1996 Issue 5 - The New Life of Joy Under the Sovereignty of Jesus - Counsel of Chalcedon

8/12/2019 1996 Issue 5 - The New Life of Joy Under the Sovereignty of Jesus - Counsel of Chalcedon

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(5:33-39) The New Life ofJoy obligatory part of that holy dayUnder the Sovereignty of Jesus and its rites. But fasting was also

display and hypocrisy , Mat. 6:16 ;9:14.

(5:33) The Question practiced voluntarily as a sign of Jesus rejected the meritoriousbout Fasting mourning, II Sam. 1:12 , at times and compulsory character of

of disasters and n ational f d . d ' H IfThe Disciples ofJohn vs. astmg, an pracnce It lmseI f calamities , Neh. 1:4, and as an at times, permitting ' it as a

, The Disdp es o Jesus evidence of repentance of sin, I voluntary form of spiritual

Apparently Levi's banquet for Kings 21:27, etc. During the discipline, Mat. 4:2; 6:16-18 . ItJesus was on the day that the Babylonian Exile , as a result of was as a volunta ry practice that .disciples of John the Baptist,l and the inability to carry out the the early Christians fasted; ctsthe Pharisees, thought should be sacrificial system, due to the fact 9:9; 13 :2 ,3; 14:23. But after thegiven to fasting. And they said that th ey were to be offered in third century it degenerated in,to Him, 'The diSciples of John the Temple in Jerusalem , fasting many cases to an obligatory andoften fast and offer prayers; the became a meritorious work, supposedly meritorious fornialitydisciples of the Pharisees also do (sacrifice), that would be as it is still to be rn'et with todaythe same; ,but Yours eat and among Roman Catholics, Jews ,drink.' r ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ = and .Notice that the W ~ ( m r l l b -question rders Geldenl)uys

to Jesus' (5:34 39)disciples, not The Three .to JesusHimself. This Parables ofi s ~ ~ 3 0 0that reluctance Answeringto attack Jesus the Question

Aboutin personalthough the Fastingmatter involveshim

primarily. Lenski

oe Morecfaft 1II

Jesusanswers thequestions

The diSciples ofJohn 'and ofthe Pharisees wanted to knowwhy the disciples ofjesus did notfast as frequently as they did.Why were the disciples of Johnfasting? There could be twoanswers: 1). Herod recentlykilled John and they weremourning for him; (2). Like the

Pharisees, John may ha veencouraged his diSciples to fast asan expression of mourning forsin.

The Bible on Fasting

The Old Testamentcommanded fasting on the Day ofAtonement, Lev. 16:29. It was an

rewarded by God. Thus thepractice of fasting assumed anincreasingly outward and formalcharacter and lost much of itsreligious value. For this reasonthe prophets during and after theExile took such drastic actionagainst it. True fasting , theyproclaimed, consisted not in

abstaining from food and drinkbut in renouncing sin, Zech .7:5. - Geldenhuys.Nevertheless , the legalisticdevelopment of fasting continuedso tha t by the time ofjesus , ithad become a fixed practice withthe Pharisees twice a week, Lk18 :12, with much outward

... THE COUNSEL o Chalcedon June 996

about faStingwith three short but irrefutable 'parables that go right to the heartof the nature and purpose of Hiscoming to earth.

The Interpretation of Parables ,2,

The parables of Jesus are notas easy to interpret as one mightthink. They are their own

unique literary form,distinguishable from illustrations,simiies, and metaphors, althoughthey may at times include one ormore of these figures of speech.Understanding the nature andpurpose of Jesus ' parables is ,essential to interpreting themcorrectly. 3


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FIRST, jesus' parables areChristocentric, i.e., their focus ison Him and His Kingdom.

when Jesus spoke in parables,He sought to reveal to Hishearers the significance of Hisown presence in their midst, and

the urgency of the criticalsituation into which His cominghas thrown theworld. - Wallace,pg.203.

SECOND, jesus ' parables havea prophetic, future-orientation.They have a forward look. They

prophesy future things. Theypredict not only an

The whole sphere of worldhistory is today being disturbedby jesus Christ, and men andnations are being judged by theirreaction to Him in the same wayas the Jewish nation wasdistutbed and judged by its

reaction to Him in the days ofHis flesh. - Wallace, pg. 207.

THIRD, jesus' parables arebuilt around one main theme.Because of this fact, they aredistinct from allegories, whichare highly imaginative storiesuntrue to life because the story is

is to look for one basic centralpoint in them. As a rule ofthumb, I avoid all allegOrizing ofthe parables except where theN.T. clearly indicates anallegorical meaning. - R. C.Sproul, KNOWING SCRIPTURE,

pg. 96-97, (1977, DownersGrove, Ill., Intervarsity Press).

