Jesus offers us freedom from what he terms the “deadly pestilence of love of strife and love of self.” Denial of self- turning instead to God and our neighbor as the focus of our attention- is the escape from selfishness. Self-denial is the gift Christ gives us that enables us to dedicate ourselves to God and to seek the things which “are of the Lord’s will.” This is not to ignore a healthy self-identity, mind you, nor overlook legitimate self-care. It is, however, the work of “right-sizing” ourselves- recognizing that the Lord is God and we are not. Like that old saying says: it’s not about thinking less of yourself, it’s about thinking of yourself less.
What of “the sinful desires of the flesh that draw you from the love of God?” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy) Jesus teaches in verse 27 that we must bear our cross. In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul writes:
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NLT)
We always need to remember that as fallen humans we have our wants and our needs confused. We do not really know what is good for us, only what we desire. When we can come to trust in the Son of God and in his provision of what is truly necessary- for our daily bread- it becomes easier, if not exactly easy, to crucify our internal cravings for immediate and never-ending pleasure and soothing.
The world, it seems to me, wants to give us that pleasure, those wants- on credit. We buy now, pay later. Thing is, what we buy neither lasts nor satisfies- the point is the acquisition that never ends: there is always some new thing, some new dream that we are encouraged to go after. And the costs- the consequences of this way of living- are so very high. Addiction, broken homes, damaged and discarded relationships, a life of stress driven by the anxiety to either get ahead or just pay off our financial debt, a life of illness driven by quick-fix consumption of unhealthy foods, substances, and ideas. Hence our baptismal liturgy calls us to “renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God.” (BCP 2019 Baptismal liturgy). The things of this fast-food, single-use, disposable life do indeed corrupt and destroy us. Jesus, in verse 27, urges us to “count the cost” of the kind of lifestyle we are building. To have the discipline to walk closely with him in the life he has given us to live, as opposed to grasping for some kind of fantasy lifestyle that was never meant to be ours, despite what the world suggests.
Some thoughts about this life of renunciation. First, it is not so much about doing something different- although it entails that- as it is about seeing something different. Its about seeing how much peace there is in not trying to be God anymore. Its about understanding that the commandments of the Lord really are the best way to live- that they provide freedom to live, not restriction of life. It is about seeing that this altar, this font, these relationships, our spouses, families, friends and work are the place in which God is making us holy and transforming us into his likeness. In the givenness of our lives is where we find grace. We don’t have to search for it anywhere else. In fact, such a search may well lead us only to the dead-end consequences that are always the result of rebellious self-seeking. Just to see this- to confess these truths- is to allow God to begin the re-fashioning of our bad hearts into hearts that delight in him. And as our hearts learn to delight in him, our mind will be renewed, and our lives will follow suit.
Secondly, remember that we won’t always get it right. We will still quite often err, siding with the world, the flesh, and the devil. When we do- when we have wandered far in a land that is waste, with the consequences of the choices we have made weighing us down- then we have come to the place of hope. Remember this: discipleship is not the Gospel. And the Gospel is this: that when we were still far off, Christ loved us, died for us, and brought us home. There is always forgiveness for the repentant heart. The way of renunciation, the way of discipleship is fruit that grows out of our rooted relationship in Christ, not the other way around. We can always find mercy and forgiveness in Jesus, even when we have been too much with the world, the flesh, the devil.
This past week, I began cardiac rehab three days a week. You know- the diet, the treadmill and the weights. Why? Because the fact is this: the doctors have fixed my heart, have given me a new life. But what I do with that life is up to me. Effort is required to make sure I use it to the fullest, and in the best way possible. In his mercy, Jesus has given us all new life through his shed blood and the waters of Baptism. What we do with it is up to us. The life of renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil, of giving allegiance to Christ and him alone- that is our spiritual cardiac rehabilitation. It enables us to live the kind of lives that the children we are are invited to live. The very best way of living there is. May God give us the desire to pursue it.