Alva Review-Courier -

Today, in “Ethics in Life” we took a look at two of Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperatives. Don’t you love the way we name things? I once called a sermon “The quadrapedic polemic” because its four points gave it solid footing. But I digress. Immanuel Kant believed that two guides to living would fit almost any decision in any situation.

First, one should only choose the course of action that would make a good law for everyone, everywhere, to follow. And second, no one should treat other humans as a means to an end, but as an end unto themselves. Well done, Immanuel.

He then throws a giant monkey-wrench into the machinery of life. The only thing that can be seen as completely “good” is a good motive. In other words, what we actually do is less important than why we did it. Take the case of the two men in a foxhole. When a grenade falls between them, they both dive on it to save the other. Heros both?

“Not so fast,” says Mr. Kant. One dove on the grenade only to save his brother at arms, his companion, his friend. The other dove on the same grenade (same foxhole, same occasion) because he wanted to be seen and celebrated as a hero. He had long held the dream of being praised and decorated for valiant bravery. Who jumped on the grenade? Who deserves to be congratulated? For Kant, only the one who sought no congratulations should receive them.

While the heart is always an important component for the follower of Christ, motive does not seem to trump obedience. Here are two examples. First, Jesus tells the story of two sons, both told to go and work in the Father’s field. One says yes, but does not go. The other says no, but goes. Who did the right thing? Then, even more pointedly, the apostle Paul comments on the increase of preachers sharing the message while he is in prison. Some have good motives, some do not. Paul says, “Why should I care about the motive if the gospel is getting preached?”

Sometimes, it is more important to obey (at least in the short run) than to sit around waiting for the right motivation to strike us. See you Sunday