Well, at last I have the time to make come true some of the ideas of new threads that have been budding in my mind in the past few months.

I intend here to make a summary of a great book written by Eugen Drewermann and entitled The Fear and the Fault. It was originally written in German and doesn't seem to have been translated into English as of late and as far as I know. As usual, a certain cautiousness is always good to maintain when we read a book and absorb its content as that's not because something is written in a book that it's true. That's especially the case here as the author was blamed by the ecclesiastical authorities for spreading an equivocal message in relation with faith, sin and how christianity (not christendom only) has perverted Jesus' original message. That latter aspect may sound rather provocative and/or dubious but I think that the negative reactions to which that book gave rise were mostly due to the misunderstanding of that which the author really meant, to the misunderstanding of our very human nature and above all to the misunderstanding of what Jesus' message really implies in all its depth. Besides, like always, there are concepts that are brillantly innovative and particularly useful to the people "in the know", but that reveal themselves as prospective time bombs into the minds and hearts of reckless laymen. In that regard, we may recall how God's gift of grace may have incited some reckless first century disciples to indulge at will into sin. I will not here dwell at length on the psychanalytic aspects or on the controversy inside of the Catholic Church in relation with this book. However, the Catholic church being here in the hot seat may invite us to step back a little from our personal situations and put things in perspective when it comes to reacting to the elders' mishandlings.

My keen interest in that book comes from its deep understanding of our human nature, with all its particularities, qualities, flaws and contradictions. In my opinion, only a real understanding of our deepest constitutive psychological elements can enable us to really start understanding ourselves and others. The way christianity has generally applied Jesus' words led men to multiply moral laws and enforce them like the Mosaic Law was in the past. The latter was a way to make men understand the nature of sin, and by extension our very human nature. The Jews fell short of the mark. I'm afraid that the Golden Rule will meet the same fate... Churning out and enforcing blindly "Do this ! Don't do that !" precepts has nothing to do with Jesus' original message. Yet, that is what religious leaders of all calibres have been doing for centuries. Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not insinuating that moral laws and precepts shouldn't exist. My point is that they should be phrased, spelled out and enforced keeping in mind our human nature, and above all our weaknesses and innermost contradictions. You don't need a PhD in psychology to fulfill that noble aim. Love is a wonderful and handy means to that end...

 

This part is still my introductory comment about the book.

"he who has small need of forgiveness gives little love." - Luke 7:47 (BBE)

What was Jesus' message and why was he on earth for ?

He stated it himself plainly :

“Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor, he sent me forth to preach a release to the captives and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send the crushed ones away with a release, to preach Jehovah’s acceptable year.†With that he rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were intently fixed upon him. Then he started to say to them: “Today this scripture that YOU just heard is fulfilled.†- Luke 4:18-21

The scroll in question was Isaiah's. Here is the full version as Luke's version must be a quotation from the LXX and you may know that there are differences between the Masoretic text and the LXX :

"The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening [of the eyes] even to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God; to comfort all the mourning ones; to assign to those mourning over Zion, to give them a headdress instead of ashes, the oil of exultation instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the downhearted spirit; and they must be called big trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, for [him] to be beautified. And they must rebuild the long-standing devastated places; they will raise up even the desolated places of former times, and they will certainly make anew the devastated cities, the places desolate for generation after generation." - Is.61:1-4

Jesus knew that the reason for which he was on earth was to establish the foundations of a Kingdom which would achieve in the long run this lofty purpose. Said foundations would be made up of chosen men, twelve of them whom he would choose himself. His father himself would choose those who would follow later. A spiritual foundation would be laid too in the form of teachings and commandments to follow so as to imitate the best possible a certain ideal. However, Jesus never forgot the reason for which he was sent and above all never forgot to whom his message was mainly destined :

"Hearing [them], he said: “Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do. Go, then, and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.†- Matt.9:12-13

"But he spoke this illustration also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and who considered the rest as nothing: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, ‘O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’ But the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me a sinner.’ I tell YOU, This man went down to his home proved more righteous than that man; because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted.â€" - Luke 18:9-14

"“Two men were debtors to a certain lender; the one was in debt for five hundred de·nar′i·i, but the other for fifty. When they did not have anything with which to pay back, he freely forgave them both. Therefore, which of them will love him the more?†In answer Simon said: “I suppose it is the one to whom he freely forgave the more.†He said to him: “You judged correctly.†With that he turned to the woman and said to Simon: “Do you behold this woman? I entered into your house; you gave me no water for my feet. But this woman wet my feet with her tears and wiped them off with her hair. You gave me no kiss; but this woman, from the hour that I came in, did not leave off tenderly kissing my feet. You did not grease my head with oil; but this woman greased my feet with perfumed oil. By virtue of this, I tell you, her sins, many though they are, are forgiven, because she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.†Then he said to her: “Your sins are forgiven.†At this those reclining at the table with him started to say within themselves: “Who is this man who even forgives sins?†But he said to the woman: “Your faith has saved you; go your way in peace.â€" - Luke 7:41-50

Throughout his teachings and exemplary deeds, Jesus shows us that the real recipients of his message weren't those for whom staying in good standing was easy but those who struggle and hopelessly feel that they'll never make it. For those who keep stumbling and whilst down on their knees, tearfully beg God for forgiveness because they can't do more, because they are at their wit's end, because they're overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and wish so much that it may all be over in one way or the other. Doesn't that latter description remind you of many men and women whom Jesus conforted and helped ? His message was for them.

We all have different backgrounds, personalities, wounds, strengthes and weaknesses. Some of us have suffered so much, have gone through so many untold psychological shocks, have been forced to face heart-wrenching dilemnas, have been doing drugs for years, may suffer from mental illness, with its corollary of erratic and/or impulsive reactions, and so forth. Anyone who thinks being righteous and in good standing should be aware that that which happens to others may well happen to them one day and that when the chips are down, when it hits the fan and when all the former supposedly loyal and spiritual friends leave you as a result, you're just alone, figuratively naked, with life as a mirror in front of you which sends back at you a face you hardly recognize. Just you, alone with your problems, your weaknesses and that overwhelming feeling of powerlessness.

