Posted on 07/08/2012 2:51:23 PM PDT by NYer
The gospel today portrays the Lord Jesus as preacher and prophet. But as we shall see, even the greatest preacher in the world (Jesus), can find his powerful and precious words falling lifeless on the rock hard surface that is the heart of many a soul. Yes, even his words can meet resistance and hostility, indifference and ridicule. Indeed, the gospel today shows forth the ruinous result of rejection.
We sometimes think that if Catholic priests were better preachers, all would be well. But that is only half the battle, for the Catholic faithful must have ears to hear and hearts that are open and eager to hear the truth. A well known preacher and fine Protestant teacher, William Barclay has this to say:
There can be no preaching in the wrong atmosphere. Our churches would be different places if congregations would only remember that they preach far more than half the sermon. In an atmosphere of expectancy, the poorest effort can catch fire. In an atmosphere of critical coldness or bland indifference the most spirit-packed utterance can fall lifeless to the earth. (Commentary on Mark, P. 140).
Yes, of this I am a witness. I have preached before congregations that were expectant and supportive, and watched my words catch fire. I have also preached in settings where “I couldn’t hear nobody pray!” And Oh the difference!
I have been blessed to serve most of my priesthood in African American settings and there is a deep appreciation that the preaching moment is a shared moment with shared responsibilities. The congregation does not consider itself a passive recipient of the word, but an active sharer in the proclamation.
There is an air of expectancy in the Church as the faithful gather and listen and begin to sing and pray. This air of expectancy is sometimes called “the hum.” And, during the reading of the Word and the sermon there are nods, hands may go up, even a stomp of the foot, and an acclamation or two pock the air: Amen!… Yes, Lord!…Well?!…Go on now!….Take your time!…Make it plain preacher!…You don’t mean to tell me! Ha!, My, my my!
And as a preacher too I can call for help: Are you praying with me Church?!….Somebody ought to say Amen!…..Come on Church!…..Can I get a witness?!……Kind quiet in here today….Amen?! Yes, together we craft the message as inspired by the Holy Spirit. And while it belongs to the priest to craft the content, it belongs to the congregation to affirm the truth and acknowledge the Spirit.
How precious and necessary is the preaching task. But the preaching task, as today’s gospel affirms, is more than the preacher. But before looking at the text itself, a few more insights about both preacher and congregation from Pope (Saint) Gregory the Great.
First on the obligation of the preacher and the solemnity of his task to preach:
Pastors who lack foresight hesitate to say openly what is right because they fear losing the favor of men. As the voice of truth tells us, such leaders are not zealous pastors who protect their flocks, rather they are like mercenaries who flee by taking refuge in silence when the wolf appears.
The Lord reproaches them through the prophet: They are dumb dogs that cannot bark. On another occasion he complains: You did not advance against the foe or set up a wall in front of the house of Israel, so that you might stand fast in battle on the day of the Lord. To advance against the foe involves a bold resistance to the powers of this world in defense of the flock. To stand fast in battle on the day of the Lord means to oppose the wicked enemy out of love for what is right.
When a pastor has been afraid to assert what is right, has he not turned his back and fled by remaining silent? Whereas if he intervenes on behalf of the flock, he sets up a wall against the enemy in front of the house of Israel….[But] they [who] are afraid to reproach men for their faults…thereby lull the evildoer with an empty promise of safety. Because [such preachers] fear reproach, they keep silent and fail to point out the sinner’s wrongdoing.
The word of reproach is a key that unlocks a door, because reproach reveals a fault of which the evildoer is himself often unaware. That is why Paul says of the bishop: He must be able to encourage men in sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For the same reason God tells us through Malachi: The lips of the priest are to preserve knowledge, and men shall look to him for the law, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Finally, that is also the reason why the Lord warns us through Isaiah: Cry out and be not still; raise your voice in a trumpet call.
Anyone ordained a priest undertakes the task of preaching, so that with a loud cry he may go on ahead of the terrible judge who follows. If, then, a priest does not know how to preach, what kind of cry can such a dumb herald utter? It was to bring this home that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues on the first pastors, for he causes those whom he has filled, to speak out spontaneously. [Gregory the Great, Pastoral Guide].
Second on the reason for poor preaching:
Beloved brothers, consider what has been said: Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest. Pray for us so that we may have the strength to work on your behalf, that our tongue may not grow weary of exhortation, and that after we have accepted the office of preaching, our silence may not condemn us before the just judge.
For frequently the preacher’s tongue is bound fast on account of his own wickedness; while on the other hand it sometimes happens that because of the people’s sins, the word of preaching is withdrawn from those who preside over the assembly.
