A Ramble About Meat

I was going back through this passage in Galatians today in Greek for a translation notes project I have been a part of. It says:

“λεγω δε πνευματι περιπατειτε και επιθυμιαν σαρκος ου μη τελεσητε η γαρ σαρξ επιθυμει κατα του πνευματος το δε πνευμα κατα της σαρκος ταυτα γαρ αλληλοις αντικειται ινα μη α εαν θελητε ταυτα ποιητε ει δε πνευματι αγεσθε ουκ εστε υπο νομον φανερα δε εστιν τα εργα της σαρκος ατινα εστιν πορνεια ακαθαρσια ασελγεια ειδωλολατρια φαρμακεια εχθραι ερις ζηλος θυμοι εριθειαι διχοστασιαι αιρεσεις φθονοι μεθαι κωμοι και τα ομοια τουτοις α προλεγω υμιν καθως προειπον οτι οι τα τοιαυτα πρασσοντες βασιλειαν θεου ου κληρονομησουσιν.”

In English, it says,

“But I say walk by the Spirit and you won't at all complete the craving of the meat because the meat craves against the Spirit and the Spirit against the meat because these things oppose one another so that you might not do whatever things you wish, and if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Torah, and the actions of the meat are visible, which are whorings, dirtiness, wanton violence, idolatry, hallucinogenic drug abuse, hostilities, discord, jealousy, rages, campaigns, dissensions, factions, grudges, alcoholism, partying and such things as these which I speak to you beforehand just as I spoke beforehand that those practicing such things as these will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:16-21, my own translation)

The word sarx is usually translated as “flesh”. The problem with the word “flesh” is that it's an archaic usage of English. The modern English word is “meat” like the kind that you buy at the grocery store, throw on the barbecue, fry up into a hamburger, or what hangs off of your bones and is riddled through with blood vessels and nervous tissues. Really what it means is “animal tissues.” It's the part of the human being which is physical and grows from two cells into billions.

A theory proposed a while back by Abraham Maslow, called the Hierarchy of Needs, says that when a person's needs are not being perceived as met, then that person won't be motivated to focus on the higher stages of needs. The most basic level of this hierarchy is the physiological; needs for food, rest, drink, sex, etc. The person will be so anxious and tense over the perceived needs being demanded by their physiology that they won't be focused on the higher stages like safety, love/acceptance, esteem, etc.

It occurred to me today that the "craving of the meat" which St. Paul was writing about refers to the cravings for food, sex, rest, drink, etc. and the frustration, fear, anger and suffering which arises when they are perceived as going unfulfilled. This in turn precipitates whoring, wanton violence, theft, adultery, lies, drug abuse, alcoholism, rages, etc. It is a chain that begins with the cravings of the physical body and can be broken at the beginning by walking by the Spirit.

The cravings exist as part of the normal functions of the body. The chain goes like this, the body becomes hungry (a normal bodily function), it then experiences a craving for food. What happens next is where things go askew. If there is faith that this craving will be dealt with (one way or the other), then the psyche is patient until it is. If there is fear that the craving will not be dealt with, this precipitates the actions the psyche believes are necessary to fulfill the craving regardless of what those actions might be. Because,

“ουκ εκ πιστεως παν δε ο ουκ εκ πιστεως αμαρτια εστιν”

"everything not from faith is a malfunction" (Romans 14:23b, my own translation)

In 1 John, there is another list where the “craving of the meat” also appears.

“η επιθυμια της σαρκος και η επιθυμια των οφθαλμων και η αλαζονια του βιου, ουκ εστιν εκ του πατρος αλλ εκ του κοσμου εστιν.”

“the craving of the meat and the craving of the eyes and the false pretensions of one's mode of life are not from the father but are from the world.” (1 John 2:16b)

“The craving of the eyes” is generally understood to be the desire for material possessions. “The false pretensions of one's mode of life” can be understood as the esteem one generates from who they think they are. One thing I realized today as well was that these too can be seen as fitting on Maslow's hierarchy. During our lives, we legitimately run into needing the use of certainly material things such as clothing, housing, a vehicle, kitchen utencils, etc. in order to meet our physiological needs. The same fork in the road occurs between faith and fear as to whether or not these needs are being perceived as being met, or will be met. In terms of acceptance and esteem, we do the same thing and respond according to either faith or fear. When we respond out of fear, we turn to the false image we create for ourselves based on how we are living and who we think we are.

In terms of these things, Gautama Siddharta, 500 years prior, also identified the root causes of the sufferings and cravings as well. He said:

“The cause of all sorrow lies at the very beginning; it is hidden in the ignorance from which life grows. Remove ignorance and you will destroy the wrong appetites that rise from ignorance; destroy these appetites and you will wipe out the wrong perception that arises from them; destroy wrong perception and there is an end of errors in individualized beings. Destroy the errors in individualized beings and the illusions of the six fields will disappear. Destroy illusions and the contact with things will cease to beget misconception. Destroy misconception and you do away with thirst. Destroy thirst and you do away with all morbid cleaving. Remove the cleaving and you destroy the selfishness of selfhood. If the selfishness of selfhood is destroyed you will … escape all suffering.” (Gospel of Buddha VII:8)

St. Paul said that the key to avoiding this spiral into suffering was to “walk by the Spirit.” Walking by the Spirit is the letting go of all of the attachments and addictions a person has in this life in favor of a single relationship with God through Jesus Christ. St.Paul also wrote:

“οι δε του Χριστου Ιησου την σαρκα εσταυρωσαν συν τοις παθημασιν και ταις επιθυμιαις.”

“But those of Christ Jesus crucified the meat together with the sufferings and the cravings.” (Galatians 5:24, my own translation)

He also wrote:

“ο γαρ αποθανων δεδικαιωται απο της αμαρτιας.”

“Because the person having died is put right from the malfunction.”(Romans 6:7, my own translation)

Walking by the Spirit means allowing all of these attachments and addictions to who you think you are, physiological needs, and what you think you might need wither and die within you. It means actively putting to death those attachments which you look to in order to inform you of who you are. It means actively having faith that all of these needs will be met at one point or another by a single relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and trusting that if they aren't, then they aren't really needs no matter what your “meat” is screaming at you. And once these attachments and addictions are dead, then so is the chain which gives birth to suffering and more craving.

One final thought, regardless of what you have convinced yourself of, if you aren't actively putting these attachments to death, then you aren't of Christ Jesus, because that is what those who are of Him do according to St. Paul.