Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost

“The Golden Ticket”

Isaiah 55: 1-5

Rev. Margaret Manning

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the delicious story of an eccentric, but lovable chocolatier who extends an irresistible invitation to visit his world-renowned chocolate factory. He hides five golden tickets in the ever popular Wonka bars, which, when found will serve as the key to open the door to the renowned factory and to a chocolaty paradise. One by one, the five tickets are found by five children. Augustus Gloop finds the first ticket after eating his way through all the Wonka chocolate bars in Germany. Veruca Salt finds the second ticket. Or I should say, her father’s factory worker finds the ticket for her because whatever Veruca wants, Veruca gets; so she wins her ticket through her father’s efforts - transforming his nut factory into a warehouse of Wonka bars. Violet Beauregard, who is renowned for holding the world record in continuous gum chewing, wins the third ticket. A competitive southern belle who only knows winning, Violet has her eyes on the prize. The fourth ticket is uncovered by Mike Teavee, a young boy who spends his every waking moment playing video games. He hopes the technology he worships will develop enough so that he can be inserted into one of his games! Finally, a poor, English boy named Charlie – with none of the advantages of the other children - he can only afford one chocolate bar a year - finds the final golden ticket. And as if finding the tickets and gaining entry to the factory weren’t enough, Willy Wonka makes one more announcement – at the end of the day he would offer one child a wonderful surprise – a prize beyond the wildest imagination.

Now, many of you may remember seeing Gene Wilder in the movie version of this tale, or perhaps others have read to your children or grandchildren Roald Dahl’s book on which the movies are based, or perhaps you’ve seen the updated version of this film that’s just out in theatres now – but, whatever the case, whether you know the story or not, you probably have a sneaking suspicion about what happens. One by one, each child falls prey to their confectionary desires. Despite the fact that a surprise beyond their wildest imagination awaits them, the children are ensnared by lesser, but more immediate delights. As slaves of their insatiable appetites, greedy desire ultimately consumes them. Only Charlie, filled with wonder rather than greed makes it to the end of the tour and receives the abundant prize – he will inherit the entire factory from Willy Wonka.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory presents a wonderfully new twist on an old, old story. And that old, old story – as old as Adam, Eve and an apple, is a story about idolatry. In our passage from Isaiah this morning, we see the Almighty God extending an invitation to an abundant feast, not unlike the invitation extended by Willy Wonka, to those who are starving from idolatry. This lavish banquet feast will satisfy their hunger and thirst. All are invited and no money is required for the price has been paid by the host. This is a banquet at which both wine and milk – the symbols of joy, exhilaration and spiritual nourishment are served up as the finest fare. But like the children who enter Wonka’s wonderful factory of confectionary delight, will those who are invited settle for so much less; will they fill themselves with the empty calories of the junk food vendors, or will they find their way to the banquet hall to be nourished by the abundance of God?

If you know anything about the history of Israel, you know about their struggle with idolatry and constant violation of the first commandment – ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’[1] From the golden calf in the wilderness of Sinai, to the idolatry of political and economic power that drove Israel to want a human king instead of God and led them into adulterous alliances with foreign powers; from participating in the pagan religions which offered no spiritual sustenance to being consumed by the orgiastic and often violent rituals of these religions, (temple prostitution and child sacrifice) the people were consumed by the very idolatry they sought for nourishment – taken into exile by the very countries they looked to for salvation. You see, the people of Israel were eating spiritual ‘junk food’ as it were – food that ensured a quick sugar-rush, but never really satisfied. Indeed, Isaiah described their diet of idolatry as ‘feeding on ashes.’[2] In other words, they were not receiving any nourishment from their diet of idolatry.

So, like THE street vendor among the many other vendors enticing one to buy on the busy city streets, God calls out to the people of Israel and invites them into abundance. “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; no money? Hey, not a problem - come buy and eat without money and without cost…Listen carefully to me” God tells them, “come to Me and delight yourself in abundance.” And what exactly is this abundance God promises to the people of Israel? First, as exiles, God’s abundance towards Israel entails returning them to the place of God’s presence, the city of Jerusalem. God reminds them of the ‘everlasting covenant’ made to their ancestor, King David – part of that covenant involved the promise of the land – a land where God made his home among the people. Second, God’s abundance is demonstrated in his faithful mercies – mercies extended not only to Israel, but also to the Gentiles. “Behold”, the text tells us, “you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for God has glorified you.”

