Make No Provision |
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom 13:14)
St Paul provides crucial advice—not forbidding to provide for the needs of life, but “warning us against self-indulgence.” [1] The word provision suggests thinking about gratifying the flesh, now or in the future. With food, the word craving is often used to describe the motivational state where one feels compelled to seek and eat something.
The culprits are usually processed foods, especially those high in sugar, fat, or sodium that awaken the belly of carnal passions. Since many home environments are commonly set up to entice rather than reduce fleshly desires, one might ask, “How easy is it for you to eat unhealthfully in your house?”
If it is easy, then there is concern of making provision for the flesh to gratify its desires, serving the creature rather than the Creator. [2] The strongest of intentions can be quickly dismantled, as temptation often requires an object of that desire—as with Adam and the fruit, or with Jesus and the stones (Mt 4:3). [3] Also, as St Jerome warns of the snares of the lustful and gluttonous temptations that encircle, “what folly it is to think we are free when we are surrounded by the nets of pleasure!” [4]
Thus, there can be efforts to change the scene and withdraw oneself from the object that feeds fleshly desires and allures toward indulgence (e.g., not eating in certain environments), or remove the object from one’s presence (e.g., not buying and keeping unhealthy food at home). St Mark the Monk teaches, “The person who hates the passions removes their causes, while the person who is addicted to those things that cause the passions is attacked by the passions, even though he may not wish it.” [5]
The Christian is under no obligation to “live after” the flesh, to fulfill its desires (Rom 8:12–13). There are many things in which the flesh is owed, “as giving it food, warmth, and rest, medicine when out of health, clothing, and a thousand other attentions,” however, according to St John Chrysostom, the care that St Paul is rejecting is “that which leads to sin,” not the care “for its having what is healing to it.” [6]
St Augustine concludes:
“Provision for the flesh is not to be condemned if it has to do with the needs of bodily health. But if it is a question of unnecessary delights or luxuries, a person who enjoys the delights of the flesh is rightly chastised. For in that case, he makes provision for the desires of the flesh, and he who sows in the flesh will reap corruption in the flesh.” [7]
And, similarly, from St John Cassian:
“He does not forbid care for it [the body] in every respect: but says that care is not to be taken in regard to its desires and lusts. He cuts away the luxurious fondness for the flesh: he does not exclude the control necessary for life: he does the former, lest through pampering the flesh we should be involved in dangerous entanglements of the desires; the latter lest the body should be injured by our fault and unable to fulfil its spiritual and necessary duties.” [8]
References
[1] John Cassian. "On the Eight Vices: On Control of the Stomach," in The Philokalia 1, G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, ed. (Faber and Faber, 1979), 74.
[2] Maximus the Confessor. "Four Hundred Texts on Love" (First Century, 20), in The Philokalia 2, G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, ed. (Faber and Faber, 1981), 55.
[3] John Cassian. "The Conferences" (5.4), in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church 11 (Second Series), Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998), 340.
[4] Jerome. “Against Jovinianus” (2.9), in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church 6 (Second Series), Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996), 395.
[5] Mark the Monk. “Concerning Those Who Imagine That They Are Justified by Works” (111), in Counsels on the Spiritual Life 1, Popular Patristics Series 37, Tim Vivian, trans. (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2009), 126.
[6] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans (14), 440.
[7] Augustine of Hippo, “Romans,” in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament 6, Gerald Bray and Thomas C. Oden, ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998), 336.
[8] John Cassian. "The Institutes" (5.8), in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church 11 (Second Series), Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998), 236.