In the parable there is onechief point of likeness betweenthe story and the meaning, andthe details simply help to makethe story realistic and so serve thecentral tmust of the

immediate crisis for thoseWho were dealing with

Jesus of Nazareth in the'flesh ; but also a historical;process ~ h i c his to followHis historical life and is tobe equally decisive forgenerations to come. c __

Jesus' parables re

designed to compeldecision with reference to

Him nd His Kingdom.

parable---like the featherswhich wing the arrow. -A.M. Hunter, .INTERPRE:rIN G THE IPARABLES, pg. 10,(Philadelphia, TheWestminster press, 1960).

FOURTH, Jesus'parables are deSigned to

It is true that the .wholeatmospre into which .we areintroducfd in the parables isheavY 'fith the expectancy of animmedia

lworld-shaking crisis.

The para les proclaim to us thatin the hi -ory of jesus the dramaohhe en4 of the world hasopened. ~ h beginning oftheend has bern made. But in thehistorical c\rcurnstances of theincarnation I death andr e s u t r e t i o n ~ fJesus only the firstact of that dr:ma has beenunfollowed., There are other actsto follow, ~ dthe course of thewhole dramf'. is foreshadowed inprophecy bFesus in theparables. - allace, pgs.206-207.

The ministry of h ~Wordar)d Sacrament is producing inthe world the same criticalsituation as the historic ministryofjesus in Palestine in His day.

shaped in every detail accordingto the hidden meaning thestory-teiler is seeking to cOr)vey.Only r ~ e l ydoes 1 sus' parableshave an allegOrical element, that

mighte ~

us to


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before, dIe possibility that theman addressed can come to anunderstanding with the manaddressing him across theopposition that exists betweenthem. -- This new possibilitywhich the parable creates in the

situation is significant even ifunderstanding is not achieved.Even if the man addressedpersists in his previous position,it is not simply 'all as before. ' --Even i he persists in it (hisprevious position) he is reallymaking a decision. Hispersistence acqUires a differentcharacter; it becomes explicitopposition.

So a successful parable is anevent in a double sense: it createsa new pOSSibility in the situation ,and it compels the manaddressed to a decision . That isto say . .it compels the making ofa decision ...

The deeper the oppositionbetween the speaker and the manaddressed goes, the moreSignificant is the decision which

the parable compels to be made.There are oppositions whichreach right into the depths ofexistence, right to the groundthat sustains the life of a man anddetermines it. The parables ofJesus---or at least most ofthem---are addressed to such anopposition.

\

. \ i'If a parable reaches thelistener, this depends on thei p o m ~ tof truth which theharrat,?r knows how to make soeffective for his purposes that hislisteners are perplexed by it.This perplexity does not removethe opposition between thespeaker and the listener, but itdoes remove the possibility ofignoring the opposition. For a

man so perplexed, truth (Le., hisidea of truth-JCMIII) is not set .against truth, (Le., God's idea ofTruth-JCMIII). On the one handthere is the truth that he himselfrepresents with his entireexistence---in so far as this

opposition, even if it hasappeared at a superficial level,reaches down into the depths ofexistence; and on the other handthere is that which forces itself onhim inescapably as being truth inthe words of the speaker---astruth whose validity he hasalways known, or at least couldhave known. HE MUSTDECIDE; IN FACT HE HAS

ALREADY ONESO AT THEMOMENT OF LISTENING. Thisis true even i f this decision hasnot been at all cOnscious for him,because he persists in hisprevious position. By thispersistence he has placed himselfin active opposition to thatmoment of truth which theparable holds out to him. But if

the listener follows the call of the

truth which confronts him in theparable, he sets himself inopposition to what has till nowbeen the truth of his existence.

'1esus , by compelling hislisteners to a e ~ i s i o nthroughtelling a parable , gives them thepossibility of making a change ofexistence, of understandingthemselves anew from the depthsup, of achieving a 'new life.'

Such a change of existence noone can undertake in his ownstrength and on his ownauthOrity, for that would be likewanting to jump over one's ownshadow or to pull oneself up byone's own bootlaces. Thepossibility can only come to aman from outside, only through a

6 l THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon l June 996

saying that reaches into thedepths of his existence. -- Suchsayings the parables ofJesusare. - Urmemann, pgs . 30-32.

FIFTH, the context in whichthe parable is placed in theGospel will often give anindication of the meaning it ismeant to convey. Wallace; pg.212.

