Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 33
October 14, 2024
Applying Mercy: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 14, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Applying Mercy. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Applying Mercy: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 21, 2022
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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October 13, 2024
Prayer to a Merciful God
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Almighty God,
All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you offer mercy to sinners without prejudice and model mercy to us in weaknesses and shame.
We confess that we are never so merciful as you, though we have the recipients of your mercy since Jesus died on the cross to pay our penalty for sin.
Thank you for the gift of life, health, family, and all manner of blessings. Help us to remain thankful and to share your good news with those around us.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us the strength to follow your example being gracious to others and share in your peace.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Prayer to a Merciful God
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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Oración a un Misericoridioso Dios
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Dios Todopoderoso,
Toda alabanza y honra, poder y dominio, verdad y justicia son tuyos, porque ofreces misericordia a los pecadores sin prejuicios y nos muestras misericordia en nuestras debilidades y vergüenzas.
Confesamos que nunca somos tan misericordiosos como tú, aunque hemos sido destinatarios de tu misericordia desde que Jesús murió en la cruz para pagar nuestra pena por el pecado.
Gracias por el regalo de la vida, la salud, la familia y todo tipo de bendiciones. Ayúdanos a permanecer agradecidos y a compartir tus buenas noticias con quienes nos rodean.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, concédenos la fuerza para seguir tu ejemplo siendo misericordiosos con los demás y compartir tu paz.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración a un Misericoridioso Dios
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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October 11, 2024
Applying Mercy
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.
(Matt 5:7)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
In the parables examined, we begin to see the nature of God’s mercy.
In the Good Samaritan, we learn that mercy requires a visceral reaction: Our hearts lean into mercy more than our heads. God is emotionally involved in our lives and our salvation. Furthermore, God’s forgiveness overcomes all prejudice.
In the Unforgiving Servant, we see that God is willing to forgive those who admit their sin and ask for his forgiveness. The only unforgivable sin is the refusal to believe. Still, our forgiveness comes with the obligation to extend mercy to those who sin against us.
In the Barren Fig Tree, we hear about the limits on God’s patience. God’s mercy does not mean that we can ignore him forever, like the man that plans to express belief on his deathbed without realizing that death does not always allow a deathbed confession. Furthermore, because a tree is known for its fruit, God is well aware that good fruit in a person comes from a good heart, which needs to be cultivated.
In the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we find a sovereign God who favors humble believers. Humility before God clearly trumps simple worship, because both the Pharisee and the tax collector are devote men offering prayer in the temple.
Stepping away from the parables for a minute, how does the Bible teach that we should express mercy?
Sodom and Gomorrah
The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is often interpreted primarily in terms of the judgment of God on these two cities for their sexual sin, including homosexual sin. Yet, the context of the story is a dialogue between God and Abraham that begins with:
The LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (Gen 18:17-18)
While the judgment of the cities is topical, the story focuses on Abraham’s handling of God’s disclosure. What does Abraham do? Abraham immediately intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah, expressing mercy for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The key phrase in Abraham’s intercession is: “Will you [God] indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23) God does not spare the cities, but he expresses mercy to Abraham by sending his angel to rescue Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family.
In this passage, God reveals his judgment to Abraham, a stand in for the rest of us, to see how Abraham will react. In this example, Abraham passes the test when he exhibits compassion for the cities and engages God in intercessory prayer.
The Reluctant Prophet
How many of us would pass God’s test of Abraham? In scripture, the counter-example to Abraham arises in the story of the Prophet Jonah. In this short story, we read:
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. (Jonah 1:1-2)
God’s disclosure to Jonah is similar to that of Abraham. Nineveh is another evil city, that God told his prophet that he would destroy. But unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, God offers the city mercy by sending Jonah to “call out against it.”