Here is the reason for which that book was negatively received by the ecclesiastical authorities. It dares say that at times, we can't or can't anymore. No matter how hard we try, no matter how long we pray... we can't do it ! Does this idea extol renouncement ? Does it condone self-indulgence ? Does Holy Spirit have limits, contrary to that which Jesus taught us ? Far from it !

Here is a sentence, in the book, which I like very much :

"What about the damages that may cause a perfect individual in the imperfect world surrounding him ?"

How would react someone who is broken-hearted, even crushed to the bones, who does his utmost to carry day after day the burden of his past, who struggles each morning just to get up on his figuratively wobbly feet and who is constantly reminded of the image of perfection, as if it were callously thrown at his face so he never forgets the wreck he is ?

That's the message of the book (as I understand it). Jesus' message was destined first and foremost to confort the mourning ones, to bind up the broken-hearted. Hence, the spirit of his message must be spelled out in a language and phrasing that the broken-hearted and mourning ones must understand, intellectually of course but above all on emotional grounds. That's the one that matters.

How would react a broken-hearted person who struggles against guilt, self-loathing* and lack of self-confidence and at the face of whom a sanctimonious bigot would wave the figurative image of another person who would be exemplary, in good standing before all and efficient in everything ? What would that person say : "Thanks for reminding me of what I'll never be and of what I may give up endeavouring to be one day...!"

A - "You must do this"
B - "I can't"
A - "Try harder"
B - "I did, to no avail"
A - "You lack faith and don't love Jehovah enough, it's all your fault !"
B - "I have faith and I do love Him"
A - "Yeah, that shows..."

Although that rude dialog may be somewhat caricatural, isn't it what may happen, unfortunately too often, between Christians in general and when discussing with elders in particular ? Isn't it what shows in the congregations wherein a spiritually elitist frame of mind is purposefully fostered and in the conventions during which only exemplary individuals are eulogized and held in high esteem through extremely coded interviews ? That's unfortunately that which the religious leaders of all calibres have been doing for years, whether they misuse Jesus' image or in indirect ways through the constant reminders "to do this" or "not to do that". How would a broken-hearted Christian react if he ever heard from the platform during a convention : "I can't make all the meetings and it's hard to free up time for the preaching work. I've set reasonable goals in that regard and I attain them from time to time. I do my utmost and Jehovah helps me a lot". What a difference it is when compared with the exemplary elders and pioneers shown during interviews to an audience made up of some individuals already feeling guilty of not doing the tenth of what that pioneer says to be doing !

That's definitely not a message destined to the broken-hearted ones, to those who mourn and are tired and it fundamentally shows that the GB has understood nothing to Jesus' message...

Basically, if we love God, we don't need to be told what to do. You don't impede someone from stealing by telling him not to because it's bad, as if he were a child. You encourage him not to steal by giving him the solid spiritual food that will help him decide for himself what is good or bad according to Jehovah's criterias.

Broken-hearted persons know like any other person what is good and bad. Thus, what they need isn't reminders on intellectual grounds but to be given confidence in themselves, to be given the assurance that they're loved in earnest, and to be told the truth, which in their case means that "no, they can't". For example, you can't say to a child who can't swim to swim across a swimming pool. Will you tell him that he can do it if he can't swim ? So, instead of constantly reminding him that he can't swim by asking from him things he really can't do and maybe instilling into his heart and in the long run feelings of inadequacy and guilt, why not rather tell him : "No, you can't swim across that swimming pool but do you want me to help you learn how to swim ?"

Here comes a very important point : Accepting powerlessness isn't implying that faith and Holy Spirit are powerless. Accepting powerlessness implies that others have a crucial role to play in the path towards recovery. That's the very core of Jesus' message (==> Good Samaritan) : "You can't but I can help you if so is your wish !" It's easier to pass the responsibility, the buck, unto the individual involved and the Holy Spirit than being truly committed to help.

Anyway, in front of Jesus, who would dare say : I can !

What would Jesus say to a broken-hearted person who would tell him that she's desperate, on her knees, not having the strength anymore for anything ? He would say : "I came to help you. Please, take my hand..."

*
Some persons may be so desperate and feeling so harshly about themselves that they may start considering that everything isn't so worthwhile struggling for after all. They may feel that they're so much such a wreck, that very feeling maybe being validated by the indifference towards them in their surroundings, that they're going to be indeed the wreck that all expect them to be, may think that nobody will mourn their death at Armageddon and that death is what they deserve after all. That feeling being later accentuated and fostered through a vicious circle. Here is the importance of knowing how the feelings work so as to break the circle in proper ways. Unfortunately, such feelings are common in real life and how could a prancing, efficient and proud elder/pioneer, for whom everything is easy, be bothered to take such things into consideration when gauging the activity of the "weak" members of his congregation ?

Here comes into play again the verse quoted at the onset of this post : Can love for God really be measured through the works done ? Is really good-standing and exemplarity in the congregation a proof of love for God ?

(to be continued)

 

There is another point on which I'd like to stress.

I've been talking a certain number of times over the years to my relatives and friends about the effects of such a showy display of faith and zeal on the part of pioneers or else interviewed during the conventions. I'm often told as an answer that brothers and sisters who feel ill-at-ease just get the organisation wrong, that there is nothing rude in the talks and even that if their conscience is stinged, there must be a reason...

Such a statement is twice stupid. Firstly, because it shows a total contempt towards the feelings of some of their brothers and sisters. There are slews of reasons for which someone may have feelings of guilt, and many of them due to circumstances that aren't related at all to the amount of zeal of the b/s in question, like old age, illness, handicap, etc. Either by giving bad motives or by sweeping away like with the back of the hand the feelings of their brothers and sisters, a serious lack of real love shows.

