To Consume or Be Consumed
As human beings, we are constantly consuming things. We live in a consumer society, and we consume energy, food, and all manner of goods and services. Another thing we consume at an alarming rate is information, but there is far too much of it, so we must pick and choose what we take in. Included in the ocean of data are both truths and lies. If we consume truth, we live more abundant lives, but if we swallow lies, we become less and slowly die.
To live, we must use up resources. Fortunately, God created the earth and said, “For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare.” Many of the natural resources we rely on replenish themselves. However, there is one resource that, once consumed, cannot be replaced, and that is time. We use this precious resource to perform necessary tasks and idle away much of it. Our minds are constantly engaged in thought, and if we are thinking productively, it takes time. So, time is an integral part of us all, and the things we do that eat away our time ultimately consume us.
You may think by the subtitle of today’s thoughts that I am talking about the survival of the fittest. If that were the case, I would have said, eat or be eaten. What I am getting at today is purely behavioral, psychological, and symbolic.
In the final days of Christ’s mortal journey, we witness people who consume the emblems of the Savior and live and one who is consumed by greed and dies. The eleven apostles were focused on doing the will of Jesus and remembered him, his life, mission, and sacrifice when they ate and drank the symbols of his body and blood. Judas, however, was focused on, or you could say, being consumed by himself and money.
The account of the last supper is intimate yet has elements that reach into eternity. For Jesus and his apostles it was an opportunity for the master teacher to deliver his final mortal lessons, and for the disciples, never to be forgotten instructions on how they were to proceed personally and as leaders. There were no parables to decipher or miracles performed to convince or make believers of those chosen to carry on the work of God in the world. Each act was purposeful and powerful. While the impact of that singular event may not have been fully apprehended at the time, the point of it all was to develop his disciples, humble men and women, into potent and convicted witnesses of the Son of God.
I want to start with the idea of being consumed. In the story of Christ’s betrayal, Judas is the central figure. From the account in the scripture, we know that Judas kept the purse, meaning that whatever monetary resources were part of the ministry were his responsibility. We can speculate that specific resources were used for expenses, and undoubtedly some were used to help others because Judas complained that the expensive ointment that Mary used to anoint Jesus should have been sold and the money used to feed the poor. I think Judas was consumed with wanting money in the coffers so he could skim off the top. Another idea that came to my mind about Judas; (and this is pure speculation) is that perhaps Judas saw the tremendous following Jesus had and thought that if he had an inside position, he could capitalize on the popularity of the Savior. Did he solicit donations or accept them as part of his responsibilities?
What was Judas thinking when he negotiated the deal with the chief priests? Did Judas know what the chief priest would do with Jesus when they got their hands on him? Maybe he thought they would simply silence him during the Passover celebration or imprison him. I don’t think he thought it through, perhaps because his love for money blinded him. We know he instantly regretted his decision and wanted to go back on the deal. Judas loved Jesus more than the 30 pieces of silver, but his greed temporarily clouded his judgment enough to help him justify his abhorrent action. Judas was consumed by greed, which ultimately led to his suicide.
The second part of the story of the Last Supper is the institution of the sacramental ordinance. Jesus took bread and blessed it, and gave it to the disciples saying, “Take, eat, this is my body.” “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” This ordinance was explained earlier in the Savior’s ministry in John chapter 6, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him”.
This act of consuming the symbols of the sacrament and remembering the sacrifice of the Savior is transformative if we allow it to be. Eating the bread and drinking the water is symbolic of internalizing Jesus Christ. We become more like him when we think about him and try to emulate his actions. As we come to know him, we discover more of ourselves. We are all meant to become the sons and daughters of God and heirs of His kingdom with Jesus.
When we consume good things, we become more than our current selves. Like the seed of faith explained in Alma 32, the good seeds sprout and grow into a tree of life. Virtuous actions open doors of opportunity and understanding. Barriers of self-doubt vanish, and we flourish in heart, mind, and body.
If we consume evil, we get small and self-absorbed, our vision narrows, and we eventually become a Judas to ourselves and those around us. Betrayal is a natural outcome of being consumed by the poisons of hate, greed, envy, lust, and iniquity. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into these carefully disguised traps. As much as we would like to think we are above such vices, small, more subtle temptations present themselves, and justification rears its ugly head, and we slip into errant behaviors. Betrayal is part of our human nature. Every selfish act is an act of treason to others and, ultimately ourselves. Small betrayals are not okay. Lies, deception, and everything we don’t want anyone else to know about are forms of betrayal.
Another way I could summarize my thoughts today is this; when we consume truth and virtue, we are enlarged and become more. When we allow ourselves to be overcome by human nature and vice, we are diminished to the point of extinction.
The antidote to human nature is to become like Jesus. We can use the emblems of the sacrament to always remember him. I hope we can fill our thoughts with good, virtue, truth, and light, and then we will have a more abundant life.