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Empty Words (Ephesians 5:1-20)
I write this on the day of our youngest child's 21st birthday. Last night she held a house party to celebrate the occasion and, to my surprise, we were invited. I say surprise because we would be the only mum and dad in a house full of her young friends and siblings. Nevertheless, we entered into the spirit of the occasion, which was a fancy dress party based on films from the eighties, and went appropriately attired as Peggy Sue and Indiana Jones. My wife suggested I put on a cardigan and go as Indiana Jones' grandfather but, despite such mocking, I attempted to achieve a respectable level of authenticity. Personally I see in myself an uncanny likeness to the man but I won't dwell on it.
I was already equipped with some corduroy trousers, a good shirt and authentic walking boots and an Indiana hat and so, in my efforts to achieve the aforementioned authenticity I bought a lifelike rubber snake and a whip. I did think that obtaining a whip might prove difficult, especially as I hadn't the money, or indeed the inclination, to buy a real one. To my surprise I found an authentic enough looking rubber one in a local joke shop and fancy dress costumers. This brings me to the point of my story.
As my wife and I wandered among the racks we saw they were bulging with
costumes, jokes, accessories and some items best left unmentioned in
polite company. Surprised as well as delighted to find a whip, I went
to the sales point with my wife to make my purchase. The man at the
till took my money and then, with a significant look declared sotto
voce, "Note that we are very discreet sir, and won't ask questions",
and smiled. We then laughed at his obvious and appropriate joke (it
was a joke shop) and proceeded with the transaction.
Anyway, the party went off well and we met Superman, Luke Skywalker, Madonna, Rambo, the Blues Brothers (twice), and sundry characters from eighties movies. But I have been reflecting on the whole panoply of illusion recruited to make the party successful. No one believed, of course, that I was Indiana Jones, or that Superman was going to fly, and it was harmless fun and a genuinely good evening. But I am thinking about how much we can delude ourselves daily as we put on the faces we present to the world and encounter the faces presented by others? Convinced that other's lives are full of meaning and purpose, how often we envy them as we imagine them at the right parties, moving in the right crowds, being seen in the right places and how often we mimic them. The remark of the joke shop manager I found especially interesting and I wonder how many of his customers actually think that somewhere people are actually living out their fantasies attired in items purchased in a basically tacky joke shop and fancy dress emporium while they only pretend, live empty lives, and hope no one catches them out in a lie.
In the same way we can carry the accoutrements of the Christian life, purchasing Bibles, magazines and nick-nacks in a Christian shop. We can imagine that somewhere, someone is living the Christian life to the full and it isn't us, but we are not going to let on. We can easily fall for the empty words of others, whether those who are of the world, or those who pretend at the Christian life. More seriously, we can talk the talk but fail to walk the walk.
In the parable of the great banquet (Mt.22:2-14) Jesus told of a great party to which we are invited. The attire for the banquet is not fancy dress and those who simply turn up pretending will not be allowed entry (vv 11-14). We are not to go along with the crowd and hope no one notices our empty words and fancy dress costumes. At this party we are to be attired in Christ and that means:
1. Finding out what pleases God (Eph.5:10)
2. Recognising our status as children of light (Eph.5:9) and living accordingly.
3. Being imitators of God, living a life of love and sacrifice (Eph.5:1-12)
4. Refusing to be deceived by the empty words and fancy dress of others (Eph.5:6)
Since God has given us "all that we need for life and godliness through
our knowledge of him" (2 Peter 1:3) we should encourage one another to
stop pretending and live the life for which God has truly equipped us
as children of light.