Jesus' message wasn't "the survival of the most apt" on spiritual grounds... We can't say : "He's weak ? Yeah, that's too bad that he fell. He just didn't love Jehovah enough." The same reasoning goes when it comes to reactions to a given message from the platform. A same event may be considered differently from one person to the other. We can't just ignore others' feelings because they seem insignificant to us, especially when the Bible says that those who are weak and "in need" are to be helped and considered with the highest honors and most tender feelings !

Secondly, regarding the organisation and the content of the teaching given. When you provide a teaching to an audience, that's not the audience that must adapt themselves to the teaching but to the teachers to adapt their teaching to the audience. Teachers can't say : "That's not our fault if they get us wrong !"

The teacher's responsibility is taken into account regarding the content and the form of his teaching. If people get the message wrong, then it means that the form of the teaching isn't good. You can't just add more guilt on those who already feel guilty by saying that they got the message wrong... If the form of the teaching hurts some of the b/s, then change it !

 

it is indeed a bad thing when the very spiritual food you came for makes you sicker.but this is what happens when you take just one branch of Jesus ministry and say that it is the center piece of Christianity... preaching is just one piece of the Christian life. and their are those that are not comfortable, or not able to go door knocking.
now what I am about to say is going to offend some and I do apologize in advance. if you think that preaching from door to door is the proof of how much you love Jehovah,than your not in the truth.being in the truth is the admission before Jehovah and you fellowman that you need and accept Jesus Christ's Ransome for all of your short comings including the weakness to preach a lot....the good news is easy Jesus paid all your debts. the bad news is if you go about trying to gather more than your fellow worker you are still getting the same wage..Jesus told the story of the workers who agreed for a penny then were angry over the other workers who did less..
who here has ever worked in a field? let's take tomatoes for an example. women and men pick tomatoes off the vine.but its the men who carry the buckets to the wooden field boxes. a worker uses a forklift to load the truck, than a driver takes the tomatoes to the packing house to be washed graded boxed and put into the cooler and gassed. NOW just what would happen if everybody was just picking ? what a mess you would have! so also is Jesus field of ministry! their are hundreds of ways to help and their should be no one yelling at you to pick tomatoes, if you want to drive the forklift..the kingdom Hall is like a packing house and its your right and responsibility to choose for your self the job that you want to do.and then do it.. I can't tell you what to say when the field boss screams pick faster, other than I'm sorry sir I'm busy washing tomatoes..
now did anybody get my message? or do you still feel guilty because your job is to make cardboard boxes while others pick the tomatoes?

 

sorry to hog space, but I point out a story a women name Martha was going about tasks as another women just sat listening to Jesus Martha complained that the women sitting should be doing tasks also Jesus say let her sit? quit being troubled with the many tasks. why do you think Jesus thought it more important to just sit at his feet rather than perform tasks for him?

 

Good thread.

I've noticed that there is a tendency to judge people based on what they can do - their performance - rather than accepting them for who they are as people.

When I first realised that my circumstances were about to change, I explained this to a number of people so that they would be "in the know." I've spoken to a number of people now over time and they still act as if they "don't get it."

Wallflower

 

anybody that has any training in psychology know that in a dysfunctional family the members perform tasks and walk on eggshells in an attempt to keep the main disfunctional character at bay! but this only feeds the performance disease and soon everyone is deeply affected and infected! psychopathologys manifest. pedophilia, grandiose behavior, and grand delusions of special favor with god..are the classical symptoms! now perhaps you know what's really happening among Jehovah's people, we have a runaway. disease in our midst and the big shots won't Evan acknowledge it! must not bring reproach on Jehovah's name is the codependent watchword.

 

I like very much this post of yours !

"Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad." - Ecc8:11

Keeping silence over unhealthy and dysfunctional patterns only reinforces them...

The road to hell is paved with good intentions I read one day...

 

I am a person who experienced firsthand a dysfunctional family. and I can tell you dysfunctional families seek out other dysfunctional families to be around.
having gone through a Christian regeneration program, I know that Evan after the offender is removed people don't just recover..they spread the disease like vicious rabies and everyone gets infected. because the ants and Jehovah's witnesses lay claim to being the one true religion, its difficult if not impossible for them to admit and begin healing. I have heard it hundreds of times.we must keep this silent so as not to bring reproach on Jehovah's name. and because the kingdom Hall encourages christian performances.
it becomes the ideal nest for unhealthy performances in those that have a dysfunctional family.
and the fear of being made outcast is like a dangling sword! theirs that constant fear that leads to walking on eggshells, and going about kingdom tasks not for love of Jehovah or fellowman, but because we fear what will happen if we don't perform. so the healing of Christ can never fully operate like it should. during my stay at the regeneration camp. we were given a program that forced us to quit performing. free food,clothing, and nice. rooms at no cost. we were not allowed to run the typical rat race.100 percent of our time was devoted to getting along with our fellowman and applying bible principles. this little town in the rural area of Okeechobee is what I wish the kingdom Hall was like. and it pains me to no end that this place would be spirituality more healing than any kingdom Hall that I've ever gone to.how I wish that the governing body would go their for 2 years. oh lord I was so sure of my understanding of gods word that I had learned from my dysfunctional family! my perceptions of Jehovah was an angry god eager to find a fault so he could administer a beating! I know full well that not all Jehovah's witnesses are cruel racial child abusers.. but if you are tortured cruelly in a building for years than new owners take over and build a sumptuous smorgasbord with delectable foods.its still impossible to enjoy the food in that place because of ingrained memorys of brutal torture. Satan the devil has planted some terrible disfunctions among Jehovah's people so that those that are exposed to bitter dysfunctional families grow to hate the whole kingdom hall and Jehovah and Jesus. these people become vile apostates and attack. Jehovah's house because of a wounded spirit. so what can we do? Its way over my head and I myself am affected to the point were I want to hate all the innocent brothers who live for Jehovah.its a constant battle to remember that the kingdom hall and its people are on Jehovah's side and that Jehovah is a Lovering god who would rather die than have to kill a human. wow!