Nineveh was the hometown of Sennacherib king of Assyria, who had seized all of Judea, except for Jerusalem (Isa 36:1). Jonah hated the Ninevites and, instead of going to preach God’s mercy to them, he got on a ship to escape from God and his mission. Then, as every Sunday school kid knows, a storm came up, the sailors tossed Jonah overboard, and he is swallowed by a whale that, after three days, spits him up on a beach. God then repeats his request for Jonah to go to Nineveh. Listen to why Jonah refused to go:
And he prayed to the LORD and said, O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. (Jonah 4:2)
In this response, Jonah recites Exodus 34:6, which recounts God’s character traits. Knowing God is merciful, Jonah refused to preach repentance to the Ninevites, but later does so reluctantly and they do repent, averting God’s wrath, much to Jonah’s consternation (Jonah 3:10, 4:1).
Judgment and End Times
Knowing that we are blessed to be a blessing and that God shares his plans for judgment with us through scripture and revelation, our attitude about those under judgment should change. Judgment of those outside the community of faith comes as a test of the hearts for those inside the community. Think about John’s prophecy about the end times:
The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. (Rev 11:18)
Do we cheer the destruction of sinners, like Jonah, or intercede in prayer, like Abraham? Scripture clearly shows that God’s heart runs to mercy quicker than ours.
Applying Mercy
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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Aplicando Misericordia
Bienaventurados los misericordiosos,
pues ellos recibirán misericordia.
(Mateo 5:7)
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
En las parábolas examinadas en este capítulo, comenzamos a ver la naturaleza de la misericordia de Dios.
En el Buen Samaritano aprendemos que la misericordia requiere una reacción visceral: nuestros corazones se inclinan hacia la misericordia más que nuestras cabezas. Dios está emocionalmente involucrado en nuestras vidas y nuestra salvación. Además, el perdón de Dios supera todos los prejuicios.
En el Siervo Inclemente, vemos que Dios está dispuesto a perdonar a quienes se arrepienten de su pecado y le piden perdón. El único pecado imperdonable es la negativa a creer. Aún así, nuestro perdón viene con la obligación de extender misericordia a aquellos que pecan contra nosotros.
En la Higuera Estéril, escuchamos acerca de los límites de la paciencia de Dios. La misericordia de Dios no significa que podamos ignorarlo para siempre, como el hombre que planea expresar su fe en su lecho de muerte. ¿Qué pasa si la muerte llega demasiado rápido para una confesión? Además, debido a que un árbol es conocido por sus frutos, Dios es muy consciente de que el buen fruto en una persona proviene de un buen corazón, que necesita ser cultivado. Más que nada, la Higuera Estéril es una parábola sobre la formación cristiana.
En el Fariseo y el Publicano, encontramos un Dios soberano que favorece a los creyentes humildes. La humildad ante Dios claramente triunfa sobre la simple adoración, porque tanto el fariseo como el publicano son presumiblemente hombres devotos que ofrecen oración en el templo.
Apartándonos de las parábolas por un minuto, ¿cómo enseña la Biblia de manera más general que debemos expresar misericordia?
Sodoma y Gomorra
La historia de la destrucción de Sodoma y Gomorra a menudo se interpreta principalmente en términos del juicio de Dios sobre estas dos ciudades por su pecado sexual, incluido el pecado homosexual. Sin embargo, el contexto de la historia es un diálogo entre Dios y Abrahán que comienza con:
¨Pero el SEÑOR dijo: ¿Ocultaré a Abrahán lo que voy a hacer? Porque ciertamente Abrahán llegará a ser una nación grande y poderosa, y en él serán benditas todas las naciones de la tierra.¨ (Gén 18:17–18)
Si bien el juicio de las ciudades es de actualidad, la historia se centra en el manejo que hizo Abrahán de la revelación de Dios. ¿Qué hace Abrahán? Abrahán inmediatamente intercede por Sodoma y Gomorra, expresando misericordia por el pueblo de Sodoma y Gomorra en oración.
La frase clave en las intercesión de Abrahán es: “¿En verdad destruirás al justo junto con el impío?” (Gén 18:23) Dios no perdona las ciudades, pero expresa misericordia a Abrahán enviando a su ángel a rescatar a Lot, el sobrino de Abrahán, y a su familia.
En este pasaje, Dios revela su juicio a Abrahán, un sustituto del resto de nosotros, para ver cómo reaccionará Abrahán. En este ejemplo, Abraham pasa la prueba cuando muestra compasión por las ciudades e involucra a Dios en oración intercesora.