SIXTH, our interpretation ofthe parables must be in harmonywith the teaching of the moreclearly expressed portion of theBible. We may never interpre tone passage of SCripture in a waythat contradicts another passage.Furthermore, we must alwaysinterpret the less clear passages,like parables, in the light of themore clear passages. It isnecessary, in interpreting theparables, to read some meaninginto them. We will not otherwisefind a key to their tea ching. Themeaning we read into theparables must be dictated by thedoctrine taught by the rest ofScripture. - Wallace, pg. 213.

On the other hand, parablesmay be used to test our theology.No theology imit does not find

itself at home in the world of theparables is worth muchconsideration. - Wallace; pg.213.

SEVENTH, sqme of themetaphors used in the parableswill be similar to the metaphors

used in the Old Testament , e.g. ,light, vineyard, harvest.

EIGHTH, a parable implies aprofound connection betweenthe things which belong to thisearthly creation and the thingswhich belong to the mysteries ofthe kingdom of heaven. Thefortner can be used to illustrate


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and make clear the latter becauseof this connection. - Herman C.Hanko , THE MYSTERIES OFTHE KINGDOM, pg. 3, (GrandRapids, Mich., Reformed FreePublishing Association, 1975).

NINTH, "unless a man is firstinside the Kingdom of God, hecannot see the true relevance ofthe analogies in the parables. Theparables can be understood onlyfrom above downwards, not fromunderneath upwards. 'Except aman be born from above hecannot see the Kingdom of God.'This saying ofJesus applies with

disciples that a sifting, separatingprocess had begun in historywith His incarnation and itwould continue to the end ofhistory. Christ's preaching onearth and through His ministersby the Spirit would have the

unavoidable effect of thrOwing allhearers into two great classes:THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE andTHOSE ON THE INSIDE. Thissifting is caused by theconfrontation of Divine mercy inChrist with human rebellionagainst God.

The Main Points of theThree Parables

was still present in the room.That would be rude and absurd.Nobody would do such anoutrageous thing Weddings werefor joy and celebration, notsadness and fasting. Everybodyknows that

TIle Joy in the Presence of JesusThe Center and Cause of

Joy in Christians

jesus, in typical debatefashion, poses a counter-questiondesigned to center attention onthe new situation created by Hispresence with the disciples"Lane on MARK. Jesus ' pOint,

much relevance to theproblem o f the r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - -then, is unanswerable '

. Chri6t'6 preaching o n e ; i l r ~ h a t is morally impossibleinterpretation andunderstanding of the

. to compel His disciples,. through Hi m i n i 6 t e r 6 t ; y t h ~ppirit (the attendants ofthe

parables. Just as therecan be no trueknowledge of God fronioutside the redeeming

would have the unavoidable effect o f . bridegroom) to fastphrowing all hearer6 Into tWo grr;a .t . mournfully while Jesuscla$6e6: . those on t h e o u t i d e ~ d ,. Himself, (the

, bridegroom) , is still. th 6e on the in idB:? " ' present with them "Theife of God, so there can

be no understanding ofthe Kingdom of God fromoutside that Kingdom, and thusno understanding of the parables

to "those that are without.'The parables thus test men, andit is the hearer himself who byhis attitude to the parable revealswhether he is within or outsidethe Kingdom of God."- Wallace,pgs.217-218.

The Purpose of Parables

Jesus uses Isaiah 6: 10 toexplain why He preached inparables, Matthew 13:10-17;Mark 4:10-13; Luke 8:9-10; John12:37-41. His disciples askedHim why He preached inparables and He answered thatHe had corne to earth to revealthe mystery of the kingdom ofGod to some, i.e., the elect, andto hide it from others, i.e., thereprobate. He infonns His

(5:34-35) The Parable ofthe Bridegroom

"And Jesus said to them, 'Youcannot make the attendants ofthe bridegroom fast while thebridegroom is with them, canyou? But the days will come; andwhen the bridegroom is takenaway from them, then they willfast in those days.'"

The Una11Swerable Pointof the Parable

With this parable, jesu.scompares His presence with HisdiSCiples in His kingdom with awedding. The friends of thegroom in charge of the weddingarrangements and responSible forthe success of the entirecelebration, would certainly notfast while the wedding party wasin progress and the bridegroom

central comparisonbetween the wedding festivitiesand Jesus' disciples lies in THEJOY WHICH THEY POSSESS INTHEIR MASTER. -- The reasonfor the fundamentally differentposition of His disciples is that'the bridegroom is with them,'and in His presence theyexperience joy. --- ... anexpression of sorrow isinappropliate to the newsituation which has come withjesus' presence. JESUS IS BOTHTHE CENTER AND THE CAUSE

OF THE JOY THAT HISDISCIPLES EXPERIENCE."- Laneon MARK.