 

Hopefully, such unhealthy and dysfunctional patterns aren't rampant among the JWs but they do certainly constitute a reality for many of them, hence the necessity to take them into consideration, especially from a shepherd point of view. Obviously, I don't talk about it all just to hold forth on psychology for the sake of it.

I truly appreciate your posts when the topic makes you write them down in meaningful ways.

We all struggle with our feelings and often, when it comes to our actions, "the heart has reasons that the reason ignores". Not often easy to find the Ariadne's thread that will lead us out of the maze of our heart...

 

tuna their is little doubt that the kingdom Hall provides more written information and talks than any other religious group. the problem I see and its not imagined. is the lack of personal concern for those that for whatever reason don't produce mass field service hours. this is quite plain those that crank out the most field service hours and place the most literature can purchase honor. it doesn't matter much what the persons real motives are or the state of his home affairs as long as he or she performs a lot of what the elders call your sacred services to Jehovah. or you can make contributions using your personal checks for the kingdom work, or both. those that do are valued and honor as fine outstanding brothers.
but on the flip side poor brother struggling who needs financial support had best go to the salvation army or other charity, because if you bring your need to your local elders your going to get the you are a burden to us feeling. my dysfunctional family had a congregational elder,and both my parents made sure to turn in plenty of time and place magazines and have a Tuesday night book study in the home. but with all the open shows of Christian behaviour. my mother and father constantly fought and cursed most filthy and took out their miserys by beating on me. I found that the sitter families that they dropped me of with were also fine producer's of field service hours, but their homes were also dysfunctional! I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that every single kid I knew when I was a attended of the kingdom hall was in fear. fear of getting hustled to the bathroom to be slapped around, fear of getting jabbed with a safety pin if you fell asleep during a meeting or fear of writing 1000 times sentences! and the adults all go out in service to maintain face with the elders and congregation, more fear.the central theme I gathered was in order to please Jehovah you must not celebrate holidays, or do bad things, and you have to go door to door preaching. are their others out their that can share another feeling? or did everybody else get the same theme beat into them in the name of Jehovah? and please forgive the spell checked that keeps messing up your name utuna I can't turn it off

 

utuna I fixed the spell checker it wont call you tuna any more or write ants when I type wbts.

 

Utuna,

What a very helpful and informative thread.

The watchtower organization is fulfilling the role of the false prophet that caused the old prophet to turn aside to his house when in fact Jehovah told him not to stop any where till he was out of that place.

What better tool to use than guilt which is insiduously used and slyly taught by the watchtower organization to keep people in line to their so-called authority from Jehovah. Then throw fear of being disfellowshipped and losing all that is dear to you in the mix and you have a perfect recipe to keep others in line and stay there continually seeking them.

All need to wake up to the need to Seek Jehovah through Jesus - he is our only mediator. These men who teach that they are the ones that you need to go through to get to Jehovah are very sly and crafty at what they do and it takes a while to recognize this.

The line of reasoning that you and others have shown on this thread is a excellent way to start the process of breaking free from this influence and learning how not to turn aside to this house of a deceptive prophet.

Just some thoughts of appreciation for your article Utuna.

Have a nice day.

belongingtojah

 

Glad that you like it.

Just like in the case of putting our mind at rest for an enhanced efficiency, here is proven true once again the following premise : Less is more...

 

The following posts are based on a few chapters of a book I just finished reading. The content of these chapters being closely connected with the "Fear and the Fault", I decided to write these posts in the same thread.

The parables have always been a means of teaching for the Jews. Jesus' parables are closer to the metaphor (Mat.7:6, 12:40) than to the comparison (Mat.10:16). A comparison explains through analogies. A metaphor creates a dissonance between the word used and what it's meant to designate.

"They are the ones devouring the houses of the widows and for a pretext making long prayers; these will receive a heavier judgment.â€￾" - Mark12:40

Contrary to the comparison that explains, the metaphor has a shocking power that influences the imagination, because the dissonance gets straight to the point by going beyond what the comparison would have merely depicted. A parable doesn't explain, it replaces the daily life, which is a given level of reality, by a much higher one (through a metaphor, for example) which constitutes a split from the first in order to make the latter stand out more and thus convey the real meaning of the "tale".

In the parable of the workers of the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] hour (Mat.20:1-16), the story and the context look ordinary until the workers receive their wages. Then is introduced the split with reality when the Master of the Vineyard pays the workers of the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] hour the same amount of money as the very first ones he finds. That split with reality is what calls to mind the truth, the message which the parable intends to convey.

The parable being based at first on reality, we (and especially the Jewish audience back then) posit that the wages will be given according to the personal merit of each worker whereas a conduct based on love and goodness, as the twist of the parable makes it stand out afterwards, smashes to pieces said retributory frame of mind.

An author said that the parable is a window, through which we can see the world anew. The insistance of Jesus to dramatize daily life, more than the rabbis, can be considered anew from there, but on theological grounds : daily life is chosen because it is the theatre of God's action. Parables do not present God's kingdom as the utopia of the apocalypses - which prefer the allegory, as an open space for speculations. The parable depicts the kingdom like a fresh look taken at reality - and which eventually changes it. Said otherwise, the parable is some kind of a welcomed disturbance.

Splitting the image of an ancient world, it spawns a new world, creator of new possibilities and unsuspected alternatives. The parable of the feast brings out the incredible freedom of God; the parable of the sower establishes the possibility of hope; the parable of the equal wages upends the retributory justice through the action of love and goodness.

To a certain extent, the parable isn't a language about the kingdom, it is the language of the kingdom. The parable creates a dichotomy between the daily life and God's kingdom and from it comes the present, with its load of prospective possibilities.

The effect of the parable is that it forces the audience to feel concerned by the introduction based on daily life and then to make a stand regarding the twist at the end of it. And this effect is all the more effective as the context chosen for the parable is very close to what the audience knows.