So, the promise of abundance is nothing less than God’s abiding presence, and the assurance that no matter what may come, God will remain faithful. All of who God is awaits us like a sumptuous and lavish banquet prepared for its guests. So why do we settle for so much less when God offers us the abundance of his presence? I attended a wedding reception many years ago held at a very nice hotel in Boston. We spent a good portion of the evening standing in the lobby eating appetizers of many kinds. After several hours of appetizers, many guests began to wonder about dinner, filled up on appetizers and left. Boy, did they miss out. The doors to the reception hall opened revealing a gorgeously decorated dining area, and those of us who remained went in to have the most delicious seven course dinner. Like those guests who got their fill on appetizers, we, too settle for lesser gods and miss the abundance of God’s banquet.

Now, some of you might be thinking, as I used to think, is idolatry really a problem in our day and time? After all, when is the last time you saw someone bowing down to a little statue, or saw altars erected all over the country to various gods? Well, if we’re honest, we’ll recognize that the pagan idolatry of Isaiah’s day is still very much with us, only it’s far more subtle that bowing down to statues. And even though it is subtle, we’d also have to acknowledge that it might be just as pervasive in our day and time as if was for the people of Israel. This is where the story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is so helpful and insightful. For its story helps us to see how idolatry is anything that competes with God in our life – anything that we might desire more than the abundance God offers us in himself. Augustus Gloop, for example – he worships his bodily appetites and lives for instant gratification choosing the quick sugar-rush of chocolate over inheriting the entire factory for himself. Do we see a society that worships gluttonous pleasure? How many college campuses struggle with binge-drinking? How is it that the United States has the highest number of overweight individuals in the whole world? Why is pornography a national industry to the tune of billions and billions of dollars? Is idolatry at work here?

And what about Veruca Salt? She is our materialist who thinks she can acquire anything – and thinks that by acquiring a new confection, or new toy, after new toy, she’ll quench her desire and be satisfied. But, Veruca’s desire is insatiable – and everything she wants is nothing that will really satisfy her. Unfortunately, many of us are like Veruca – one more acquisition, just a little more money, and we’ll be satisfied. But, we are still thirsty. Surrounded by a world that constantly tells us we must have more and more to find happiness and joy, we forget Jesus’ words to us that never does the substance of our life consist in the abundance of things.[3] Is idolatry at work here? Perhaps some of us idolize our own sense of self-importance, like Violet Beauregard. Perhaps we idolize winning, itself. We idolize our own power, our own sense of importance, so that we will stop at nothing to win. Or, like Mike Teavee who looks to technology to ensure his own sense of well-being, perhaps we idolize knowledge, or science, or perhaps we look to technology to save us, to keep us safe and protected and ultimately to provide us with everlasting life. No matter what the idol, that idol will not offer the satisfaction only God can provide. Furthermore, we miss out on God’s abundance, on inheriting the factory, as it were, when we fill ourselves with the empty calories of idolatry.

‘Why do we spend money, for what is not bread,’ Isaiah calls to us this morning, ‘and our wages for what does not satisfy?’ Why do we settle for the fast food of this world, when the Cordon Bleu of God’s presence awaits us? We have been abundantly blessed with gifts and possessions and riches and so many things the majority of the world will never have – and these things can be wonderful blessings. But, when we begin to love the blessings more than the One who blesses, we will find ourselves ensnared in idolatry. God calls to all of us and bids us come and be fed by the food that really satisfies. God longs to meet our needs, just as Jesus demonstrates in the story of feeding the 5,000; but more than that, God longs for us to know that our chief need is for God. God bids us come; come and enjoy a dining experience like we’ve never had before – the riches of God’s presence with us; the wealth of God’s wisdom for us; the satisfaction that comes from knowing the God who transcends anything this world could ever offer. We have our golden ticket. Now, it’s up to us to decide if we’ll be satisfied with fast-food, with appetizers, or if we’re ready to dine on abundance. Let us pray.