Deadly Sin Number Two

(Proverbs 23:21 KJV)  For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

What is gluttony?  It is one of those words that gets slippery when you try to pin it down.  Gluttony is something someone else does.  Feasting is what I do.  The Bible is full of feasting and celebrating.  Think of the fatted calf prepared for the Prodigal Son.  Think of Wisdom in chapter 9 calling us to eat and drink.  Then you have Jesus feeding the five thousand until they were full.  So what qualifies you as a “glutton” (2151b)?

It is more than overeating.  The root of the word has to do with treating lightly or making worthless.  I think in terms of waste.  I think of having no awareness of the amount of work it took to put the food in front of you.  Thus most Americans qualify as gluttons even if they do not overeat.  The waste aspect could apply to people who sit down to a meal, fill their plates and don’t eat it. 

So?  Gluttony is one of those sliding scale things based on attitudes.  It is something that we can know in our hearts but deny all day.  It is a sin and thus needs to be take seriously.  In fact, it is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Think about that.