Lazybones

#10 September 11,2021

Proverbs 26:13-16
26:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
26:15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

When we see God’s mercy as the only truth offered in the ways of God, we become a people filled with foolishness that allows us the diligence of a sluggard. We throw away the ability recognize our place in God’s Kingdom as anything more than an indulged child to whom God owes eternity. There is no need to be diligent, for our place in God is assured. It steals from us the need to reach out to others, because if they are too stupid to recognize a free ride. They are not worth my time.

Proverbs 26:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

No measure of stupidity or ignorance should be attributed to the sluggard. In fact, he is quite clever in creating scenarios that restrict him from action or response. He is also an adept evangelist of his point of view. Much like a politician, his standing in the fellowship is dependent on the number of people who agree with him. He sees this popular acclaim, as a proof of God’s mercy, which stands in the face of God’s justice and proves that holy justice, is irrelevant. The sluggard’s worldly honor is preserved and he believes that serves God’s sole purpose in mercy. I beg to differ.

Alma 19:107-111
19:107 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.
19:108 And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world.
19:109 And thus cometh about the salvation and redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery; therefore, O my son, whosoever will come, may come, and partake of the waters of life freely;
19:110 And whosoever will not come, the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him, according to his deeds.
19:111 If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God.

One imagines, that the way of the sluggard could never be hidden from those of a diligent mind. But again, I beg to differ.

Matthew 5:50 Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

When I was a younger man, I was taught that this verse was a metaphor and not to be taken literally, because perfection is a product of divinity and divine birth. Perfection was an attribute only attainable by God and or Jesus Christ. If that is so, why was Christ baptized.

Matthew 3:42-44
3:42 But John refused him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and why comest thou to me?
3:43 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Suffer me to be baptized of thee, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

If you answered, “to fulfill all righteousness” you were partially right, but there is more.

2 Nephi 13:8-12
13:8 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfill all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy?
13:9 But notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments;
13:10 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
13:11 And again: It sheweth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.
13:12 And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me.

Christ is in all temporal ways a man. Yes, He is divine, holy, and filled with all righteousness, but He is aware that He ministers to a people who need to be shown that holiness is a process that includes diligence, awareness, change, and growth. That process begins by understanding and embracing the justice of God. In that humility, we understand the necessity of our willing obedience. We learn that mercy like God’s Spirit will come to any who request it with enough awareness in their hearts to treat both justice and mercy with the reverence they deserve. If we like the sluggard make excuses for our unwillingness to seek perfection in God, it will not and cannot come. Can I be like God? No, but I can be one with Him. Can I be perfect like Christ? I don’t know for sure, but my lack of divine birth is not what holds me back. Only my unwillingness to embrace God’s justice and reach out for God’s mercy through His Spirit separates me from the perfection He seeks in me. That is His justice and to know His mercy I must honor His justice and be diligent in all that I do.

Proverbs 26:14-16
26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
26:15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

Consider if you will the shameless pride and resourcefulness of the sluggard.

Luke 16:1-3
16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods.
16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my lord taketh away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

He will remain in his bed and his with no other concern than to turn this way and that searching for comfort. It grieves him to move his hand from its current warm position to a place that might be colder. He shamelessly refuses to work and considers himself unworthy to beg. Justice demands that the unrighteous steward does his job or starves, but the sluggard has a crafty mind and he surprises even his Lord in his ability to acquire mercy.

Luke 16:5-9
16:5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
16:6 And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are wiser in their generation, than the children of light.
16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends, of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

See how the sluggard is wise in his own conceit. Devoid of the mercy of his Lord, he seeks the mercy of those that are beholding to his Lord. In the face of lesser mercy, he avoids the justice due him. Because of this, the slothful and the sluggard refuse the importance of God’s justice. Because of this, God calls out to the diligent.

Alma 19:113-114
19:113 O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more.
19:114 Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point, because of your sins, by denying the justice of God, but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long suffering, have full sway in your heart; but let it bring you down to the dust in humility.

Mercy without justice sets aside the wisdom of God and destroys our need for growth. It denies the necessity of God’s Spirit and robs us of a solid foundation on which our redemption might be built. God’s justice sets a standard of comparison. By that standard, we are able to measure our growth, offer diligence to our growth, and have joy in God because of our growth. Without justice, we are no more than a pinball reacting forever to the bumper we just hit. God’s justice gives our life purpose, action, and a source to depend on that our actions might be right.

LIVE AND GROW FOR ANOTHER DAY MY FRIENDS

FRED