Gluttony

“They struck me, but I feel no pain!

They beat me, but I didn’t know it!

When will I wake up?

I’ll look for another drink.”

The Bible warns that alcohol will destroy you, and it is right. Sadly, there are too many instances of this reality to count. My ( Jon’s) mother, Charlotte, grew up in a Baptist children’s home because of an alcoholic dad and mom who could not care for her. My adopted cousin was born with fetal alcohol syndrome because of a biological mother who drank throughout her pregnancy. When she was little, my cousin would sit and bang her head against a wall for an hour as a result of the disease. These biblical warnings and sober tales need to be told in the midst of a culture that celebrates and laughs at drunkenness. Brad Paisley’s song “Alcohol” giggles at how with alcohol you have had some of the best times you won’t remember and that it teaches white people how to dance. Even in some Christian circles there is the expectation that children will go wild in college. The Bible says that what overindulging in alcohol can do is not funny, and tragically we know that all too well in our society.

And yet, we must be honest that the Bible also commends wine in a certain context. Exodus 29:40 refers to a drink offering, and Deuteronomy 14:24-26 describes a party with food and wine as a means of worship. Psalm 104:14-15 says,

He causes grass to grow for the livestock

and provides crops for man to cultivate,

producing food from the earth,

wine that makes human hearts glad—

making his face shine with oil—

and bread that sustains human hearts.

Sex, we all admit, can be used rightly or wrongly. Sex in heterosexual marriage is good, while adultery is condemned as sinful. Too many people view wine like adultery (i.e., sinful sex) instead of viewing it like sex itself, which can be used rightly or wrongly. Not every use of alcohol is sinful. Discernment is required. You must know yourself. Some need to avoid wine at all cost because of possible addiction or because they are underage. In many situations and contexts it is not a bad practice to abstain from alcohol as a matter of wisdom. After all, you will never get addicted if you never take the first drink. Or one might abstain as a matter of witness—not wanting others to stumble. Paul tells the church at Rome to consider witness, but he also tells them to be charitable to each other. Let people make their own choices and do not judge them. We have freedom here to make different choices (Rom 14), but they need to be wise choices.

Overindulging food (gluttony) or drink (drunkenness) is always unwise and deadly. Proverbs says it leads to poverty (23:21), and we also can observe this in our culture. Gluttony leads to poverty for all kinds of reasons. Some people get fired because of an addiction that affects their work. Others perform poorly at work because they are lethargic after eating a huge lunch, and their supervisors notice their lack of productivity when reviews come around. Others overspend on food they want—eating out at restaurants constantly or going to bars—which leads to financial troubles. Some have to spend lots of money on health costs because of their unhealthy lifestyle. The sage knew what he was talking about!

Gluttony is also deadly because it hurts you in social contexts. Proverbs 23:1-3 says,

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,

consider carefully what is before you,

and put a knife to your throat

if you have a big appetite;

don’t desire his choice food,

for that food is deceptive.

This refers to a social context that we are unfamiliar with—eating with the royal family. But we can imagine that it would be nerve-racking! No doubt one would be tempted to overeat when presented with the delicacies that royalty can afford. But I think these verses can have application for eating with an employer today. Longman argues for a broader application as well and explains how the “false” food is a potential trap (Proverbs, 422–23). The food is referred to as deceptive or false because it is possibly a test, or at least an opportunity for the ruler to discern the young man’s character. The ruler—or boss—may be observing to see if the young man lacks self-control and cannot be trusted with key matters, so the scarfed-down meal ends up ruining the career of the young man (Waltke, Proverbs, Chapters 15–31, 238–39). If he overindulges it could be a sign to the king that his appetites are uncontrolled and therefore he cannot really be trusted. That would also be something a boss might observe at a business lunch. Are you able to restrain yourself, or do you seek immediate or over-gratification? If you cannot control yourself, it might cost you the trust of your boss or a possible promotion. The sage says if you struggle in this area, take drastic measures to control it.

I think it can have even broader application. Don’t have eyes that are too big. You sit down to eat and you are starving, so you order way too much. My ( Jon’s) dad always used to get onto me about that. Be self-controlled at meals and enjoy them in moderation, or it will hurt you in social relationships.

Theses verses also seem to indicate that an uncontrolled appetite for delicacies can be a form of gluttony—that is, eating food that is too rich. You have a taste for the best, most expensive foods. As the saying goes, “You eat like a king.”

These verses say that gluttony is to be taken so seriously that you take drastic measures to avoid it, like stabbing a knife into your own gullet! Jesus says something very similar about lust—gouge out your eye (Matt 5:29). It is a hyperbole that urges you to do whatever it takes to curb your tendency to overindulge.

Another reason that gluttony is deadly is because it will make you sick. Proverbs 25:16 says, “If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.” The principle of this verse applies to all food (Longman, Proverbs, 455). Eating in moderation is good, but if you eat more than you need or too many sweets, you can get sick. Contrary to what the “theologian” Alan Jackson says, too much of a good thing is a not a good thing. If you eat too much you will be uncomfortable, feeling like you have a cinderblock in your chest because you are so overstuffed. You might vomit. You certainly run into health risks, as seen above. The key is knowing when to stop and having the control to be able to do it. Everybody is different, so eating “what you need” is an important clarification. That requires discernment because it may be different from what someone else needs.

The problem here is that we train ourselves to be gluttons. The first time you eat two Big Macs you might feel sick. And you will probably feel sick the second and third times, but by the seventh time you get used to it. Instead of keeping on until you can handle the gluttony, you need to know when to stop!

Proverbs 28:7 says, “A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.” Let’s pick this verse apart. Keeping the Torah is equated with wisdom in the Bible (Deut 4:6). God gives us commands for a reason—he knows what is best for us, so following them is wise. The law commands moderation rather than a lack of self-control when it comes to our diet, and it does so for our good. The lines of this verse are parallel. Therefore, a wise son keeps the law and does not associate with gluttons, whereas a foolish son breaks the law and associates with gluttons, thus dishonoring his family. You disobey God’s law if you are a glutton, which is implied by the fact that the foolish son associates with them. The wages of gluttony according the law is death.

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father or mother and doesn’t listen to them even after they discipline him, his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown. They will say to the elders of his city, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he doesn’t obey us. He’s a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. You must purge the evil from you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid. (Deut 21:18-21)

God’s apparent abhorrence for gluttony is bad news for us because we have all fallen short here. Who has not eaten more than they should? And it is deadly. Gratifying our appetites is disastrous and condemnable.

Proverbs 23:20-21

Gluttony is a spiritual issue, not merely a physical one. Proverbs 9 has shown us that wisdom is personal. Whether or not you walk in the wisdom of Proverbs reveals whether or not you are following Jesus. And foolishness is personal. If you walk in foolishness, it reveals that you are following idols. Gluttony or drunkenness reveals that you have a problem with Jesus and shows that you are following Folly!

If you have a relationship with the Wisdom of God—Jesus—it means Jesus’s Spirit lives inside of you. The fruit that Jesus’s Spirit produces in you includes self-control (Gal 5:22-23). If you have no self-control in the area of sex, food, or drink, it shows you are not following Jesus—not believing the gospel rightly. It is a worship issue. You find your satisfaction in created things rather than the Creator God. That is why Paul describes idolatry as worshiping the stomach as a god (Phil 3:19). You live to eat instead of eat to live. Paul says the destiny for that is destruction.

Since gluttony is a worship or belief issue, it cannot be dealt with merely at the level of behavior modification. There is some value in modifying behavior. Go on a diet, start exercising, and eat smaller portions. But you have to go further than that because without right belief the change will be short lived. That is why so many make New Year’s resolutions to go on a diet and start working out, but by February the treadmill is already collecting dust in the corner.

Our failure should drive us to Jesus and satisfaction in him. Jesus knew when to fast in the wilderness, when to feast at the wedding in Cana, and how to balance! Jesus perfectly kept this law because he knew man does not live by bread alone but by the Word of God. His appetites did not control him; rather, he controlled his appetites. In Matthew 4, when Satan tempted Jesus, he refused to give in to his hunger pangs. What is it like to be really starving and have bread at your fingertips and say, “No!”? Jesus had self-control.

And yet, Jesus was accused of gluttony and drunkenness because of his association with a certain kind of crowd. Proverbs 23:20-21 says not to associate with them, but Jesus was a friend to gluttons and drunks (that’s good news for us)! Luke 7:34 says, “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” Jesus wrongly was accused of being the rebellious son of Deuteronomy 21, and he was condemned to death. Jesus took in our place the punishment we deserved. He was condemned by the elders and executed outside the city—hung on a tree (Deut 21:22-23). Why? Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” His death provides forgiveness for when we fall short, and his Spirit is given to us to produce self-control.

So the positive strategy for battling gluttony and drunkenness is to feast on Jesus—the living water and bread from heaven. If you do that, you will live forever. Satisfaction in Christ will produce self-control so you are able to have a well-balanced diet, feast at appropriate times as a means of worship, and yes, fast to show your dependence on God rather than on bread!

Aren’t you glad that Jesus came to eat and drink with sinners, drunks, and gluttons? He offered himself to save us from our uncontrolled appetites. Feast on and be satisfied in him alone!