Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good
is the birthright to me?” — Genesis 25:32

This passage is priceless. It shows us the horrible
consequences of instant gratification. The allure of
the here and now is blinding. As observers, we can
see the foolishness of Esau’s decision. He
sacrificed his entire future for a few moments of
pleasure. But then again, we do that all of the time.

Who hasn’t been in this situation? After just
deciding to diet, you are suddenly accosted by a
piece of chocolate cake (or vanilla, if you aren’t a
chocolate fan). What do you do? You can eat the
cake, enjoy it for ten minutes max, and then pay
for it tomorrow when you get on the scale. Or, you
can push the cake away and feel deprived for a few
moments, reaping the benefits when the pounds
slip away. We all know the right thing to do. But
my guess is that many of us might eat that cake
anyway. We too often sacrifice the future for the
sake of the moment.

The simple example of cake is much like the
bigger struggle we encounter in our daily lives.
We are constantly faced with decisions that come
down to what feels good in the moment and what’
s better for us in the long term. We have to choose
between what feels good for our temporal body and
what’s truly nourishing for our eternal spirit. This
week’s Torah reading reminds us that while it’s
hard to adapt to the long-term view of life, it doesn’t
make any sense to live any other way. The here
and now is nothing compared to eternity.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein