Sneezing vs. Sex

"Sneezing absorbs all the functions of the soul just as much as the [sexual] act, but we do not draw from it the same conclusions against the greatness of man, because it is involuntary; although we bring it about, we do so involuntary. It is not for the sake of the thing in itself but for another end, and is therefore not a sign of man's weakness, or his subjection to this act.         

   There is no shame in man giving in to pain, but it is shameful for him to give in to pleasure. This is not because pain comes to us from outside, whilst we seek pleasure, for we may seek pain and deliberately give in to it without this sort of abasement. Why then is it to reason's credit to give in to the effect of pain, and to its shame to give in to that of pleasure? It is because it is not pain that tempts and attracts us; it is we ourselves who voluntarily choose it and allow it to get the better of us, so that we are masters of the occasion, and in this it is man giving in to himself. But in pleasure it is man who gives into pleasure. Now, glory only comes from mastery and control, shame only from subjection."

Pascal - Pensees - 795 

These are some interesting thoughts that Blaise brings up. Makes me thing of several verses, one seems to agree, the other not as much: 

Genesis 4:7

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”


Sin (flesh, perverted pleasure) - desires to have you. Literally it longs for you, but you must not give into it. You must, just as Pascal writes, master it. This would be soul crushing if we didn't have outside help to give us power to do so. Why? Because Sin/pleasure is attractive. It not only desires us, but often we desire it. I am often complicit. But take heart, you have such a helper. One that not only can help you stand up under the temptations, but one that can enable you to Master sin. 


I struggle with the last sentence of Pascal's thought: "glory comes from mastery and control, shame only from subjection." I believe God is calling us to a form of subjection that is not shame producing but life producing. God invites us to exchange our subjection - from death to life.

Romans 6:16-18

16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.


We are now free to become slaves in order that we might become masters. A beautiful paradox in which God, our loving master, empowers us to be like him. So now we glory in our subjection because from it we find our strength. 


"Man is most comforted by paradoxes."
GK Chesterton.


"If you set out to seek freedom, you must learn before all things mastery over sense and soul, lest your wayward desirings, lest your undisciplined members lead you now this way, now that way. Chaste be your mind and your body, and subject to you and obedient, serving solely to seek their appointed goal and objective. None learns the secret of freedom save only by way of control." Bonhoeffer - Ethics (Stations on the way to freedom)