CANTO III
INTRO
My favorite food is Ellen's Lasgna. Enough about me, how about you? SUMMARY Dante, the author, is telling a story about his spiritual journey. He is being lead through hell by his mentor, Virgil (reason). They encounter a hell that is divided by three categories (Incontinence, violence and fraud=- which are the antithesis of three pillars of virtue (moderation, courage and wisdom). Within each of these categories are subdivisions that Dante calls circles. All together there are 9 circles. INTRO TO CIRCLE 3 (Canto 6) At this point of the journey we are in the first category, incontinence. Dante defines incontinance "subjecting reason to desire." This is where desire and not reason is behind the steering wheel and reason is riding inthe back seat along for the ride. We are now about to enter circle 3 (Gluttony) - think of this scene as a - GARBAGE DUMP This represents what gluttons leave behind after their massive consumption. CANTO Lines 13 - 15 "Cerberus, a ruthless and fantastic beast, with all three throats howls out his doglike sonds above the drowning sinners of this place." OBSERVATION: In mythology, Cerberus is a ravenous doglike beast with three heads that allows all to enter hell, but none to escape. Borrowing of mythology, Dante places Cerberus as a guard dog standing guard over Circle 3. Think FLUFFY (the three head doglike beast) in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Lines 22 - 24 "When the slimy Cerberus cught sight of us, he opened his moths and showed his fangs; his body with one mass of twitching muscles." OBSERVATION: Like in Harry Potter, this beast is guarding something. Lines 25 - 36 "My master stooped and, spreading wide his fingers, he grabbed up heaping fistfuls of the mud and flung it down into those GREEDY GULLETS. As a howling cur, hungering to get fed, quiets down with the first mouthful of his food, busy with eating, wrestiling with that alone, so it was with all three filthy heads of the demon Cerberus, used to barking thunder on these dead souls, who wished that they were deaf. OBSERVATION: Cerberus' primary purpose is protection (guarding the circle) He is easily "distracted" by "food." Each of us has a primary purpose on the "straight and naRrow path" of life. We journey well when we focus on our primary purpose, we journey poorly when we are persuaded to pursue a lesser path other than our primary purpose. For some, that which pulls us off the path is food. QUESTION: Do you know anyone that is easily distracted by food)? Line 25 - 30 "My master stooped and, spreading wide fingers, he grapped up heaping fistfuls of the mud and flung it down into those greedy gullets. As a howling cur, hungering to get fed, quiets down with the first mouthful of his food, BUSY WITH EATING, WRESTLING WITH THAT ALONE." OBSERVATION: The beast Cereberus went from guard dog to compliant dog by merely filling the greedy gullets. Another Translation (describing the transformation) "ALL ITS EFFORT DIRECTED AT CONSUMPTION. OBSERVATION: Cereberus is FOOD DRIVEN. The journey through the Inferno is to see what drives people. Last week, Francesca and Palo were LUST driven. This week Ciacco is food driven. QUESTION What drives you? What are "all your efforts directed at"? Is it lust? Is it food? Greed? Or is it something else? SCRIPTURE TO PONDER "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." Matthew 6:33 Lines 37 "Each sinner there was STRETCHED OUT ON THE GROUND ... OBSERVATION: The unrepentant are wallowing in the mud, or more exact mired in the mud REMEMBER: Each UNREPENTANT sinner prepares their place in the Inferno through their actions in this life. The punishment is similar to the crime. For the glutton, it's like those of us who partake in the most gluttonous of all the feasts, THANKSGIVING. Those of us who prepare for this day, and tackle it like it is a sport, pay the consequences soon after the meal is consumed as we lay about, strewn from couch to floor, wallowing in our pain, thinking to ourselves "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." At least, so I've heard. QUESTION TO PONDER Does food control us; or do we control food? SCRIPTURE TO PONDER "Food does not bring us closer to God..." I Corinthians 8:8a THOUGHT TO PONDER For if it did, I would be a spiritual giant. Line 38 "except for one who quickly sat up straight, the moment that he saw us pass him by." Line 40 - 42 'Do you know who I am'? Line 43 - 45 'No' Line 52 'I am Ciacco' NOTE Ciacco's was his nickname ('the Hog'). Line 64ff - Political Prohecy (black and white parties) POINT All of us during our lives, knowing and unkowninly are on a spiritual journey. Sometimes we are lost and distracted all life's journey. We become distracted (last week: lust; this week: food; next week: greed). We need a guide to show us the way. KNOW THYSELF the more we know ourselves the more we know what shall distract us and pull us off the path. FOR ME: Gluttony is not a sin, it's a sport What does that say about my perception of food? I see food as a SPORT I see me Vs Food (in this corner weighing in at 195 lbs, and in that corner 1/4 pounder) and they're tag teaming it, several 1/4 pounders I see a plate of food something to be conquered, to be victorious over, like climbing to the top of a mountain, because it's there. Who Shall win? Food or me? I will be victorious. I eat it because it's there I don't see food as nutrition – as ENTERTAINMENT I see food as COMFORT Food is my favorite subject. Can't talk to me before long, we're talking about food. PROBLEM Is gluttony a problem? Can eating too much cause problems Cost more money Cholestrol Diabetes Blood Pressure Heart Disease IMPLICATION Perhaps I should consider how food drives me KNOW THYSELF Food driven (Entertainment) I don't need to go on a diet, just watch less TV Proverbs 23 : 19 – 21 I Corinthians 8:8-13 I think gluttony takes a bad rap. There aren't that many bible verses against my favorite sport. Plato defined a good person as one whose appetites are under the control of his will (reason) and whose will is under the control of the mind (reason). Man, I knew I didn't like Plato....that's why he's in circle 1 REASON and food makes life boring (a/d) Reason, don't eat the chocolate cake, there is no nutriutional value (okay) chocolate, there is no nutriutional value, unless it's dark. I like milk chocolate better than dark. Fudge, what nutriutional value is there to fudge? So, next Sunday you bring all your fudge and place it right here on the altar. REASON doesn't win, but it has a better argument. Here is where Dante can help us. Residences of hell are those who say "it's not my fault." So let's assume thhe responsibility of this sport. Why do I over eat? Why do I find pleasure in eating? Why do I run from life through the refergerator? The more we know our food fetihes, the more we can control them. WARNING For some, our issue may be food; but for others it might be something else. do not be tempted and go look over there, a gluttonous person; because they may look back at you and say 'look and fill in the blank" Do not judge or you shall be judge CHALLENGE CARD Next Week: Canto VII (Circle 4: Greed) QUESTION: How much is enough? (How much total wealth and you don't need any more) SCRIPTURE TO PONDER Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. PROVERBS 23:20
posted by Pastor Stan at
2:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home