Respecting Jesus' parable recorded in Luke 7:41-47, Jesus uses the paramount principle for Pharisees according to which it is an honor for them not to have debts. Thus, Jesus settles the context and later explains that her marks of love, the sinful woman, are the ones that he didn't receive from them, the Pharisees. Jesus never gave his personal opinion or contradicted what the Pharisee could have thought about the whole thing, according to his human perception of the situation. He just told a story with which the Pharisee could only identify himself but with an application he didn't see coming and which conclusion of his he couldn't take back … : The behaviour of the woman isn't considered anymore as a transgression of the code of purity, but as a proof of forgiveness received from God. Subtil way : through the detour of the parable, Jesus posited his faith in a God who would prefer love to fear.

One of the greatest parables in the Bible is Nathan's when he tried to make David understand that he had seriously sinned against Jehovah. The surprise comes, not generated by the account in itself, but by its application to the situation. The audience gets involved by the account but realizes that the logical reaction isn't what he would have done anyway if he were back again within a given and personal context.

Our God is a God of parables. He makes us have a fresh look at the world, or more modestly, at a part of the world, and that Word is puzzling ; its goal is also to entertain. But as a result, through the "magic" of the story as it is told, which entertains and puzzles, the God of parables renews with the humans a dialogue that was stopped ; and his Word, for those who understand it, is a shock.

By accepting that "Jesus is the Christ", the Christians of the first century acquiesced to that kind of God. They admitted too that Christ was the ultimate "parable of God" because calling him Christ, was confessing that in him had been manifested, close and hidden, the transforming presence of God.

The latter aspect will be discussed more in details in the next post because both are closely connected.

Footnote : Jesus proclaimed God in parables but the primitive church proclaimed Jesus as the Parable of God.

 

The parable is a language, which enables us to imagine a God that we can't see.

Are Jesus' miracles a language too, and to say what ?

In a nutshell, that language is an ever living protestation against evil.

The God that creates new possibilities

Whether they may be healing, exorcism, liberation, acts of generosity or establishment of norms, the miracles have all one point in common : each time, a limit that was cornering the individual inside of a situation of helplessness is lifted by Jesus. Said limit can be physical, psychological and economic. And that is where the wonderful aspect of the miracle comes in : that a woman or a man, cornered by a limit, locked in a stalemate made up with illness, poverty, dearth or fear, may be released from it through the powerful intervention of God. The marvel, in the miracle, isn't because it looks spectacular - all in all, Jesus' miracles weren't much as such. The marvellous aspect comes from the fact that God comes and creates new possibilities, where humans couldn't see any way out and couldn't help it.

The miracle says through gestures what the parable says in words.

What were Jesus' motivations ? The verb used to express Jesus' feelings were closely connected to the "guts".... The miracle comes when he let himself be inhabited by God's compassion, be deeply troubled by the misfortunes of a woman or a man mutilated in their humanity.

Jesus is thus the instrument of a God who is moved when He sees His creature lessened by misfortune.

Contrary to the Greeks who believed that the body was the mere recipient of a spiritual entity, the Jews didn't make any distinction in that regard. For the Jews just like for the first Christians, the humans don't have a body, they are a body. Hence, when Jesus heals the body, it is then the whole person that is healed : his relation towards himself, his relation towards others and his relation towards God. We shouldn't consider Jesus' miracles from the mere medical angle only. Illness was considered during the first century CE as a phenomenon which was at the same time physical, social and religious. Like the cultures all around, Israel considered the deterioration of health like an effect of divine curse, and the ill person ended up marginalized, socially and religiously (John 9:2). That is why the healings of Jesus bring the person back as in their bodies as within a network of human relationships, and reinstate them in the communion with God.

That is a far cry from a therapeutic touch tinged with a magic feel... and in order not to generate more misunderstandings in that regard, the accounts of miracles in the Gospel rarely mention therapeutic acts on Jesus' part. The word of Jesus is first and foremost what causes the healings.

If we consider the account recorded in Mark 2:1-12, Jesus doesn't only utter therapeutic words. Through the forgiveness of sins that he granted the man, the latter is reconciled, stiffen in his paralysis, with God and with himself. Jesus demonstrates solemnly to this man that God didn't curse him, and that he doesn't need to curse himself in order to be religiously accepted. That explains why Jesus talks about the forgiveness of the man's sins when he heals him, so the healing is total, all-encompassing.

The God that performs miracles brings about a happiness that extracts man from the fatalities weighing on their destiny. The miracles deploy the liberating power of God in the stalemates where man gets cornered due to his illnesses, his fears, his feelings of helplessness, his awareness of being destitute, and the paralyzing weight of religion when it pretends to distinguish the pures from the impures.

So, what goal do the accounts of miracles serve ?

They weren't written for entertainment. They have as a background the tough experience of illness, of helplessness, of sorrow and loneliness. The miracles are destined to weary men and women, and exhort them not to feel overcome by pain but to give another try at going out of the stalemate. Those accounts remove the inevitability of the sufferings and offer hope to those who hear it.

The absolute novelty of the tradition of the Gospel is that it integrates the miraculous act to the coming of the Kingdom. The enunciation of the accounts of miracles was at first a liturgical act ; and even more, the enunciation gets the meaning of a symbolic act through which the believer affirms his faith in a God who takes charge of the reality of pain, and along with it, changes its own relation to pain.

 

I especially liked this part and the way it is explained.

Wallflower

 

Paul's conversion changed dramatically his life. We all know how much the Pharisees were persnickety and proud of their righteousness (Luke 18:11-12).

Here is a description of his life, with his own words, before his conversion :

"If any other man thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I the more so: circumcised the eighth day, out of the family stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [born] from Hebrews; as respects law, a Pharisee; as respects zeal, persecuting the congregation; as respects righteousness that is by means of law, one who proved himself blameless." - Ph. 3:4-6

Phil 3:4-5 - NCV
"If anyone thinks he has a reason to trust in himself, he should know that I have greater reason for trusting in myself."