With reference to the wickedness of the preacher, the psalmist says: But God asks the sinner: Why do you recite my commandments? And with reference to the latter, the Lord tells Ezekiel: I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. He clearly means this: the word of preaching will be taken away from you because as long as this people irritates me by their deeds, they are unworthy to hear the exhortation of truth.
It is not easy to know for whose sinfulness the preacher’s word is withheld, but it is indisputable that the shepherd’s silence while often injurious to himself will always harm his flock. (Ibid.)
Note well then, the shared task and responsibility of the preacher and the people. And let these texts serve as a worthy back ground to what is now to come in this gospel which we can see in three stages:
I. Real Rejoicing - The text says, Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Thus the initial reaction of Jesus’ hometown is positive. They are filled with amazement and joy. And the text sets forth two sources of their joy:
1. His Wise Words - and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? Yes, what a blessing it must have been to hear Jesus preach. Could Jesus preach! Scripture says of his preaching:
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Mat 7:28).
Sent to arrest him the temple guard returned empty handed saying: No one ever spoke like that man (Jn 7:46)
And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; (Luke 4:22)
And the common people heard him gladly. (Mark 12:37)
2.His Wonderful works – They also say: What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Yes, Jesus had worked many miracles up to this point:
Cast out demons
Turned water to wine
Raised up paralytics
Cured the man with a withered hand
Cast out blindness
Healed deafness
Multiplied loaves and fishes
Calmed storms
Raised up Jairus’ daughter from the dead
And so we see that the initial reaction to Jesus preaching is good. Their remarks and rejoicing are a sign that the Spirit is working and prompting them to belief.
Yet as we shall see, things are about to turn sour. For it remains a sad but prevailing truth that the word of God can fall on the rocky soil of some hearts where it springs up but soon withers because the soil is rocky and shallow. Or the Word of the Lord can sown on the paths of some hearts where the birds of the sky come and carry it off. Or the Word of the Lord can call on divided hearts and where the thorns of worldliness and anxieties of the world choke it off. And yes, sometimes it falls on good soil where it yields thirty, or sixty, or a hundred fold. (cf Matt 13:1-9). Sadly things are heading south.
II. Rude Rejection - The text says [But some began to say] Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Notice how sudden their change is. There is an old spiritual that says: Some go to church for to sing and shout, before six months theys all turned out!
They harden their hearts – Yes, the tide mysteriously and suddenly turns against Jesus. Sin has set in and hearts have hardened and the joy is jettisoned. Though the Holy Spirit prompts them to faith and to call Jesus Lord, they harden their hearts. It is a grim and tragic sin.
They also exhibit a kind of prejudice or unjust discrimination, dismissing him as a mere carpenter and a home boy. It is an odd kind of thing that the poor and oppressed sometimes take up the voice of the oppressor. And thus, these simple people of a small little town of only 300, take up the voice of the Jerusalemites who regarded Galileans as “poor back-woods clowns” and as unlettered people. Yes, his own townsfolk take up the voice of the oppressor and say to Jesus, in effect, “Stay in your place. You have no business being smart, talented, wise or great. You’re just one of us and should amount to nothing.” It is the same sort of tragic rebuke that sometimes takes place among minority students who excel in school. Some of their fellow minority students accuse them of “going white.” Tragic and sick. And thus for Jesus, they ignore his actual words and his works and focus only on appearances and background.
They also exhibit the sin of envy. Envy is sadness or anger at the goodness or excellence of another person because we take it to lessen our own excellence. The text says here, And they took offense at him. St. Augustine called envy THE diabolical sin. This is because it seeks not to posses the good of another, (like jealousy does), but it seeks to destroy what is good in others so that the destroyer can look better.
The result of these sins was that Nazareth was NOT a place where excellence was known, even among its own! Indeed, John 1:46 records Nathanael as saying of Nazareth “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” It would seem even the townsfolk of that place would agree” (But Philip who surrendered his prejudice said to Nathanael, “Come and see.”).
But an even more awful result of these sins ensues as we next see.
III. Ruinous Result - The text says, Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” SO HE WAS NOT ABLE to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
So as we see, they judge him to be nothing, so they get nothing. They have blocked their blessings.
Jesus says, He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward (Mat 10:41). But they will get nothing. When we banish or discredit God, we should not expect to see many and mighty works. These things come only from faith.
Miracles are the result of faith not the cause of it. Thus the text says, So [Jesus] was NOT ABLE to perform any mighty deed there…He was amazed at their lack of faith.