El Profeta Reacio
¿Cuántos de nosotros pasaríamos la prueba que Dios le hizo a Abrahán?
En las Escrituras, el contraejemplo de Abraham surge en la historia del profeta Jonás. En este breve cuento leemos:
¨La palabra del SEÑOR vino a Jonás, hijo de Amitai: Levántate, ve a Nínive, la gran ciudad, y proclama contra ella, porque su maldad ha subido hasta Mí.¨ (Jonah 1:1–2)
La revelación de Dios a Jonás es similar a la de Abrahán. Nínive es otra ciudad malvada que Dios le dijo a su profeta que destruiría. Pero a diferencia de Sodoma y Gomorra, Dios ofrece misericordia a la ciudad al enviar a Jonás a ¨proclama contra ella.¨
Nínive era la ciudad natal de Senaquerib rey de Asiria, quien se había apoderado de toda Judea, excepto Jerusalén (Isa 36:1). Jonás odiaba a los ninivitas y, en lugar de ir a predicarles la misericordia de Dios, se subió a un barco para escapar de Dios y su misión. Entonces, como todo niño de escuela dominical sabe, se desató una tormenta, los marineros arrojaron a Jonás por la borda y él es tragado por una ballena que, después de tres días, lo escupe en la playa. Luego Dios repite su pedido de que Jonás vaya a Nínive.
En esta respuesta, Jonás recita Éxodo 34:6, que relata los rasgos del carácter de Dios. Sabiendo que Dios es misericordioso, Jonás se negó a predicar el arrepentimiento a los ninivitas, pero luego lo hace de mala gana y se arrepienten, evitando la ira de Dios, para gran consternación de Jonás (Jonás 3:10, 4:1).
Juicio y Misericordia en los Últimos Tiempos
Sabiendo que somos bendito a ser una bendición y que Dios comparte sus planes de juicio con nosotros a través de las Escrituras y la revelación, nuestra actitud hacia aquellos que están bajo juicio debería cambiar. El juicio de quienes están fuera de la comunidad de fe es una prueba de los corazones de quienes están dentro de la comunidad. Piense en la profecía de Juan sobre el fin de los tiempos:
¨Las naciones se enfurecieron, y vino Tu ira y llegó el tiempo de juzgar a los muertos y de dar la recompensa a Tus siervos los profetas, a los santos y a los que temen Tu nombre, a los pequeños y a los grandes, y de destruir a los que destruyen la tierra.¨ (Apo 11:18)
¿Aplaudimos la destrucción de los pecadores, como Jonás, o intercedemos en oración, como Abrahán? Las Escrituras muestran claramente que el corazón de Dios corre hacia la misericordia más rápido que el nuestro, lo que puede explicar por qué el Nuevo Testamento le da alta prioridad a la evangelización.
Aplicando Misericordia
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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October 8, 2024
Hickman Explains God’s Presence
Dave Hickman. 2016. Closer than Close: Awakening to the Freedom of Your Union with Christ. Colorado Springs: NavPress.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Since I graduated from seminary in October 2013, I have spent increasing time working as an author alone. In my early seminary years, I was working as an economist full-time and traveling to classes once a month; later when I retired from government, I traveled to classes twice a month. Before and during seminary, I was a perpetual motion machine; now, I am still busy, but now I am busy alone. What’s different? I now longer feel a need to have music playing—I am content to work and live in silence. I share my day with God and am mostly at peace, even in the midst of daily chaos.
Introduction
David Hickman, in his book, Closer than Close, writes:
“After years of striving to be close to Jesus, I stumbled upon the shocking reality that Jesus was already as close to me as he could possibly get. It was then that I discovered, in the words of Philip Yancey, ‘Jesus I never knew.’ Striving was replaced with abiding.” (xv)
When Jesus talks in the seventh Beatitude—Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matt 5:9), he refers to the Jewish concept of shalom, where shalom (שָׁלוֹם) means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace” (BDB 10002) and not the more limited idea of reconciliation, which remains more familiar. Hence, Hickman can say: “union with Christ has long been considered to be the central message of the Gospel” (xxvi) embodied in the word abiding and in the idea of being children of God—we are all brothers and sisters of our father in heaven.