The Joy of Immanuel

Jesus' diSciples may not havebeen fully aware yet of the reasonfor their joy in Jesus' presence,but we do, having the wholeBible before us. Jesus' presence

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meant that His jubilant kingdomhad come to earth and those whoenter that kingdom by faith andrepentance rej oice in its richblessings, and most of all, that inthat kingdom Jesus is Immanuel,Le., G od with us. "The

important truth which jesus herereveals and which makes thepassage so practical and filledwith comfort especially for todayis that for those whoackno wledge Christ as their Lordand Savior, the proper attitude ofheart and mind is not that ofsadness but that of gladness . f itbe true that 'God WITH us'(Immanuel) spells joy for

believers, should not 'GodWITHIN us' (the situation onand after Pentecost) awaken inevery child of God joyunspeakable and full of glory? Itwas in order to bring suchabounding joy that jesus came toearth and that He, through Hissacrificial death, broughtsalvation full and free, Lk. 2: 10;24 :52;jn. 15:11; 17:13 ; Rom.5:11; 15 :13 ;

Gal.5:22; Phil. 4:lf;

I Pet. 1:8; 4:13; I jn . 1:4; IIJn .12."- Hendriksen

The ark side of This arable

"But the days will come; andwhen the bridegroom is takenaway from them, then th ey willfast in those days."

This is Luke 's second (veiled)reference to the violent death ofjesus. The other was Luke 2 :34."But the days will come " isominous and sinister, implyingthat days are coming when it willbe impossible not to fast. Thebridegroom will be "taken awayfrom His attendants, and just as itis impossible for them nOw tofast in His presence, it will beimpossible for them to rejoice in

His absence "in those days."'Taken away" is an aorist pas siveverb. It refers to "the one act oftaking away by means of theviolent death of jesus and in asinister way hides the agent orthe agents involved . ... tragedynOW invades the bridal-hall : thebridegroom is murdered."LenskL This verb also remindsus of Isaiah 53 :8 which says ofthe (messianic) Suffering Servantof God: By oppression andjudgment He was TAKENAWAy ... "

When Jesus is forcibly takenaway from His disciples by theauthorities, crucified and buried ,His disciples will abstain fromeating because they will beovercome with grief andconfusion. By "the coming days"and "th ose days," Jesus isreferring , first of all, to the timefrom His arrest until Hisresurrection, and in a lesser sensefrom His resurrection to theBaptism of the Holy Spirit On theDay of Pentecost, when He

would on ce again be present withHis church by the power of theHoly Spirit john 14:12,17,18,19,25-31. When the Holy Spiritbrought the Presence of theLiving Christ near to Hisdisciples after His resurrectionand the Day of Pentecost , thetime for weeping was over, andthe era of rejOicing began . There,the Roman Catholic Church is in

error in interpreting jesus' wordsas applying to the entire periodof time until His resurrection ,therefore demanding itsadherents to fast regularly,supposedly as jesus hadcommanded.

,"The words refer only to thetime when He had been 'taken

8 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon Jnne 1996

away' and when the disciplesfasted of their own accordbecause they could not eat ordrink Owing to the grief in theirhearts. After His resurrectionand His return through the HolySpirit, He came to be near andwith His followers until the endof the world, Mat. 28:20 , andtherefore every believer is calledupon to be joyful in Him and notto fast in sorrow. A joyful,healthy spiritual disciplineindeed always remains thecharacteristic of a true follower ofChrist."- Geldenhuys

(TO BE CONTINUED)

1Apparently, some of thedisciples ofJohn the Baptist wereenvious of]esus, john 3:26, andwould not listen to John 'sdeclarations concerning Him.They became very critical of Jesusand His disciples.

'See Appendix: "The Parablesof]esus Christ" after th econclusion of our exposition onLuke 6:12-16.

'Many of our comments arebased on and taken from a bookon parables by my formerseminary professor , Ronald S.Wallace, MANY THINGS INPARABLES, (New York , Harperand Brothers, 1955).

~ s u soften quotes from oralludes to Isaiah in Hispreaching: Mat. 11:5 and Isa .

35:5,6; Luke 4:18-19 and Isa.58:6; 61:1,2; Luke 22:37 and Isa.53:12; Luke 6:21 and sa. 61:3;7:22 and 35:5, 61:1; 8:10 and6:9,10; 10 :15 and 14:13,15;19:46 and 56 :7; 20 :9 and 5:1;21:10 and 19:2; 21:24 and63:18; 21:25 and 18:10,24:19(LXX); 21:35 and 24:17.

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1996 Issue 5 - The New Life of Joy Under the Sovereignty of Jesus - Counsel of Chalcedon