There are some things even God can’t do not because he has no power but because he respects our choices. Pay attention. The Lord is offering us salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven. And either we reach out to take it or we don’t. But the choice is ours. If we take it, He’ll go to work. But if we refuse, he who respects our freedom will “not be able” to perform any mighty deeds.
And what a ruinous result for Nazareth and all who reject the prophetic utterances of our Lord and His saving help. Scripture says:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would have none of me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes. Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last for ever. I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:10-16)
Either we will accept God’s word and yield to its healing and saving power or we can expect little or nothing but ultimate ruin. It is as though you or I were in a raging stream heading soon over the falls to our death. And then a hand is stretched out to save us, the hand of Jesus, but mysteriously we reject that hand and ridicule its power. And the ruinous result of our hideous and foolish rejection is only one thing: our death. The text says, He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Pay attention, God is preaching a word to you every Sunday, every day. Will you heed and be healed, receive and be rescued, or reject and be ruined. Will the Lord be able to do mighty deeds for you? Or will he be amazed at your lack of faith? The choice is yours, it is all yours.
Even Jesus can have a bad day in the pulpit. Make sure you’re not the reason why.
I've also seen this thrown around without any consideration for what it really means.
Yes--no man can come to Him unless drawn. However, no where in that statement does it limit who is drawn, like you seem to think. Since Titus indicates that all are drawn, everyone can come to the Father--if he decides to.
Which brings the other point--Just because one is drawn, does not necessarily mean that one will come to Christ. Resistance is possible, and allowed. See Luke 18.
Please cite Jesus saying some are not drawn.
Well, Paul and Peter disagree with you, my FRiend.
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, sattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are CHOSEN ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF God the Father, by the sanctifying work of thw Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood..." "...for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to HIS CHOICE MIGHT STAND, NOT BECAUSE OF WORKS, but because of HIM WHO CALLS."..."So then, it does not depend on the man who wills (CHOOSES) or the man who runs (WORKS), but on God who has mercy,"..."So then, He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."
Of course, Paul heard your same arguments back in the first century, "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" Obviously, they have proven that it cannot be this way! After all, this would not be fair. May want to check Paul's answer. Too bad, folks. Get over it, God can do whatever He wants and it is perfectly just, because He is the definition of just. Or do you wish to stand in judgment upon Him?
Yes, the free will argument is as old as man. Free will is a myth man concocted to derive a sense of independence from God, a freedom that is non-existent. And, when confronted by its error, recently the charge is thrown up, "This is nothing but Islam!". Sorry, God's management is biblical. Islam is an error of Satan as surely as "free will". Of course, God is managing and using it for His purpose, but we are told to identify it as wrongheaded.
And, of course we have heard the, "Well, are you saying God made a mistake then?" Not at all. The ones displaying the mistake are the agents He is using. And they are everywhere. Nevertheless, just as the darkened Jews were used to crucify the Hope of Israel by the plan and management of God, the unfortunate blame will be laid at the feet of the Jews and Romans, Muslims and "free willers".
Who made up the rule that one cannot be blamed for something one is compelled to do? Where exactly does that passage exist? How does blame transfer to Adam's progeny knowing that he is the only one who actually did it? We must let the text teach us, not the other way round. The Almighty is Holy and Just.
Matt. 7:22ff, "MANY will say to Me on the aday, 'Lord, Lord, did we not (choose of our own free will to come to you)? And, then I will say declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'"
John 6:63ff, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh (human effort) profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who whould betray Him. And He was saying, 'For this reason I have said to you, that NO ONE CAN COME TO ME, UNLESS IT HAS BEEN GRANTED HIM FROM THE FATHER.'"
Mark 4:11ff, "And He was saying to them, 'To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; BUT THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE GET EVERYTHING IN PARABLES in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; and WHILE HEARING THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AGAIN AND BE FORGIVEN."
This is just a sampling.
John 6--again, it does not limit those who are drawn. It merely limits the way of salvation to Christ.
Mark 4:22-23--immediately following your quote. Reconcile the two.
Ping to 63.
And, there is no epistle penned by Titus. The epistle of that name is Paul to Titus and nowhere does Paul claim that men have a will that is not conditioned by God. He was granted grace because, as he says, "He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was please to reveal His Son in me,..." Gal.
And Paul's explanation of the Gospel of grace discloses the same thing everywhere: God accomplishes everything. It does not depend upon the man who wills (chooses) or the man who runs (acts), but upon God. Rom. For it is God at work in you to both will and to do His good pleasure. Phil.