Abiding
Stilling, abiding is more than being members of God’s family. Hickman writes:
“What if the union I longed to have with my son was but a pale reflection of a ‘oneness’ I always longed to have with Jesus? What if Jesus never wanted to have a ‘close relationship’ with me? What if he always wanted to be ‘one’ with me instead?” (18)
This abiding is not a new idea, it is a very old idea that has its roots in the unity of God in the Shema (25-26):
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut 6:4-5)
In some sense, the unity modeled by the Trinity abides most clearly in the Gospel of John.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:4-7)
Being Close
Obviously, Hickman wanders into the deep end of the pool here—I know that in my own experience, this sort of relationship with God “just is” and is hard to talk about it when people ask. How do you talk about the most intimate relationships with anyone else? It feels like something between bragging and betraying a confidence.
Hickman’s discourse on the union with God organizes around the meta-narrative of the Bible: creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. However, he recasts the biblical narrative in terms of union, disunion, reunion, and promise of perfect union (48). Stated in this way, our union with God models after the Trinity and models into our faith journey.
While many aspects of theology can come up, I found Hickman’s implication for the spiritual disciplines the most interesting. He summarizes his comments under four topics: doing nothing, praying simply, staying attentive, and being led (104). Let me focus on each in turn.
Doing Nothing .
Hickman writes: “it takes more faith to believe we are loved and accepted by God when we are doing nothing than when we are doing as much as we can for God.” (105) Repeat that ten times. Our salvation depends wholly on the work of Christ and does not depend on anything that we have done. Hickman uses the example of a child in the womb—the body of the child matures naturally as the child abides in the mother’s womb and has nothing to prove or do (107). This concept of abiding in Christ immediately affects our attitude about prayer.
Praying Simply.
Hickman makes a profound statement: “prayer is more about who we are praying to than what we are saying.” (109) Again, he draws on an analogy to one of his children. Before he could speak; he asked for a bagel by pointing to the bagel and then pointing to his mouth (113). Prayer reminds us of a child pointing at things needed throughout the day.
Staying Attentive.
Hickman notes that “the question is not whether God is fully present in our lives, but if we are living fully aware of God’s presence.” (115) Of course, sometimes God needs to draw our attention a bit more dramatically than usual, because of our inattention. Hickman refers to these as “love letters” from God (115).
Being Led .
Hickman describes spiritual direction as: “The discipline of being led [which] involves the willingness to entrust yourself to someone else’s care.” (124) Spiritual direction is not counseling; it is not teaching; it involves having someone point to God’s work in your life and helping you find your true self in Christ.
David Hickman’s book, Closer than Close, is a fascinating exposition of the nature of God’s union with us. The New Testament discusses this relationship but details seldom appear elsewhere. In my case, Closer than Close gave me a framework for discussing my own faith journey. Words matter. If you are serious about your faith, then this book is for you.
References
Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius (BDB). 1905. Hebrew-English Lexicon, unabridged.
I have sometimes talked about God’s little Easter Eggs in reference to scientific discoveries that God has placed in our path so that we would find them. Hickman’s love letters focus on God’s revealing of himself.
Hickman Explains God’s Presence
Also see:
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
The post Hickman Explains God’s Presence appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
October 7, 2024
Pharisees: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 7, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Pharisees and Tax Collectors. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Pharisees: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 7, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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October 6, 2024
Prayer for the Hard of Hearing
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Blessed Lord Jesus,
All power and dominion, glory and honor, truth and justice are yours, because you speak to us with stories that we cannot help but repeat to display God’s nature.
Forgive us when we fail to get it or refuse to acknowledge what our hearts and minds tell us is obviously true.
Thank you for your patience with us, offering us mercy rather than justice when we clearly do not deserve mercy and cannot stand in the face of true justice.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, give us open hearts, teachable minds, and helping hands that we might grow more like Jesus every day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Prayer for the Hard of Hearing
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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Oración por las personas con problemas de audición
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Bendito Señor Jesús,
Toda alabanza y honor, poder y dominio, verdad y justicia son tuyos, porque nos hablas con historias que no podemos evitar repetir para mostrar la naturaleza de Dios.
