Should You Really Follow Your Heart?

Lectionary Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Today is the first Sunday of Lent – a season to remember Christ’s sacrifice, and love for us. It’s also the start of Valentine week (so get ready to see more flower or chocolate vendors than you’re used to seeing). One of the things we hear most frequently this time of year is about the triumph of love and the idea that you should “follow your heart”.

“Just follow your heart, and do what makes you happy”. Best Selling greeting card artist, Flavia

“There is no reason not to follow your heart." Steve Jobs, founder/CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar in a graduation address at Stanford University.

Even my buddy Napoleon Dynamite (“Vote for Pedro!”) says “Just follow your heart. That's what I do.”

However, for all the encouragement to set sail after our emotional ideals – there is one real life example from history that always cautions me that following your heart may be the path to ruin.

Mark Anthony was a general of Julius Caesar’s army, a Tribune of the Roman senate, and a member of a triumvirate that ran Rome after Caesar’s assassination. He was a man of seemingly endless potential. When Octavian (later to become Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome) began to fight with Anthony over power and money in the triumvirate, Anthony went to Egypt, and fell in love with Queen Cleopatra VII. He soon became involved in Egyptian dress, drugs (opium), and decadence. He renounced Roman Republic values and Octavian went to war with him. Octavian was young, and Anthony the much more seasoned and wise warrior. However, at the sea battle of Actium, Anthony and Cleopatra both had ships prepared for war. Suddenly, Cleopatra broke through Octavian’s line and sailed into open water without firing a shot taking her ships with her. Anthony stood at the most monumental decision of his life. Should he fight Octavian, follow Roman discipline and preserve the triumvirate and democracy, or should he follow his heart and chase his erratic Egyptian wife?

He followed his heart. He left the battle, and joined Cleopatra on her ship. 20,000 men and the battle were lost. When Anthony and Cleopatra arrived in Alexandria a few days later, Octavian and his men were already there. Anthony killed himself (as a Roman nobleman was supposed to do when defeated), and Cleopatra followed him by killing herself 3 days later when her attempt to seduce Octavian failed. Octavian dismantled the Republic, and become the first Emperor of Rome.

Mark Anthony’s heart journey cost Rome democracy, cost both Rome and Egypt their leaders, ended both the Hellenistic Age and the Ptolemaic Dynasty and left Egypt in Roman hands for 300 years. Wonder what would have happened if he had just done his duty?

Approximately 59 years after the Battle of Actium where Anthony followed his heart, Tiberius the son of Augustus (It was Augustus who appointed Herod the Governor of Judea and demanded all the world should be taxed which drew a young Galilean couple to Bethlehem for an adventure on a starry night) was Emperor of Rome, and a young Jewish Rabbi went out into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days.

Follow Your Discipline

Imagine 40 days without food. Imagine 40 days without people. The bible tells us that Satan showed up, an expected guest to this fasting ritual, and tempts Jesus. At first, the devil forgets the “follow your heart” idea – it being so sentimental and modern – and goes for the easy shot. Follow your stomach. Satan encourages Jesus to turn stone into bread. Jesus has a choice. Follow the discipline of his fast and devotion, or follow his heart in its human desire for food.

Jesus follows the discipline. In our lives – discipline is an important part of being the people God desires us to be. For all the impetuous power of love and passion, there is nothing more reliable and sustainable than discipline. The Lenten season, discover what being a disciplined Christian means to you. Sometimes it will mean making the decision to “stay the course” God has set you upon. Sometimes it will mean refusing to take the easy way out a solution, and working in the way God wants you to work. Sometimes it means forgiving those we would rather hold a grudge against. Sometimes it means saying “No” to power, and “Yes” to service. Always it means doing it God’s way.

Follow Your Faith

The devil then realizes that Jesus has a physical strength and discipline that can’t be tempted. So he tries another tactic – empirical evidence. Nothing is more powerful than being able to prove a point with a real life demonstration. If Jesus were to throw himself off a cliff and God saved him, it would prove this “humanity” and “vulnerability” of Christ was just a sham and the deity of Jesus would be clear. That’s what the devil would want people to believe - that we can’t be like Jesus or relate to his message, because he was “special” and “protected”. For Jesus - he would get unqualified evidence that what he thought about God was right - and God would protect him. Jesus again stands at the crossroad of decision. He can follow his faith and know God would protect him without testing it or he can follow his human need “just to be sure” and test God.

Jesus follows his faith. The bible reminds us in Hebrews that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things UNSEEN.” Jesus doesn’t need to see God save him from an ill-advised cliff jump. He knows God loves him. He knows God is there for him and his mission is not finished. He knows it so well, he won’t offend God by testing. In our human and vulnerable state – we often want to test God. “God, if you’re there – I’m going to go out on this limb and see if you catch me” we say as we make unwise and bad choices. We jump off life’s cliffs with bad decisions, ego trips, selfish choices and we wait to see if God is going to catch us. This Lenten season, learn to know God is there without having to push God up against a wall to believe it. Have faith in the God who is with you. Have faith in the guidance you are given. Don’t test God. Trust God.

Follow Your Love

So the devil gives it one more try – the dumbest one if you think about it. He takes Jesus to a hill and shows him the entire world and promises him that the devil can give it to him. The devil’s flaw in this reasoning is that he thinks Jesus wants the stuff – the kingdoms, the palaces, and the power. But Jesus isn’t a stuff kind of guy. Jesus didn’t come because God so loved the stuff of the world. Jesus came because God so loved the people of the world. So not only did Jesus not love this power trip, Jesus loved God. Jesus has a choice. He can follow his love for God and the children of God, or he can follow the shallow lonely path of greed.

Jesus follows his love. Jesus tells the devil his job is worship God and serve God. The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines worship this way:
Worship (verb) – to adore with great respect, honor and devotion. In other words – to love. The Lenten season, put away the need for things, for power or for position. Put away your need to be smarter than someone, better than someone or more beautiful than someone. Give up the desire to be first and become a servant. Love God. Love God’s people.

If Mark Anthony had the discipline to do his duty, the faith in Cleopatra not to chase her, and remembered his first love – the Roman Republic – that Jewish Rabbi who died for our sins in the ultimate act of love would have been born into a much different world.

When you are looking for what you need to follow – follow God.