Phil 3:4 - NET Bible
"If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more:"

Phil 3:4 - Weymouth
"although I myself might have some excuse for confidence in outward ceremonies. If any one else claims a right to trust in them, far more may I:"

Phil 3:4 - NLT
"though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!"

and here is how his conception changed a few years later :

"For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For what I am working out I do not know. For what I wish, this I do not practice; but what I hate is what I do. However, if what I do not wish is what I do, I agree that the Law is fine. But now the one working it out is no longer I, but sin that resides in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells nothing good; for ability to wish is present with me, but ability to work out what is fine is not [present]. For the good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, now, what I do not wish is what I do, the one working it out is no longer I, but the sin dwelling in me.

I find, then, this law in my case: that when I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members. Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with [my] mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with [my] flesh to sin’s law." - Rm 7:14-25

Whereas Philippians chapter 3 draws a portrait of an efficient Pharisee, Romans 7 describes the tragedy of Man under the Law, torn apart between a will eager to practice good and actions sold under sin.

From one passage to the other, Paul's conception is totally different. At first, Paul thought of himself as someone righteous, blameless, according to the Law. However, the passage in Romans is an acknowledgement of failure, of helplessness. The pompous depiction of the Pharisian perfectionism gives us the understanding that Paul had of himself respecting his prechristian past ; it is typical of an over-identification to the Jewish faith, which the apostle will drastically reject in the verses that follow. In Romans 7, Paul considers himself from the Christian angle, this time around, and sees himself as a deceived man.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about covetousness because for the Rabbinical tradition, it was the epitome of all the other sins, their recapitulation. The other reason is that that sin is connected to Adam and Eve and their fall...

In these verses, Paul says that, no matter how hard he tries, he can't practice good the way he wants. Not only he can't but he is also not able to do it. From the Jewish viewpoint, that assessment is terrible because he defines himself as an helpless evildoer. That's for him a time of awareness that he is hopeless, that Sin has always the upper hand.

Romans 7 doesn't contradict the essence of the Pharisian pride, but unmasks in hindsight the anxiety that underlies the legal perfectionism. In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul keeps silent what the knowledge of Christ taught him : an underlying conflict ruins the legal piety, conflict in which Sin uses the commandments so as to work with him.

On psychological grounds, there are explanations of Paul's perfectionism and of his hatred for the Christians at first. Because the Law generates anxiety, by activating the fear of transgression, the pharisian obedience is unconsciously structured by patterns of hatred. Thus, the persecution of a dissident group can be the result, either of a desire of recognition on the individual's part, or rather of a projection on the dissident group of the incapability of said individual to fulfill the Law ; that incapability which is not confessed, but pent up, triggers persecution according to the projective pattern of the scapegoat.

I like the way Paul's verses in question are explained and commented in the quotation below, so I decided to quote the whole of it.

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CHRISTIANS AND THE LAW
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Something in human nature makes us want to go to extremes, a weakness from which Christians are not wholly free. "Since we are saved by grace," some argue, "we are free to live as we please," which is the extreme of license.

"But we cannot ignore God's Law," others argue. "We are saved by grace, to be sure; but we must live under Law if we are to please God." This is the extreme expression of legalism.

Paul answered the first group in Rom 6; the second group he answered in Rom 7. The word law is used twenty-three times in this chapter. In Rom 6, Paul told us how to stop doing bad things; in Rom 7 he told how not to do good things. "You were not justified by keeping the Law," he argued, "and you cannot be sanctified by keeping the Law."

Every growing Christian understands the experience of Rom 6 and 7. Once we learn how to "know, reckon, and yield," we start getting victory over the habits of the flesh, and we feel we are becoming more spiritual. We set high standards and ideals for ourselves and for a while seem to attain them. Then everything collapses! We start to see deeper into our own hearts and we discover sins that we did not know were there. God's holy Law takes on a new power, and we wonder if we can ever do anything good! Without realizing it we have moved into 'legalism" and have learned the truth about sin, the Law, and ourselves.

What really is "legalism"? It is the belief that I can become holy and please God by obeying laws. It is measuring spirituality by a list of do's and don'ts. The weakness of legalism is that it sees sins (plural) but not sin (the root of the trouble). It judges by the outward and not the inward. Furthermore, the legalist fails to understand the real purpose of God's Law and the relationship between Law and grace.

In my pastoral experience, I have counseled many people who have suffered severe emotional and spiritual damage because they have tried to live holy lives on the basis of a high standard. I have seen the consequences of these attempts: either the person becomes a pretender, or he suffers a complete collapse and abandons his desires for godly living. I have seen too that many legalists are extremely hard on other people - critical, unloving, unforgiving. Paul wanted to spare his readers this difficult and dangerous experience. In Rom 7, he discussed three topics, which, if understood and applied, will deliver us from legalism.

The Authority of the Law (Rom 7:1-6) These verses actually continue the discussion that Paul began in Rom 6:15, answering the question, "Shall we sin because we are not under the Law, but under grace?" He used the illustration of a master and servant to explain how the Christian should yield himself to God. In this passage he used the illustration of a husband and wife to show that the believer has a new relationship to the Law because of his union with Jesus Christ.

The illustration is a simple one, but it has a profound application. When a man and woman marry, they are united for life. Marriage is a physical union ("they two shall be one flesh" Gen 2:24) and can only be broken by a physical cause. One such cause is death. (Matt 5:31-34; 19:1-12 indicate that unfaithfulness also breaks the marriage bond, but Paul does not bring this up. He is not discussing marriage and divorce; he is using marriage to illustrate a point).

As long as they live, the husband and wife are under the authority of the law of marriage. If the woman leaves the man and marries another man, she commits adultery. But if the husband dies, she is free to remarry because she is no longer a wife. It is death that has broken the marriage relationship and set her free.

Paul's application in Rom 7:4-6 clinches the argument. He states two marvelous facts that explain the believer's relationship to the Law.

We died to the Law (vv. 4-5). It appears that Paul has confused his illustration, but he has not. When we were unsaved ("in the flesh," Rom 7:5), we were under the authority of God's Law. We were condemned by that Law. When we trusted Christ and were united to Him, we died to the Law just as we died to the flesh (Rom 6:1-10). The Law did not die; we died.