Your conclusion is even conditioned by God. Some are granted an opportunity to see; others are not.
John 6--again, it does not limit those who are drawn. It merely limits the way of salvation to Christ.
Mark 4:22-23--immediately following your quote. Reconcile the two."
As I mentioned...some are granted an opportunity to see; others are not.
Wow. You take a reference to a book and pretend I'm referencing an author?
Since your skill at interpreting even mundane text seems to be lacking, I have no idea how to go about discussing text (and context) with you.
Is this how you normally get people to quit pestering you with facts?
Factually incorrect; Mat 7:22 [YLT] says:
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not in thy name prophesied? and in thy name cast out demons? and in thy name done many mighty things?
(Verse 23 says: and then I will acknowledge to them, that -- I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness.)
Note all of those things are actions, they are trying to justify themselves by actions. But Eph 2:8-9 says: for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift, not of works, that no one may boast;
But if grace is a gift, then to whom is it given? John 3:15-17 clearly states that it is to the whole world, that is all men.
So then if the gift of grace is not available to all men is not God a liar? But you have restricted grace from being "available to all men" to being "available to those God preordained salvation". Are you greater than God? Why then do you impose restrictions that God himself did not impose?
God cannot do whatever He wants and be perfectly just; for example He cannot lie nor break a promise, for to do so would be both unjust and dishonorable.
It is precisely because God is Just that He cannot do such things.
Free will is a myth man concocted to derive a sense of independence from God, a freedom that is non-existent.
Again you say that free-will is mutually exclusive of both God's sovereignty and his omnipotence. If man is made in God's image, then man must have a will, for a will is requisite for personhood; further, if that will is not free, then mankind cannot be made in God's image because the lack of such freedom would make man utterly unlike God. (Note: "free will" does not mean "cannot be influenced", or unbounded by reality, or un-predisposed -- why, even God was willing to be influenced, because of his gracious nature, by Abraham regarding Sodom and Gomorrah was He not? Or was the change from 50 to eventually even 10 empty words from God? [Genesis 18:16-33])
And, when confronted by its error, recently the charge is thrown up, "This is nothing but Islam!". Sorry, God's management is biblical. Islam is an error of Satan as surely as "free will". Of course, God is managing and using it for His purpose, but we are told to identify it as wrongheaded.
Managing and micro-managing are two widely different things; though you may not know it.
Managing allows the inferior to act with some self-determination, that is free-will, and bear the responsibility for such.
Micro-managing is so offensive because it is making the will and competence of the managed to no effect; thereby dishonoring the managed and stripping him of [exercise/recognition of] one of the basic acknowledgements of personhood (free will).
For man to have no free will, God would have to micro-manage everyone's lives, and if God were to do so then He would be denying that they were real persons. Perhaps people call your theology [similar to] Islam is because it really is quite similar: mankind is only a clot, there is no free-will, and only those on Allah's "good list" (which is arbitrarily decided by him) get anything good.
Good point; but there's another parable that can also be used. That of the Talents. If man does not have free will then the master, who represents God, cannot justly throw the last servant into outer darkness precisely because that man had no free will; of course in their world-view all mankind seems to be little more than remote-controlled robots.
Which brings us full circle to the parable of the prodigal son. God constantly/consistently paints Himself as a parent, particularly a father (though there are some references as a mother as well). But what sort of parent would be called good or loving that treated their [normal] child the same way at 40, or 20, or 15, or 10 as the did when he was an infant?
None would... and yet these folks would have us believe that God gives stones instead of bread, and snakes instead of fish, eternally treating His children as as infants, indeed as less than persons.
Since your skill at interpreting even mundane text seems to be lacking, I have no idea how to go about discussing text (and context) with you.
Is this how you normally get people to quit pestering you with facts?"
The reference from Paul's letter to Titus, to which I believe you refer, is 2:11, where Paul writes, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men."
If you read the context carefully rather than beginning with a conclusion (exegesis not eisegesis), you will notice that Paul is explaining that grace is being poured out upon all KINDS of men, causing them to become "saved". Thus, even difficult owners of bondslaves may be believers, not just the downtrodden bondslaves. He is encouraging bondservants to not to behave badly, thinking that owners (like rulers, Pharisees, and other high-ups) could not possibly be believers.
Read several verses previous to 11 and you will notice that Paul's advice is part of a longer list of advice to believers.
But, you did not answer my question about whether my previous response answered your concern about the prodigal son and "free will". Did it help?