Perdónanos cuando no lo entendemos o nos negamos a reconocer lo que nuestro corazón y nuestra mente nos dicen que es obviamente cierto.
Gracias por su paciencia con nosotros, ofreciéndonos misericordia en lugar de justicia cuando claramente no merecemos misericordia y no podemos enfrentar la verdadera justicia.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, danos corazones abiertos, mentes enseñables y manos amigas para que podamos parecernos más a Jesús cada día.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración por las personas con problemas de audición
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/school_Sep2024, Signup
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October 4, 2024
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Evangelist Charles Finney (1792-1875), sometimes called the father of revivalism, was trained as a lawyer and was known to preach fire and brimstone ( Galli and Olsen 2000, 67). He intuitively understood the judicial context of mercy and the critical role played by original sin. He wrote:
“The guilty man, if he desires to have mercy from the executive, must admit the rightness of the law and of the penalty. Others he arrays himself against the law and cannot be trusted in the community.” (Finney 1999, 151)
For the accused, pleading guilty satisfies the judicial requirement for mercy because pleading not guilty implies the argument that no law has been broken. In the legal context, pleading guilty relieves the prosecutor of the burden of proving guilt and a lengthy trial, which reduces public expense.
Original sin is the doctrine that argues that although we were created sinless, sin enter the human race when Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6). This is collective sin where the sin of the fathers is passed on to the children (Exod 34:7). The cycle of collective sin was broken when a sinless Christ died on the cross, paying the penalty of sin for us all. Atonement for collective sin, an event foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah (31:29-30), could only be made with a divine sacrifice.
The argument that we are all basically good (that is, are not guilty of original sin) negates the principle work of Christ, who is argued throughout the New Testament to have died for our sins (e.g. 1 Cor 15:3). No sin; no need of salvation. It also implies that Christ is not divine because Christ could not have been a sinless sacrifice for us all unless he were also God. Consequently, God’s attribute of being merciful stands as a critical argument in understanding central tenants of the Christian faith. As an attorney and evangelist, Finney played a key role in raising the common understanding of our Christian faith as well as helping found the Evangelical movement in the nineteenth century.
Lest anyone argue that the judicial understanding of mercy was a nineteenth century innovation, remember that law plays a larger role in Judaism, which provide the backdrop for the New Testament. New Testament writers wrote about Gospel in a cultural context where the legal arguments dominated everyday life.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus distinguished pleas of guilty versus not guilt play a key role in this parable:
”Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 18:9-14)
In this story, the Pharisee clearly believes that he is not guilty of having transgressed Mosaic law, while the Tax Collector sees himself as guilty. Here God plays the role of a judge who renders a verdict of justified to the Tax Collector, but not to the Pharisee. Implicit in this story is the concept of original sin because both men are judged, which is presented as culturally unexpected.
This parable focuses on the word, δικαιόω (BDAG 2005), which translates as justified. The two primary definitions have a legal context, meaning: 1.to take up a legal cause, show justice, do justice, take up a cause τινά or 2. to render a favorable verdict, vindicate. While the judge in this parable renders the verdict, no penalty is mentioned.
The absence of a penalty is interesting because this parable focuses on two devout men in the temple, which excludes secular people not in the temple whose penalty for non-worship would be culturally more obvious. The type men are explicit archetypes, one proud and the other humble. We might compare these two men with Cain and his brother Abel, who presented their gifts to God before the altar. Cain’s gift is rejected, while Abel’s is accepted by God in his unexplained, sovereign decision.
Casting two devout men in the context of worship, one accepted and the other rejected, might be taken as a first-century, literary trope, perhaps embarrassing for Pharisees or humorous to others. Before I started my career in government, I used to tell political jokes, substituting politicians’ names into airplane jokes or. even knock-knock jokes. Jesus may have done something similar here with the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector that the Gospel writers later cleaned up for a more general audience. Noting a humorous context humanizes Jesus and reinforces the focus on attitude that is given in the parable’s introduction.
References
Finney, Charles. 1999. The Spirit-Filled Life (Orig pub 1845-1861). New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House.
Galli, Mark and Ted Olsen. 2000. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
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