But in Paul's illustration from marriage, it was the husband who died and the wife who married again. If you and I are represented by the wife, and the Law is represented by the husband, then the application does not follow the illustration. If the wife died in the illustration, the only way she could marry again would be to come back from the dead. But that is exactly what Paul wants to teach! When we trusted Christ, we died to the Law; but in Christ, we arose from the dead and now are "married" (united) to Christ to live a new kind of life!

The Law did not die, because God's Law still rules over men. We died to the Law, and it no longer has dominion over us. But we are not "lawless"; we are united to Christ sharing His life, and thus walking "in newness of life." Rom 8:4 climaxes the argument: "That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." In the old life of sin, we brought forth fruit "unto death," but in the new life of grace, we "bring forth fruit unto God." To be "dead to the Law" does not mean that we lead lawless lives. It simply means that the motivation and dynamic of our lives does not come from the Law: it comes from God's grace through our union with Christ.

We are delivered from Law (v. 6). This is the logical conclusion: the Law cannot exercise authority over a dead person. The Authorized Version reads as though the Law died; but Paul wrote, "We having died to that wherein we were held." Death means deliverance (note Rom 6:9-10). But we were delivered that we might serve. The Christian life is not one of independence and rebellion. We died to the Law that we might be "married to Christ". We were delivered from the Law that we might serve Christ. This truth refutes the false accusation that Paul taught lawlessness.

What is different about Christian service as opposed to our old life of sin? To begin with, the Holy Spirit of God energizes us as we seek to obey and serve the Lord. (The word spirit ought to be capitalized in Rom 7:6 - "newness of Spirit') Under Law, no enablement was given. God's commandments were written on stones and read to the people. But under grace, God's Word is written in our hearts (2 Cor 3:1-3). We "walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:4) and serve "in newness of Spirit." The believer, then, is no longer under the authority of the Law.

The Ministry of the Law (Rom 7:7-13) Paul's objectors were ready! "What good is the Law if we don't need it anymore? Why, a teaching such as yours turns the Law into sin!" In answering that objection, Paul explained the ministries of the Law, ministries that function even today.

The Law reveals sin (v. 7). "The Law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). "Where no Law is, there is no transgression" (Rom 4:15). The Law is a mirror that reveals the inner man and shows us how dirty we are (James 1:22-25). Note that Paul did not use murder, stealing, or adultery in his discussion, he uses coveting. This is the last of the Ten Commandments, and it differs from the other nine in that it is an inward attitude, not an outward action. Covetousness leads to the breaking of the other commandments! It is an insidious sin that most people never recognize in their own lives, but God's Law reveals it.

The rich ruler in Mark 10:17-27 is a good example of the use of the Law to reveal sin and show a man his need for a Saviour. The young man was very moral outwardly, but he had never faced the sins within. Jesus did not tell him about the Law because the Law would save him. He told him about the Law because the young man did not realize his own sinfulness. True, he had never committed adultery, robbed anyone, given false witness, or dishonored his parents; but what about covetousness? When Jesus told him to sell his goods and give to the poor, the man went away in great sorrow. The commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," had revealed to him what a sinner he really was! Instead of admitting his sin, he rejected Christ and went away unconverted.

The Law arouses sin (vv. 8-9). Since Paul was a devout Pharisee, seeking to obey the Law before his conversion, it is easier to understand these verses. (Read Phil 3:1-11 and Gal 1 for other autobiographical data on Paul's relationship to the Law in his unconverted days.) Keep in mind too that "the strength of sin is the Law" (1 Cor 15:56). Since we have a sinful nature, the Law is bound to arouse that nature the way a magnet draws steel.

Something in human nature wants to rebel whenever a law is given. I was standing in Lincoln Park in Chicago, looking at the newly painted benches; and I noticed a sign on each bench: "Do Not Touch." As I watched, I saw numbers of people deliberately reach out and touch the wet paint! Why? Because the sign told them not to! Instruct a child not to go near the water, and that is the very thing he will do! Why? "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom 8:7).

Believers who try to live by rules and regulations discover that their legalistic system only arouses more sin and creates more problems. The churches in Galatia were very legalistic, and they experienced all kinds of trouble. "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another" (Gal 5:15). Their legalism did not make them more spiritual; it made them more sinful! Why? Because the Law arouses sin in our nature.

The Law kills (vv. 10-11). "For if there had been a law given Which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law" (Gal 3:21). But the Law cannot give life: it can only show the sinner that he is guilty and condemned This explains why legalistic Christians and churches do not grow and bear spiritual fruit. They are living by Law, and the Law always kills. Few things are more dead than an orthodox church that is proud of its "high standards" and tries to live up to them in its own energy. Often the members of such a church start to judge and condemn one another, and the sad result is a church fight and then a church split that leaves members - or former members - angry and bitter.

As the new Christian grows, he comes into contact with various philosophies of the Christian life. He can read books, attend seminars, listen to tapes, and get a great deal of information. If he is not careful, he will start following a human leader and accept his teachings as Law. This practice is a very subtle form of legalism, and it kills spiritual growth. No human teacher can take the place of Christ; no book can take the place of the Bible. Men can give us information, but only the Spirit can give us illumination and help us understand spiritual truths. The Spirit enlightens us and enables us; no human leader can do that.

The Law shows the sinfulness of sin (vv. 12-13). Unsaved people know that there is such a thing as sin; but they do not realize the sinfulness of sin. Many Christians do not realize the true nature of sin. We excuse our sins with words like "mistakes" or "weaknesses"; but God condemns our sins and tries to get us to see that they are "exceedingly sinful." Until we realize how wicked sin really is, we will never want to oppose it and live in victory.

Paul's argument here is tremendous: (1) the Law is not sinful - it is holy, just, and good; (2) but the Law reveals sin, arouses sin, and then uses sin to slay us; if something as good as the Law accomplishes these results, then something is radically wrong somewhere; (3) conclusion: see how sinful sin is when it can use something good like the Law to produce such tragic results. Sin is indeed "exceedingly sinful." The problem is not with the Law, the problem is with my sinful nature. This prepares the way for the third topic in this chapter.