None would... and yet these folks would have us believe that God gives stones instead of bread, and snakes instead of fish, eternally treating His children as as infants, indeed as less than persons."
Most peculiar remarks. Do these have anything at all to do with our discussion about whether free will exists?
I read the context. It only reads the way you want it to read after some heavy twisting of the Scripture.
I don't twist Scripture. It's written that way for a reason. The text says all men. A couple versions say 'all people"--not "all peoples". The language clearly indicates all men, as individuals.
The context also clearly instructs believers to behave in a sober and clear-minded way to be a credible witness, and because that is what is right--not because others may also be believers.
Reading it your way strips all meaning out of it--All kinds of slaves should try to please their masters, rather than all slaves. All kinds of young men should be self-controlled, rather than all. See how ridiculous that sounds?
God's grace has appeared to all men. It rains on the godly and un-godly, on the righteous and unrighteous.
But, you did not answer my question about whether my previous response answered your concern about the prodigal son and "free will". Did it help?
Help what? I don't twist Scripture to make it fit my views. You never answered the fact that the Son came to himself and started his journey home by himself. The Father did not come to him to drag him home.
Ouch...I should have put the /s on.
If you review the post carefully, you will notice that this passage was cited to demonstrate Jesus said some are not drawn. Here are some who think they are believers are not actually known by Christ, thus rejected in the end. If all men are drawn, then there could not be someone who were drawn to Jesus, thought they were rescued, but were rejected. But, here is an example. Notice, Jesus does not say, "You did not quite get it right. You didn't join the right group." He says, "I never knew you." That point met the request.
"But if grace is a gift, then to whom is it given? John 3:15-17 clearly states that it is to the whole world, that is all men.
So then if the gift of grace is not available to all men is not God a liar? But you have restricted grace from being "available to all men" to being "available to those God preordained salvation". Are you greater than God? Why then do you impose restrictions that God himself did not impose?"
This is a completely different question(s).
Actually, the famous John 3:16 (and surrounding verses) has commonly been used to prove a "universal invitation" to believe. But, please, read the verses. There is no invitation.
Jesus is stating a fact: God has loved the world so much that He gave His Son to rescue it and whoever believes in Him will not die eternally, but live with Him forever.
You are presuming this should be read with the addition of, "And by the way, anyone who wishes to believe, may believe." But, that is not there. He simply says, "Whoever believes will be rescued." Then, later (John 6) He makes it clear that only those whom the Father draws to Him may believe.
And, I wish to place no restrictions upon God. I am simply opening up the text which He has provided. A text which was kept away from many folks by groups of so-called "priests" and "church authorities". Under their care, the concepts of "free will" (and other incorrect doctrines) were fabricated.
You have mis-read my post. I did not say "all kinds of slaves". I said that Paul was advising bondslaves to behave in a godly manner because God was rescuing all kinds of men, even their masters. You may check your own hermeneutic.
I did not mis-read your post. I know you did not come out and say “all kinds of slaves,” but if we are going to interpret that passage the way you want to, then we must be consistent and apply that same logic to the rest of the passage.
Islam is a doctrine of demons, as is "free will". Man is not free from God's determining control. But, while I produce dozens of passages demonstrating the extent of that control, you return with philosophical arguments. Re-read your post and notice the dearth of references from the Bible.
The two words "free will" appear only once in the entire Bible. That is in Paul's letter to Philemon, the owner of the slave Onesimus. Paul is asking him to give Onesimus mercy from his own free will. The context is clear. This is not, repeat not, a claim that Philemon is free from God's micro-management of his mind, soul, and spirit, but that Paul is not compelling him by his authority to do so. All other appearances of the word "freewill" is in connection with a sacrifice which is not required. Whenever the Jewish person is moved to give it, he is to offer a "freewill" sacrifice. The context is clear, there is no compulsion to do so.
This is the extent of "free will". But, the weight of passages claiming God controls everything is enormous. That you wish to dismiss it, I leave between you and God.
The logic is that since God is saving all kinds of people, including guys like your boss, behave as if you understand that. How is it that you must twist this into anything more?
Why should I entertain your thoughts on theology when they are not philosophically sound? (Any theology that is philosophically unsound is a theology not worth looking at, IMO, precisely because it would be the equivalent of discussing a system of physics where the math behind it allows true and false to be equal.)
But, the weight of passages claiming God controls everything is enormous. That you wish to dismiss it, I leave between you and God.
You continually conflate free will with the exclusion of sovereignty. Just because God is sovereign does not mean the exercise of free will is precluded.
(Or, at least, you have not shown such.)
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