The Inability of the Law (Rom 7:14-25) Having explained what the Law is supposed to do, Paul now explains what the Law cannot do.

The Law cannot change you (v. 14). The character of the Law is described in four words: holy, just, good, and spiritual. That the Law is holy and just, nobody can deny, because it came from the holy God who is perfectly just in that He says and does. The Law is good. It reveals God's holiness to us and helps us to see our need for a Saviour.

What does it mean that the Law is "spiritual"? It means that the Law deals with the inner man, the spiritual part of man, as well as with the outer actions. In the original giving of the Law in Exodus, the emphasis was on the outward actions. But when Moses restated the Law in Deuteronomy, he emphasized the inner quality of the Law as it relates to man's heart. This spiritual emphasis is stated clearly in Deut 10:12-13. The repetition of the word 'love" in Deuteronomy also shows that the deeper interpretation of the Law relates to the inner man (Deut 4:37; 6:4-6; 10:12; 11:1; 30:6,16,20).

Our nature is carnal (fleshly); but the Law's nature is spiritual. This explains why the old nature responds as it does to the Law. It has well been said, "The old nature knows no Law, the new nature needs no Law." The Law cannot transform the old nature; it can only reveal how sinful that old nature is. The believer who tries to live under Law will only activate the old nature; he will not eradicate it.

The Law cannot enable you to do good (vv. 15-21). Three times in this passage Paul stated that sin dwells in us (Rom 7:14, 18, 20). He was referring, of course, to the old nature. It is also true that the Holy Spirit dwells in us; and in Rom 8, Paul explained how the Spirit of God enables us to live in victory, something the Law cannot help us do.

The many pronouns in this section indicate that the writer is having a problem with self. This is not to say that the Christian is a split personality, because he is not. Salvation makes a man whole. But it does indicate that the believer's mind, will, and body can be controlled either by the old nature or the new nature, either by the flesh or the Spirit. The statements here indicate that the believer has two serious problems: (1) he cannot do the good he wants to do, and (2) he does the evil that he does not want to do.

Does this mean that Paul could not stop himself from breaking God's Law, that he was a liar and thief and murderer? Of course not! Paul was saying that of himself he could not obey God's Law; and that even when he did, evil was still present with him. No matter what he did, his deeds were tainted by sin. Even after he had done his best, he had to admit that he was "an unprofitable servant" (Luke 17:10). "So I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there - with me" (Rom 7:21, NIV). This, of course, is a different problem from that in Rom 6. The problem there was, "How can I stop doing bad things?" while the problem here is, "How can I ever do anything good?"

The legalist says, "Obey the Law and you will do good and live a good life." But the Law only reveals and arouses sin, showing how sinful it is! It is impossible for me to obey the Law because I have a sinful nature that rebels against the Law. Even if I think I have done good, I know that evil is present. The Law is good, but by nature, I am bad! So, the legalist is wrong: the Law cannot enable us to do good.

The Law cannot set you free (vv. 21-25). The believer has an old nature that wants to keep him in bondage; "I will get free from these old sins!" the Christian says to himself. "I determine here and now that I will not do this any longer." What happens? He exerts all his willpower and energy, and for a time succeeds; but then when he least expects it, he falls again. Why? Because he tried to overcome his old nature with Law, and the Law cannot deliver us from the old nature. When you move under the Law, you are only making the old nature stronger, because "the strength of sin is the Law" (1 Cor 15:56). Instead of being a dynamo that gives us power to overcome, the Law is a magnet that draws out of us all kinds of sin and corruption. The inward man may delight in the Law of God (Ps 119:35), but the old nature delights in breaking the Law of God. No wonder the believer under Law becomes tired and discouraged, and eventually gives up! He is a captive, and his condition is "wretched." (The Greek word indicates a person who is exhausted after a battle.) What could be more wretched than exerting all your energy to try to live a good life, only to discover that the best you do is still not good enough!

Is there any deliverance? Of course! "I thank God that there is Someone who shall deliver me - Jesus Christ our Lord!" Because the believer is united to Christ, he is dead to the Law and no longer under its authority. But he is alive to God and able to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit. The explanation of this victory is given in Rom 8.

The final sentence in the chapter does not teach that the believer lives a divided life: sinning with his flesh but serving God with his mind. This would mean that his body was being used in two different ways at the same time, and this is impossible. The believer realizes that there is a struggle within him between the flesh and the Spirit (Gal 5:16-18), but he knows that one or the other must be in control.

By "the mind" Paul meant "the inward man" (Rom 7:22) as opposed to "the flesh" (Rom 7:18). He amplified this thought in Rom 8:5-8. The old nature cannot do anything good. Everything the Bible says about the old nature is negative: "no good thing" (Rom 7:18); "the flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:63); "no confidence in the flesh" (Phil 3:3). If we depend on the energy of the flesh, we cannot serve God, please God, or do any good thing. But if we yield to the Holy Spirit then we have the power needed to obey His will. The flesh will never serve the Law of God because the flesh is at war with God. But the Spirit can only obey the Law of God! Therefore, the secret of doing good is to yield the Holy Spirit.

Paul hinted at this in the early verses of this chapter when he wrote, "That we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Rom 7:4). Just as we are dead to the old nature, so we are dead to the Law. But we are united to Christ and alive in Christ, and therefore can bring forth fruit unto God. It is our union with Christ that enables us to serve God acceptably. "For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). That solved Paul's problem in Rom 7:18: "For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."

The old nature knows no law and the new nature needs no law. Legalism makes a believer wretched because it grieves the new nature and aggravates the old nature! The legalist becomes a Pharisee whose outward actions are acceptable, but whose inward attitudes are despicable. No wonder Jesus called them "whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matt 23:27). How wretched can you get!

The best is yet to come! Rom 8 explains the work of the Holy Spirit in overcoming the bad and producing the good.

(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing,
and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
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